What Causes Insomnia in Seniors?
Insomnia is a serious condition that can impact anyone at any age. Not getting the sleep you need can have many detrimental effects on your physical and mental health. If you aren’t getting the sleep you need it is important that you take action. Insomnia is not something that will improve on its own. Insomnia can be particularly concerning for seniors. Counseling can help.
What Causes Insomnia?
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) identifies a number of issues that can cause sleeplessness or insomnia in seniors. It can be a primary condition, but often, it is an indication of another physical or mental health condition. It can be caused by many factors, such as:
- Medical issues: There are conditions, such as prostate enlargement, that can disturb sleep, waking up several times during the night to urinate. Digestive and respiratory issues, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, diabetes, etc. may similarly cause you to wake up often at night.
- Mental Health Conditions: Conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder etc include sleep disturbances as a symptom. If you have another diagnosis you may be more prone to insomnia.
- Drugs or food: Certain types of drugs and foods can impact your sleep. Taking stimulants just before bedtime may activate the body, so that it isn’t ready to “sleep.” They can have a diuretic effect, keeping you awake to flush your body fluids. Consuming alcohol and foods laden with fats can also disrupt sleep.
- Poor sleeping habits: There are many unhealthy sleeping habits that affect the body’s biological clock. These behaviors can confuse your circadian rhythm, so it could not tell when to sleep and when to stay awake. Some poor sleeping habits are watching TV or working out before bedtime.
- Unhealthy sleeping environment: It can be hard to fall asleep and stay asleep if the place you are about to sleep in is unfamiliar or it is not an ideal environment for sleeping. If the place is noisy, hot, without a comfortable bed/mattress, or it is poorly secured, you may not achieve the optimum hours of quality sleep.
- Modified lifestyle: With retirement, chronic medical conditions and concerns, older adults commonly modify their routines. Needing to have some physical activity, they can go on long walks at night. Studies reveal that some factors that may trigger or exacerbate insomnia, such as poor mobility, diminished social exchanges, and loss of their spouses/partners.
Determining the Cause of Your Insomnia
The causes listed above are simply some of the things that may lead to insomnia, it certainly is not an exhaustive list. It is important that you find what is contributing to your sleep disturbance and address it. Insomnia is treatable, but not without intervention.
Insomnia rarely improves on it’s own. There are many evidenced based treatments for insomnia that often include therapy, medication management or a combination of both. Don’t wait for your insomnia to become unmanageable, reach out for help now.
Counseling to Treat Insomnia
Counseling can be an effective way to treat insomnia. Therapy can provide a space for you to find and process what is keeping you awake at night. You can learn more about proper sleep hygiene and set yourself up for success. Many approaches can be helpful, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Carolina Counseling Services – Pittsboro Office contracts with skilled therapists who know how to treat insomnia. Call CCS today to schedule your first appointment and start getting the rest you deserve.