3 things older adults need to change to treat insomnia

Sleep disorders are becoming increasingly common, especially in older adults, with more and more people having difficulty falling asleep and maintaining deep sleep.

According to Olivia Arezzolo, a famous Australian sleep expert, insomnia is not only a personal problem but is becoming a public health crisis, due to many biological factors being disrupted by modern lifestyles.

Expert Arezzolo emphasized that sleep is influenced by three main factors: light, diet and temperature. If these three factors are disturbed, the brain has difficulty determining the appropriate time to rest, leading to a decrease in sleep quality.

Changing your daily routine can be a simple yet effective key to improving your sleep in a sustainable way.

Photo: AI

Go out into the sunlight

Light, especially natural light, plays an important role in activating the circadian rhythm. Ms. Arezzolo recommends getting at least 20 minutes of outdoor light exposure within 30 minutes of waking to stimulate the brain to release cortisol, a hormone that increases alertness, according to the New York Post.

On the contrary, blue light from electronic devices in the evening can inhibit melatonin - the sleep hormone - leading to difficulty in falling into deep sleep. Therefore, you should avoid using your phone, computer or watching TV at least 1 hour before going to bed.

Early breakfast

One seemingly unrelated factor is the timing of breakfast, especially in the context of the growing popularity of intermittent fasting. According to expert Arezzolo, eating breakfast within an hour of waking up is a way to set a "landmark" for the circadian rhythm, helping the body clock distinguish between day and night.

She recommends avoiding late-night eating, and maintaining at least a 3-hour gap between your last meal and bedtime to avoid stimulating the digestive system and disrupting sleep. For caffeine, the minimum gap is 8 hours, but ideally, coffee should not be consumed after 12 noon, especially for those who have difficulty sleeping, to ensure quality sleep at night.

Eating breakfast within 1 hour of waking up is a way to set a "landmark" for your biological rhythm.

Photo: AI

Avoid hitting the snooze button

One notable finding is that the habit of hitting the snooze button in the morning negatively affects mental state. Each time the alarm is delayed, it increases the hormone cortisol, which puts the nervous system into a state of hyper-alertness, leading to chronic stress, exhaustion, and difficulty sleeping later.

Arezzolo says that establishing a stable morning and evening routine, including a consistent wake-up time, exposure to light, eating breakfast on time, and avoiding stimulation close to bedtime, is key to establishing a solid biological foundation for sleep.

She concludes that many people often turn to sleep aids such as herbs, aromatherapy or technological devices, while ignoring the basics. However, as Arezzolo emphasizes, quality sleep cannot be achieved without a stable biological foundation, which is regulated by three key factors: light, diet and circadian rhythm. Changing daily habits can be a simple but effective key to improving sleep in a sustainable way.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/3-dieu-nguoi-lon-tuoi-can-thay-doi-de-tri-chung-mat-ngu-185250726105301729.htm