Dealing with Sleep Problems After 60: Advice from the Sixty and Me Community

We may not realize it, but, sleep problems have a major impact on our ability to function during the day.

When we are tired, your brains don’t operate efficiently. In fact, some sleep researchers even believe that many older adults are incorrectly diagnosed with dementia, when in reality, they have a sleep disorder. That’s how severe the impact of insomnia after 60 can be. For an excellent overview of what we know about sleep and aging, check out this video.

In addition to mental costs, not getting enough sleep can increase our chances of having an accident. When we are younger, we think about the importance of being alert “on the job,” but, it is just as important to keep our bodies operating efficiently as we get a little older.

Since this is such an important issue for the women in our community, I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on the topic of sleep after 60 recently. I’ve watched numerous video presentations by sleep researchers, I’ve started using a sleep diary and read several books.

Now, I’d like to complement all of this “book knowledge,” with the practical experience of the women in our community. After all, you are the ones that deal with sleep and aging on a daily basis. You have probably tried all kinds of techniques and know which ones work for you.

I’d like to get a conversation started about this. Here are a few questions for us to discuss. Please answer as many as you like.

What techniques have you found useful in getting better sleep after 60?

Have you tried writing in a worry diary to quiet your negative thoughts in bed?

Have you had a good/bad experience with a particular type of mattress?

Have you made any changes to your environment, such as introducing plants into your home, listening to nature sounds or reducing sounds in an attempt to sleep better? Did they help?

Have you found that eating a smaller meal or consuming less alcohol helps you to sleep through the night?

Are there any scents, such as lavender, that help you to sleep?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Please join the conversation and “like” and share this article to keep the discussion going!