Causes of insomnia in the elderly include:
Deteriorated body function Reduced hormone levels Congenital disease that disturbs sleep and taking certain medicines or dietary supplements This causes deep sleep or physical rest for the elderly to be less than that of young people. which is a normal characteristic of the elderly But if any elderly person has anxiety, it may cause insomnia to become more severe than before.

In the matter of waking up in the middle of the night, the elderly, including most people, are worried or panic because they think it is abnormal. But in reality, if you wake up in the middle of the night and are able to continue sleeping, It’s not a matter of concern. and does not affect the quality of sleep in any way

Treating insomnia problems in the elderly
To begin with, let’s first look at whether the person experiencing the problem has anything to worry about or not. If there is, handle that matter. When there is no anxiety, you will finally be able to sleep. For those who have no worries There may be an underlying disease that disturbs sleep. which should take care of the disease itself

But in some elderly people, they are directly concerned about insomnia. This part should allow the elderly to relax their minds before going to bed. You may listen to music at a soft pace or pray, as well as doing other activities. To relax, then go to bed. It will help you sleep well. You should not order or force yourself to sleep. Because it will cause more stress. and results in insomnia

Additionally, what you should do is control the amount of time you sleep. That is, waking up and going to bed at the same time every day will help solve the problem in the long run.

For use with sleeping pills
It is another method of treatment. But it should be under the supervision of a doctor. In general, doctors rarely use drugs for treatment. But other methods will be treated first, unless the patient wishes to receive treatment as soon as possible. Doctors will use medicine to treat insomnia. In addition, some patients may have the habit of buying medicine for themselves. It can be a medicine that is easily available at a drug store, such as a nasal decongestant that helps you sleep. However, this method is not recommended because it may cause side effects.

How to notice at what level of symptoms you should see a doctor
Consider whether it affects your lifestyle or not. If insomnia begins to affect your life for about 1 week, you should receive treatment.

Information from
Asst. Prof. Dr. Daochompoo Nakawiro
Department of Psychiatry
Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital
Mahidol University

cr.https://www.rama.mahidol.ac.th/