Hitting the Hay: Health Benefits of Sleep for Seniors

September 10, 2020

A senior woman is tucked in bed for a good night’s sleep.

Brush your teeth. Wash your face. Read a chapter of your book. Turn off the bedside light and go to sleep. Does that sound anything like your bedtime routine? We all have a before-bed ritual, although they tend to vary from person to person. Maybe you take a few minutes to meditate, or perhaps you need to switch on a sound machine that sounds like a rainstorm for a deep sleep.

While your nighttime routine may differ from your neighbor’s, the important part is that you find something to contribute to a good night’s sleep. A full, restful sleep — seven to nine hours for adults —is crucial to your wellbeing at every age. Here at Winchester Gardens, we’ve found a few benefits to a good night’s sleep.

5 Health Benefits of Sleep

1. A Lower Risk of Disease

When you don’t get enough sleep, it can cause serious health issues. When you don’t get enough sleep over an extended period, your body becomes stressed, and it results in problems such as chronic inflammation and a weak immune system. In order to combat this, you need consistent, quality rest to help you ward off disease.

2. Improved Heart Health

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US. To help prevent it, we want to keep heart health at the forefront of our health concerns. An easy way to do that is through nightly, quality sleep. The CDC tells us that sleep deprivation can result in high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and obesity — all of which raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

3. Proper Immune Function

Just getting enough sleep doesn’t stop your body from getting sick, but lack of sleep can negatively impact your immune system. Studies have shown that the sleep cycle have a strong influence on the body’s immune functions. Those functions include the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines which peak during early nocturnal sleep. In order to refresh and revitalize your immune system, your body needs quality rest.

4. Maintain Healthy Weight

When you get adequate sleep, you may notice yourself making better food choices, which directly contributes to a healthy weight. But studies have also found that ample sleep keeps a reasonable level of ghrelin — a hormone that encourages appetite.

5. Improves Memory and Concentration

We know that lack of sleep impairs your ability to pay attention as well as your working memory, long-term memory and decision making abilities. A good night’s sleep helps create a sharper mind and keeps your brain active for healthy aging.

Experience Good Sleep for Seniors at Winchester Gardens

We want you to live the vibrant life you deserve after years of hard work, and that means sleeping well. To get a jump start on your relaxation, enjoy one of our calming amenities such as a day of beauty at our campus salon or a night of your favorite movies in our movie theater. And you can have a restful sleep, knowing that our maintenance-free lifestyle means we take care of everything for you.