As people get older, sleep patterns change. One study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago analyzed the sleep patterns of a group of male subjects aged 16 to 83 and found that, on average, the total time people slept at night went down by 27 minutes with each decade of age. This is a natural part of aging. As people get older, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or “SCN,” the part of the brain that regulates the internal clock, begins to deteriorate. Many seniors struggle to get the hours of sleep that the body needs to stay healthy and the mind needs to stay alert. These three tips can help people maintain or regain their sleep patterns as they age.

Stick to a Routine 

Most people have some sort of routine that prepares them for bed, whether it’s showering, brushing their teeth, or bedtime reading. Keeping not only the steps of the routine but the time of it can condition the body to feel tired and ready for sleep at a certain time each evening. Some things should not be part of the evening routine, like watching TV in bed or drinking liquids (especially alcohol) close to sleep time. Instead of a drink to calm down at the end of the day, seniors should try some sort of meditation or mindfulness for five to ten minutes.

Maintain the Right Sleep Environment

Two of the biggest sleep detractors are light and sound. Natural light is desirable in the bedroom during the day, but too much artificial light at night will prevent sleep. Blackout curtains are a good option to keep a room dark in the evening and block out streetlights, car headlights, and other sources of artificial light. Persistent noise can also be a problem. For those who find earplugs intrusive or uncomfortable, white noise machines may be a good option to drown out exterior noise with benign and even soothing sounds that fade into the background.

Monitor the Effect of Medications

One factor that can be detrimental to sleep in seniors particularly is the effect of medications. Many of the common medications that senior citizens take, like diuretics to reduce high blood pressure, have the adverse side effect of keeping people awake. While these medicines serve important and even essential functions, it may be possible to alter the dosage or ingestion time to help with sleep if a doctor approves of the change.

At any age, having the right mattress is the key to a good night’s sleep. At Buis Mattress, we handcraft all of our mattresses in Holland, MI. We use the highest quality materials to produce a wide range of products designed to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Take care of your mental and physical wellbeing with deep sleep on a Buis Mattress. Check out our unique products at our showroom or on our website, or contact us at 616-396-6257 for further information.

A bedroom is kind of like a cave; it provides a dark, quiet place to sleep and recharge at the end of a long day. Caves also stay cool, the way a bedroom should at night. While there’s no exact temperature that guarantees a good night’s sleep for everyone, keeping the thermostat somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit provides the ideal temperature to initiate and maintain sleep.

Understanding Thermoregulation 

The sleep-wake cycle depends on a process called thermoregulation, which for most people begins in the late afternoon. This is when the body starts cooling down for sleep. The goal of thermoregulation is to adjust the body’s core temperature to aid in falling asleep and staying asleep. A higher body temperature helps with the waking process, so body temperature rises near the waking hours to resume alertness.

Thermoregulation and Sleep Temperature

Based on the process of thermoregulation, a room temperature that is too hot can cause restlessness and disrupt the deep REM stage of sleep. However, being too cold can also become a problem. A bad night’s sleep makes for a miserable next day, so sleeping with the thermostat set to an extreme is not doing anyone any favors. It’s important to find a temperature that not only helps the body reach deep sleep at night, but also supports the body in transitioning to a state of alertness in the morning. For anyone who has ever struggled to get out of a warm, cozy bed in the morning (who hasn’t?), thermoregulation is part of the reason.

Determining the Ideal Temperature

So how can the ideal sleep temperature be determined? It’s mostly trial and error. Folks who keep their home at extreme temperatures should start somewhere near the warmer or cooler end of the 60 to 67 degree Fahrenheit range, respectively, and adjust accordingly. However, this is only in regard to the ambient air, and all those blankets increase body heat. Even if the surrounding air temperature is ideal, it’s only touching exposed body parts. Additionally, heat builds through the body just from contact with the mattress.

Because there is more at play than just air temperature, finding the ideal temperature can be tricky. Thankfully, there are now solutions on the market that help control body heat through the night. Popular options include latex mattresses that provide a cooler sleep surface and certain types of mattress toppers that help lower body temperature in the evening and raise it as morning approaches.

Start Sleeping Better Tonight

As you see, the right type of mattress and bedding can play a big role in keeping you cool at night. Buis Mattress offers bedding products including latex mattresses and mattress toppers designed to help your body reach an optimal temperature for sleep. Check out our unique products at our store locations, or call us at 616-396-6257 to learn more. And don’t forget to adjust the thermostat tonight!