Mom has been struggling to get a good night's sleep for a while. She says she wakes up multiple times and can't get back to sleep for a long time.
Her geriatric doctor recommended melatonin which I've given her, but mom says it hasn't helped. On the other hand, she doesn't appear sleepy or tired during the days so maybe she doesn't remember.
It then occurred to me that turning on the bright overhead lights might awaken her brain too much and hinder getting back to sleep. We recently bought a softer, but bright enough light for our bathroom so I thought we could try one in hers.
I guess I'll try reminding her every night for a while and keep my fingers crossed.
Sigh...
Disturbed sleep is no fun and neither is cumulative tiredness. I hope the softer light will help.
ReplyDeleteIn motel situations, my MIL is much like your mom and wants to turn on bathroom lights in the middle of the night and then stumbles her way back to bed because she can't see anything. I on the other hand just rely on the soft blue lights of the alarm clocks or sometimes lighted switches in the bathroom to see and never have problems getting back to bed because my eyes never have to readjust.
ReplyDeleteAs a male with hearing impairment, it helps me to have light in the bathroom to make sure that I am done (sigh, old age). I have a flashlight in there that gives me enough light without hitting the big light.
ReplyDeleteThis is Margie...not Anonymous! I have a hard time sleeping much of the time too!
ReplyDeleteRemember..this is Margie
ReplyDeleteMy late husband used to say that light is the enemy of sleep. My mom at 90 has those same issues though. It's probably age related. She can't try melatonin because she's on a blood thinner.
ReplyDeleteHope she improves in her sleep.
ReplyDeletePerhaps as we get older we need less sleep. I have CBD gummies with melatonin. I like how it tastes.
ReplyDeleteLin Floyd says we always take a night light or two to plug into our light switches at home and in motels when traveling...
ReplyDeleteInsomnia is a plague that many of us suffer.
ReplyDeleteRight now, during my recovery, I am sleeping in my recliner and usually I am able to get back to sleep when I wake every two hours. I avoid bright lights when i am up at night. I long to be able to sleep comfortably in my bed again, but then the insomnia plage might return, having trouble either getting to sleep of staying asleep.
I mostly sleep well, but some nights, not so much.
ReplyDeleteI take melatonin every night as well as a THC/CBD tincture called "Beauty Sleep." It's legal here in Washington state and I really like how it helps me get to sleep,. If I drink any alcohol in the evening, I tend to wake in the middle of the night with trouble falling asleep again.
ReplyDeleteI think many of us elderly folks have trouble sleeping. I know I wake up multiple times and sometimes when I wake up it takes a long time to get back to sleep.
ReplyDeleteI agree that elderly people do seem to have a problem with sleep. But lately I've heard that many younger folks do too. I have always slept well enough... not as deep or through the night as I did when younger, but well enough. I do get up 2-3 times to use the facilities, but I don't think that's unusual when you're 77. We do keep a low light on in the hall...
ReplyDeleteIf she can see well enough, try night lights with little 4 watt bulbs in them. I have them in each room and can find my way just fine without totally waking up. I've even travelled with them too like some folks describe above. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThis sounds a bit strange, but I would try a motion sensor soft light. Just the light switching on by itslef might interrupt her automatically reaching for the switch. It you can 'interrupt' a habitual routine, you are more likely to stop the habitual routine.
ReplyDeleteRe; the sleeping. Tim is having a time here. We think it is solved, and then insomnia rears its ugly head again. The first thing that I notice is that he is a poor judge of how he's slept. He is on a medication. Atarax. Last night was his second night. What I like is that he does fall asleep very quickly with it. I woke up several times in the night and he was snoring. I know that he got up once. He came back to bed in pretty short order. He snored some more. This morning, I was suprised to note that he didn't think he slept at all.
So much can go wrong with our sleep cycles. I hope you get a handle on it. JB used to get upset when he couldn't sleep, which prevented him from getting back to sleep as he'd worry! I just tell him that he is retired and he can nap, and sleep when he is tired. That sort of solved it. Melatonin doesn't work for me, either!
ReplyDeleteI had a bad reaction to melatonin
ReplyDeleteI go through periods where I take melatonin..definately if I am traveling. But I try to avoid it and get sunshine therapy daily when our weather clears. You mom is such a delight.
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