Many older people report that they have trouble sleeping. Almost half of older adults report sleep disturbances, and between a quarter and a third say, they suffer from insomnia.

Their problems are mainly two parts: one is difficult to fall asleep at night, and the other is waking up too early in the morning and not being able to fall back to sleep.

In some cases, certain medical conditions exacerbate their sleep disturbances, but many people can't get enough sleep at night without feeling physically ill.

Lack of sleep can have long-term effects on the immune system and many aspects of physical health. And it will also cause daytime burnout and increase the risk of accidents. But it's possible that as people age, they just don't need as much sleep anymore.

Determining how much sleep people of different ages need is not simple. Of course, you can calculate how much sleep people actually get, and you'll find that older people sleep less on average than younger people. But that just means they sleep less, not that they need less sleep.

Sleep disorders can be dangerous. For normal people, if they don't get enough sleep at night and have a lot of mental pressure to work, study and live during the day, it easily leads to mental weakness and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.

For such people who have been troubled by sleep for a long time, often have cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, angina pectoris, stroke, etc., which seriously affect their health.

The elderly can pay attention to the following aspects to overcome insomnia.

1. Regular sleep

Follow a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends.

2. A suitable sleep environment

To maintain a suitable sleeping environment that is quiet, clean, and comfortable.

3. Appropriate bedding

Choose of bed: the elderly are prone to bone and joint diseases. The quilts, sheets, and pillows must be clean and tidy to make people feel comfortable. Pillows should be moderately elastic.

4. Correct sleeping position

Pay attention to the sleeping position, especially lying on the right side, which can help relax the muscle tissue, eliminate fatigue, help the food in the stomach to push toward the duodenum, and prevent the heart from being compressed.

If you lie on the right side for too long, you can switch to lying on your back to relax the muscles of the whole body as much as possible.

5. Avoid getting excited before going to bed

Excitement before bed can lead to insomnia and dreaminess. Therefore, do not do exciting activities before going to bed, and it is not advisable to watch tense TV programs and movies or read suspenseful books.