Sleep Hygiene Plan for a 65-Year Old Client For most adults, seven to eight hours of sleep is sufficient for a good rest. This also applies to older adults aged 65 years or more. As one gets older, a change in sleeping patterns could emerge. These changes could result in insomnia whereby a person experiences trouble sleeping. Moreover, a 65-year-old could experience other changes that include waking up early in the morning, difficulties in sleeping after waking up in the middle of the night, and early tiredness in the evening. Other psychiatric and medical issues could affect nighttime sleep for adults aged 65. Nonetheless, individuals without major illnesses could enjoy a better sleep. Designing a sleep hygiene plan remains critical in addressing the changing sleep patterns in a 65-year-old person that consequently promotes overall body wellness.

Sleep Hygiene Plan

A study among adults aged 65 years and over established that 36 percent of women and 13 percent of men had to take thirty minutes before falling asleep (Yaffe et al. 2014). Possible explanations for the changing sleep patterns include secretion of less melatonin, the sleep-promoting hormone. Moreover, increased sensitivity to environmental changes such as noise could also explain these changes. Common sleep disorders that affect most people include sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, and restless legs syndrome. In this section, the paper highlights critical elements to consider in the health plan for...

Setting the same time of getting to bed each day throughout a week.
ii. Taking naps to a maximum of up to twenty minutes.

iii. Refraining from taking caffeine eight hours before bedtime.

iv. Use the bedroom for sleeping purposes only and refrain from watching TV, eating, or reading in bed.

v. Avoid smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol as a strategy of falling asleep. The two approaches could make it harder to fall asleep. By smoking, you could endanger yourself by falling asleep with a lit cigarette. Furthermore, cigarettes contain nicotine that acts as a stimulant.

vi. If you do not fall asleep after thirty minutes after going to bed, get up and do something quiet such as listening to music in a different room. Afterwards, you could get back to bed.

vii. Trying to keep fit and active during the day helps in getting better sleep. Forms of exercise include swimming, walking, stretching, yoga, and strength training are essential. Moreover, end your workout at least three hours before bedtime.

viii. Refraining from worrying about sleep would help. Staying relaxed and stress-free would create a good environment for sleep.

ix. Try to expose the adult to some natural light in the afternoon.

x. Creating a comfortable and safe sleeping environment would help in getting better sleep. Ascertain that all doors are locked, and each floor has smoke alarms. Moreover,…