How to Improve Sleeping Habits for Yourself as a Family Caregiver
How to Improve Sleeping Habits
When you’re a family caregiver, sleep is essential for helping you to stay on top of your game. If you’re not getting the sleep that you need, try a few of these ideas.
Set Up Your Own Bedtime Routine
You probably already know that having a solid bedtime routine can help your elderly loved one to sleep better, but it can also help you. Set up your own set of habits that start around an hour before you expect to go to bed. You might want to take a relaxing soak in the tub, a shower, or even just read or listen to calming music before you head to bed. Whatever you do, it should be a signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.
Make Your Bedroom Sleep-friendly
To really be able to sleep, you need a calm environment that is conducive to sleep. You’ll want your bedroom to be fairly dark, although if you need a night light to be able to see at night, that should be as dim as possible. Make sure that your bed and your pillows are comfortable and supportive.
Try Meditation Before Bed
Some people try simple practices such as journaling or meditation before going to bed. Meditating can help you to clear your mind of anything troubling you. It also helps your body to calm down from the stresses of the day. You don’t have to be an expert in meditation to benefit from it. Just focus on your breathing and don’t worry about solving any problems during the time you’re meditating.
White Noise Can Help
You may also want a white noise machine to help you fall asleep more quickly. This is especially beneficial if you live in a city or in an area that has lots of other types of noise. The white noise helps to block out that excess noise so that you can relax and sleep in peace.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you’re having significant trouble sleeping, you may want to talk to your doctor. He can help you to determine if your trouble sleeping is due to a medical condition. If it is, he can help you to come up with a treatment plan that can work.
You can also talk to your loved one’s homecare providers about ideas that can help you sleep. This can really help if one of the reasons you have trouble sleeping is that you’re worried about your elderly loved one.
