As we age, our needs are much different than a young man or a woman. Whether it is lifestyle changes, food habits or sleeping pattern, everything needs proper consideration. Bear in mind that small changes in life can keep you healthy in the later years.
As far as mattresses are concerned, these days you get a number of options to choose from, for seniors, kids, adults, and even babies. In this blog, we'll discuss a few tips to help you choose the right mattress for a senior citizen.
As we age, our sleeping patterns change too, and we may have various health issues too. Most of the old people often suffer from lack of sleep. They hardly get 5 to 6 hours of sleep every day. That is because of their declining health and sleeping pattern.
In the beginning, people usually ignore these issues and keep using the same mattress that they have been using and as a result, their problems become worse. As a matter of fact, old mattresses must be immediately changed as soon as sleeping problems are noticed in older people.
As an old person, you have the right to live with comfort and dignity. If you do not sleep well then most of the money you have accumulated over the years will be spent on treating various health problems.
You will often find older people complaining about their sleep problems and therefore in this article we shall talk about the few best mattresses for older sleepers.
Old people may have certain chronic issues. Some of the common problems are as follows:
Arthritis
Arthritis is a wear and tear of various joints and as we grow old, this is one of the most commonly occurring problems. Sometimes, such problems can happen at a younger age too after doing strenuous exercises or due to being overweight. Following are few symptoms -
• Pain during night or sometimes while taking rest
• Joint stiffness
• Pain due to changes in weather
• Redness or swelling
• Sensitivity of pressure in the joints
• Cracking bones
In most of the cases elderly people visit doctors when it is too late.
Osteoarthritis
This is a commonly occurring problem as we grow old. We experience knee problems and stiff joints. Over a period of time, the condition becomes worse and it becomes difficult to treat. Therefore, even if mild pain is observed one must take it seriously and with treatment its process can either be slowed down or it may be stopped growing further.
Fibromyalgia
This is a kind of muscle pain that can cause depression and sleep disturbance too. Doctors also find it difficult to diagnose due to a number of reasons. There can be a number of approaches to treat such problems.
Back, neck and hip problem
This kind of problem can occur anytime when you are old. As you grow old, you need to treat your body very carefully. You need to avoid over-exercising. A pull of muscle in the wrong way may disable certain parts of your body.
Mattresses for senior citizens
Therefore, it is essential that at old age, you must have good sleep like you used to sleep when you were young, so that you can avoid above-mentioned problems. Therefore, you need to choose the right kind of mattress. Seniors can also opt for a best cooling mattress that is specifically designed to provide relief from back pains.
Now let us discuss what we need to consider while choosing a mattress for them.
• Select the material for mattress
When you select the right material for the mattresses meant for an elderly person then it is essential that you must be aware about various options available to you.
One type of mattress uses memory foam which can offer necessary support to the body so that the person may not experience any kind of pain. Memory foam uses viscoelastic material that takes off pressure from your muscle and joints so that you can enjoy comfortable sleep at night.
Another mattress is known as latex mattress, which has natural rubber. This can also be synthetic material however the most preferable option would be organic material which can offer good support.
The last variety is known as hybrid which has a combination of foam and spring coil. If the combination of coil and foam is perfect then it can be a good choice for aged people.
• What firmness is needed
When you grow old then firmness of the bed is not your priority. Sometimes too firm a bed may be the reason for your back and neck pain. Sometimes you may suddenly get up from your bed due to muscle pain. At this age, you need a mattress that can take up the shape of the body and does not have any pressure on your body. By using memory, latex or hybrid foam, you can achieve all that.
• Adjustability
While talking about adjustability we do not mean that you convert your bedroom into a hospital where beds are adjusted according to the convenience of the patient. Here, we are talking about adjustability so that your mattress gets automatically adjusted to your body needs. Your back may get necessary support and weight concentration is not restricted to a certain localized area.
Ideal option will be the zero-gravity position so that your legs do not undergo any pressure and neither your back feels any pressure when you lift your head above the heart level. You may get a feel as if you are floating in the air.
What are the advantages of better sleep at old age?
Having better sleep at older age can have following benefits -
• Heart will function better
Whether you are old or young, if you are getting the right kind of sleep then there are many benefits. One of the best benefits is that your heart will function better. Therefore, if you choose the right mattress for your needs then your bed will be cozier and you will feel more supported during your sleep.
When people are sleeping then our body goes into complete rest and hence our heart beat also slows down. Blood pressure also goes lower and therefore risk due to heart diseases are reduced. Blood will flow normally into the brain and also to the legs.
In case, you do not get proper sleep then then there will be a problem in your immune system and you will always feel stressed out. We all know that stress is the reason for heart ailments. Therefore, invest your money in buying the best quality of mattress to improve your quality of sleep at night.
• Risk of diabetes is reduced
Our blood sugar levels have a very good relation with our sleeping quality. Blood glucose is also affected by good or bad sleep. If these two are raised then you will feel tired for the whole day. Therefore, go for a good quality mattress and keep the room cool and lighting level in proper condition.
When people are in sleeping condition, their hormones are properly balanced and the appetite remains under check. Due to lack of sleep all this goes haywire. Our insulin resistance level is also disturbed due to improper sleep which is one the major causes for diabetes.
Due to lack of sleep we tend to be less energetic and try to eat more sugary foods to get more energy. As a result, blood sugar level increases. When the sugar level increases we will experience sleeping problems.
• Stress is reduced
Avoiding stress is always good at old age. When we are sleeping better then whether we are old or young, we can deal with our life better as far as our emotional or physical stress is concerned. This will also enhance our mood.
When we are not under any stress, our heartbeat rate becomes normal and the blood pressure level is also maintained.
• Mood improvement
Our mood is directly proportional to the quality of our sleep. As a senior citizen, you will usually remain tired as compared to a young person. On top of that if you do not get enough sleep then you will not be in a good mood. As a result, younger people will always try to avoid you.
On the contrary if you are sleeping well, then you will always remain in a cheerful mood and your grand-children too will love to play with you.