One activity that sticks with us from childhood to adulthood to seniorhood is watching TV. It is a way to fill up the time, stay entertained, and even learn something new depending on what you’re watching. However, no one, even seniors, should be watching too much TV. It is an activity that should be limited but this can seem harder to do as a senior ages in place and gets older. One of the most common questions a senior may ask is if they should be watching TV before bed. The truth is so many seniors fall asleep to the TV because it provides the noise they are used to when they raise a family, it can feel calm, and it is a good way to distract themselves from negative feelings and thoughts. It’s time to work with home care providers on creating a good nighttime routine and figuring out the best TV time for a senior.
Here are three impacts of falling asleep to TV that they should be aware of.
TV May Delay Sleep
If your senior loved one is watching a suspenseful or thrilling TV show it may not promote relaxation and it may keep them up later than they intend. This can impact how tired they feel the next day and may mess up some of their routine. One thing that home care will focus on is creating a good bedtime routine that allows a senior to feel well-rested and allows them to thrive the next day. When a senior stays up to watch another episode of a TV show it can mess all of this up and cause a ruckus in their life. If a senior insists on watching a TV show before bed it should be something less suspenseful and something they can fall asleep to. Choose the show wisely or keep it off altogether.
It Can Reduce The Quality Of Sleep
Sometimes a senior will fall asleep during a TV show because it relaxes and distracts them. However, this does not mean they are getting a good quality of sleep. They may wake up to the TV throughout the night and their minds may still be focused on what they are hearing. This means they are not really resting, their brains are still working and focused on what is going on outside of their body. Waking up throughout the night will lead to your senior feeling tired throughout the next day. If a senior wants to watch TV before bed, home care should help them by turning off the TV once they are asleep, or they can encourage a senior to try to remember to turn off their TV before bed.
They May Not Sleep Long Enough
When the TV is on all night long they may not be sleeping enough or getting any REM. The TV lights will be flashing and this can cause your senior to wake up repeatedly to see what is going on and this means they are missing much-needed sleep throughout the night. The duration of sleep is impacted by TV and a really good reason to skip the screen right before bed. If they choose to watch TV they should always turn it off when their eyes get heavy to help them stay asleep throughout the night.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in New Holland PA, please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Lancaster today. Call (717) 391-6363
Extended Family Care Lancaster is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania including Columbia, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hershey, Lebanon, Lititz, Manheim, New Holland, and Paradise.
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