Twilight Years– Preserving Quality Sleep
18-08-2010
With ageing comes an accumulation of life experience; the mind is influenced by a vast back-catalogue of memories that contain specific emotions and events, be they good or bad, which can reoccur in dreams or simply manifest as personal contemplations that tarnish golden sleep.
Although ageing can be viewed as a process of loss, where a network of friends and relatives becomes eroded and good health is no longer a given; new generations can also provide fresh focus, as children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren enter the frame. The celebration and torment of their successes and defeats are vicariously experienced by a grandparent. A shared and unavoidable anxiety can therefore occupy the mind at night, contributing to existing sleep disturbances that blight the sleep of seniors.
Sleep is a natural and supreme way to guard against disease, which becomes increasingly important, as we become more susceptible to infections as we age. Just as sleep is an essential part of early life, in order to grow and develop; its importance in later life is crucial for repair. As we age sleep patterns alter due to increased naps in the day and a sedentary lifestyle. However, by keeping the mind active, by reading or doing the crossword for instance, the mind is exerted and lulled into a state of lethargy, ready to drift into a deep, refreshing sleep. Dream sleep is experienced less by mature adults, resulting in lighter sleeps and a less refreshed awakening. An armchair is often a resting place, but will not provide the ultimate environment in which to achieve the optimum comfort for deep slumber.
The Ergo Flex mattress provides a horizontal sanctum of peace that can break the cycle of staggered sleep. Arthritis and Osteoporosis are common conditions that affect the bones, resulting in aching joints and reduced mobility. A warm bath before bed is a prescribed remedy, where the body is suspended in bubbly water, which neutralises pressure and pain. The sensation can be continued by reclining upon a memory foam mattress that moulds itself to the body’s contours to offer weightless relief.
Other sleep disturbances that emerge over time include an increased need to urinate, which disrupts sleep cycles which and is a common as urine production can switch to a nocturnal schedule, as we age. Although this can’t be easily rectified, the idea of returning to a bed that epitomises comfort and embraces our presence, instead of a sprung mattress that communicates a prolonged restlessness in an unwelcoming creak. However, the brief disruption will be counteracted, as the memory foam mattress envelops you in comfort once again.
Another element of ageing for woman is the onset of the menopause, which can blight sleep. Night sweats can lead to discomfort and a loss of sleep, which can increase irritability. The Ergo Flex memory foam mattress has cool-sleep air-flow technology inbuilt, which can reduce high temperatures to restore an environment that is compatible with rest.
The death of a loved one can also have a profound effect upon sleep, which is a reality that many senior adults are faced with. This means that their will be nights, where grief consumes the place of the peaceful slumber that may have actually helped us to come to terms with a loss. The loss of a spouse, impacts the bed once shared as an empty space marks the loss of intimacy. An embrace is thought to be one of the most soothing qualities for a restful night.
Although ageing means that we require more rest, the means of achieving it seems to be hindered by obstacles. Later years are supposed to be characterised by repose and relaxation, something that is yearned for by many busy workers. Sleep is a naturally occurring sanctum of peace but it needs the right conditions in which to retain its potency. A memory foam mattress can make the dream of a reclined retirement possible.
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