In today’s blog , I am covering a topic which is not at all related to Politics, Bollywood or Sports. In fact today I am writing on general topic which is related to health, and which is to related people of all age groups but specially seniors. And the topic is
ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
Generally it is said that a normal person need total s of about 7 to 8 hours of peaceful sleep in 24 hours. There may be some exceptional cases who may need less or more hours of sleep than this standard during a day, but one thing is certain that without proper sleep a person can not function properly. Secondly getting sufficient sleep is said to be very important for a person to remain healthy, as well as alert. There are many professions which require extreme caution, which also mean that people in such profession must get proper amount of sleep every day. There have been many accidents/mishaps because people falling sleep on the job, especially while driving. But there are few people in this world who hardly get any sleep but still they survive.
In the modern times and lifestyles with stressful jobs, with more time spent on screens like laptops and mobile devices, sleep almost becomes a secondary or very elusive. Also there are many people who are willing to sacrifice their sleep to achieve some non existent short term goals, but these people are not aware that lack of sleep can prove to be extremely dangerous. It may lead to diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, poor health and even premature death. The quantum of sleep even varies with age.
In general it has been said that a normal adult from age of 18 to 60 can make with 7 or more hours of sleep. So in terms of need for sleep, seniors are no different from the average adult person. However most of the time the seniors do not get the required amount of sleep due to many issues.
Now insomnia is common among senior citizens. Certain times due to anxiety, other times due to illness or even due to medications there may be lack of sleep. Also, even if you sleep for 7 to 8 hours, there is possibility that a person may not get quality sleep, some times, one may find a few seniors dozing off in places, because of this. Issues like arthritis pain, wanting to pass urine, restlessness will contribute to elders getting less of sleep.
Tips for getting good sleep: As one age, it is very important and follow a set of pattern in life to the possible extent. The body may not be able to take changes as in younger days. Hence it is very important to eat on time and also sleep on time. Try to follow a routine, for waking up as well as going to sleep. Follow a healthy routine and do some form of physical activity every day.
Avoid watching too much TV before going to bed or spending time with other devices. This can hinder the sleep. If require one can discuss with the doctor if having a issue concerning sleep. Avoid taking a long nap in the afternoon, as this may hinder one’s night sleep. Try to eat your dinner early and make sure to have at least one hour gap between dinner and sleep time.
How much sleep should one get : In the end it can be said that one must try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. However, if one is comfortable one or two hour less or more and remain healthy and active. Only continuous sleeplessness or insomnia should be tracked and treated. One must always ensure that to follow pattern so that one’s body used to it and sleep also falls in line.
Above are the few facts and suggestions about the sleep for the senior people. I am also a senior person who has entered the 70s. For the last few years, I have also developed a pattern for my life style and sleep. Generally I eat by dinner before 9 pm and off to bed by 10.30 pm and get up by 5.30 am and then go for morning walk/exercise. Earlier I never used to take a nap in the afternoon, but from last few months I have started taking a nap of about 20/30 minutes in the afternoon, but for my this nap I never lie down on the bed, I take this nap while sitting on sofa. With regular set pattern, generally till date I have no sleeping problems.
Many readers of my blogs are senior persons, I hope this article will help them in general way.
Waiting for your views/comments/feed backs.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
27th Jan 2020.v
R. N. Mungale.
Very good article.