Healthy Lifestyle on Quality of Sleep among Elderly: A Cochrane Review
Author(s): Reny Thomas*, Saroj Singh, Balasubramanian
Abstract
Introduction: People who don't value their elderly have forgotten whence they came and whither they go. The natural ageing process includes changes to our sleep patterns in addition to the physical changes that take place as we age. People tend to have more difficulty staying asleep, as they get older compared to when they were younger. Many people believe that as they become older their need for sleep decreases. This literature review aimed to investigate the lifestyle, quality of sleep of elderly in order to obtain a holistic view about healthy lifestyle. Method: A Cochrane literature review was done involving life style modifications on quality of sleep among elderly. Electronic database and search engine like PubMed (PMC–PubMed Central), Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online), CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing & Allied Health Literature), Scopus, VHL (Virtual Health Library), PsycINFO, APAPsycNET, LILACS (Latin American & Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), IBECS and journals like IJBNPA, European Journal of Physiotherapy, MRM were reviewed. The search strategy was extended by combining “Lifestyle”, “Quality of Sleep” and “Elderly” keywords. Certain specific healthy life style behaviors like ROM Exercises, avoiding coffee, tea, soda & chocolate, bed schedule, wash feet with cold water before going to bed and regularly taking the medicines were included in the review. Moreover lifestyle modification and quality of sleep were reviewed respectively. Results: Review of appropriate literature resulted in identification of 20 relevant references. Literature whichever retrieved were of cross-sectional study, randomized controlled trial, secondary data analysis, meta-analysis, analytical cross-sectional study and articles of literature review which are focused on evaluation of effectiveness of healthy life style interventions on quality of life and quality of sleep among elderly. Results of most of the studies concluded that elderly people not adopting healthy lifestyle were more likely to have poor quality of sleep as well poor quality of life. Healthy lifestyle interventions like exercises, yoga, meditation, diet, smoking cessation, quit alcohol, managing stress, ROM Exercises, avoiding coffee, tea, soda & chocolate, bed schedule, wash feet with cold water before going to bed and regularly taking the medicines were found to improve the quality of life of elderly. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is no magic number or ideal amount of sleep to get each night that could apply broadly to all. The optimal amount of sleep should be individualized, as it depends on many factors. However, it is a fair assumption to say that the optimal amount of sleep, for most people, should be within the age-appropriate sleep duration recommended ranges. In the meantime, promoting the importance of a good night’s sleep should be a priority given its influence on other behaviors and the well-known adverse consequences of insufficient sleep. Important sleep hygiene tips include removing screens from the bedroom, exercising regularly during the day, and having a consistent and relaxing bedtime routine.