Filed under: sleeping problems
Sleeping problems in the elderly may involve a number of factors such as: decreased energy output as a result of retirement,the age of the person, their state of health, and any prescription drugs they may be taking for health problems.
Illness disrupts sleeping patterns in the elderly, and may result in increased awakenings due to physical discomfort, caused by urinary urgency,cramps, angina, chronic obstructive airways disease, and left ventricular failure, these may be some of the many illnesses which cause sleeping problems in the elderly.
An elderly person may become very anxious about a change in their sleeping pattern, however, it will be necessary to thoroughly investigate the problem in order to ascertain if this perceived sleeping problem, causes dysfunction in their waking activities. If the elderly person has a carer, or lives with family then the problem may be easier to assess, for what appears to be a problem may only be a normal change in sleeping pattern for the age.
The most frequently occurring sleeping problem in the elderly is sleep latency, the person may spend some hours in bed before sleep occurs. The elderly person may view this as a problem and request sleeping pills, whereas, all that is needed is to teach them how to reorganize their lives to cope with the changes in sleeping patterns they are experiencing.
Reduced energy output as a result of retirement with an increased opportunity to take naps, either as a result of boredom or just plain exhaustion, may contribute to reduced quality of night-time sleep.
The pressure of a normal working day has been taken away, so the energy output is considerably less, while this may be offered as a possible reason for sleep latency, many others factors may be involved.
There may be much confusion about sleep latency, the difficulty may be exaggerated because the person who experiences it may be convinced that unless they have 8 hours of quality sleep, they will become ill. Sometimes it is difficult to convince an elderly person that they no longer require 8 hours of unbroken sleep, but may be better served by a shorter night time sleep supplemented with day time naps.
So how can sleeping problems in the elderly be resolved? Firstly it is necessary to provide a warm comfortable noise free environment, if this is available then the addition of regular exercise, combined with a healthy diet may be all that is needed to resolve the sleeping problem. However, if the previous measures fail to help, many other modalities are available to help the person .
Reflexology offers a very gentle and effective aid to sleep , and aromatherapy has proven to be very successful to assist relaxation and sleep in the elderly. Both of these modalities have been used in nursing homes and have been found to assist not only sleep, but the general well-being of the patients.
Sleeping problems in the elderly should be thoroughly investigated before any medications are prescribed. Unfortunately this is not always the procedure that is adopted, for often a script is written for what has been described as insomnia by the elderly person, however, such is mostly not the case, but rather it’s a normal progression or a resetting of the circadian rhythms as people age which requires education, not medication.
Provided that there is no evidence of disease of the central nervous system, such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic brain damage, and chronic pain, then sleeping problems in the elderly are far better managed conservatively.
Colleen Redman
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/sleeping-problems-in-the-elderly-51768.html
5 Comments so far
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Yeah, My cat does this aswell - He is 14 and he has done it since he had a car accident, We just don’t know why….
Im sure someone, else will help you x..
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THAT VET ASSISTANT IS CRUEL!!
YOU’RE PET IS TRYING TELL YOU SOMETHING!
I have had cats and dogs for the past 40 plus years’ changes in behavior especially potty changes usually mean a health problem. Cats will associate any bladder or bowel pain they feel while using the litter box to the litter box so they stop using it. I had to learn the hard way when cats are peeing and pooping outside of their litter box then they are definitely telling you something is going on. It’s best to check that first before you move to anything else.
In the past pets of mine had a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) and one had diabetes and stopped using the litter box, one of my other kitties had inflammatory bowel disease and she stopped using the box for bowel movements. My other cat would come into the bathroom and pee in the shower or jump in the tub and pee. They are trying to tell you something when this happens. Bring your pet to the VET for a well kitty/dog check up, my kitty had a UTI from high sugar in her urine and diabetes as you can see many reasons. One of my dogs who was house trained started peeing on the floor I scolded her wrongly as I found out next day I saw blood in her urine. She was in pain and either couldn’t hold it or trying to tell me something too. Have her checked out soon as you can. GOOD LUCK
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A cat associates pain with a place. At 16 she could be constipated, just like an older adult. When my 12 yr. old cat had a painful BM, she started using the cream rug in the dining room but continued to use her box for urination.
The vet had to express the hard poop manually. It was painful for her. She's now on 1/2 tsp. of Benefiber (no sugar) 2x per day, vet's orders. I add extra water to her wet food. Dry food is a no-no.
Is the stool runny? She could have something going on in her intestine. If she's continent for urine, she should be checked by a vet. Try to take a fresh stool sample with you in a clear plastic baggy. Good luck.
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life long cat companion and shelter volunteer
Wow! :O I thought my Dog lived a long life, she was 17 when she died, but for a cat :O…Wow lol is there a record for the longest age???
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Litter box problems with elderly cat?
Comment by Purplecat 04.25.09 @ 6:03 amMy cat is 16. She uses the cat box to urinate but has started to poop wherever she is at the time, today in my bed right next to me, then again in the kitchen right by her food bowl. I’ve talked to a vet assistant and was told she is just old and it may be time to have her put to sleep. I’m not ready to accept that answer. Any suggestions?