Insomnia in the elderly, characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, is common from the age of 65, but can be alleviated with simple measures, the use of teas for insomnia, soothing juices or medications.
Insomnia reduces concentration, attention and memory and increases daytime sleepiness, which promotes imbalance and increases the risk of falls, accidents, injuries and fractures.
- Older people with insomnia usually rely on sleeping pills because they overused them and often without medical advice and cannot sleep without them.
- See some examples of these medications in: Sleeping Remedies.
Treatment of insomnia in the elderly should be indicated by a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders and includes identifying the cause of insomnia and then initiating appropriate treatment. Once the cause is identified, treatment may be done with:
To ensure a good night’s sleep, it is advisable to
Another important tip to prevent insomnia from getting worse is not falling asleep in the living room and lying down alone when you’re very sleepy and confident that when you’re lying down you’ll sleep.
Some good home remedies for insomnia in the elderly are passion fruit juice, chamomile infusion and valerian capsules, which are natural and have sedative properties, favoring sleep, with no side effects. These can be used at the same time as medications as they complete treatment for insomnia. See how to prepare in: Home remedy for insomnia.
Some sleeping pills that your doctor may indicate are Lorax and Dormire, but they may also prescribe medications indicated for other purposes, but that also promote sleep such as antihistamines: Periatin and Fenergan; antidepressants: Amytril and Pamelor; sedatives: Stilnox.
Insomnia in the elderly is mainly due to old age, chronic diseases such as heart failure or diabetes, use of medications and habits such as drinking too much coffee or drinking excessive alcohol. Other causes may include:
Other possible causes may be anxiety, depression or dementia, but as there are many causes of insomnia in the elderly, it is very important to first identify the cause of insomnia and then the doctor will recommend appropriate treatment.