Older adult clients at the community centre are having a discussion about health issues, led by a nurse volunteer. One of the participants asks the nurse what to do about not being able to sleep well at night

Question

Which of the following activities does the nurse inform the participants may en-hance sleep in the evening? a. Drinking an alcoholic beverage before bedtime
b. Using an over-the-counter sleeping agent
c. Eliminating naps during the day
d. Going to bed at a consistent time even if not feeling sleepy

Answer 1

C
To promote sleep, daytime naps should be eliminated. If naps are used, they should be limited to 20 minutes or less twice a day.
Alcohol should be limited in the late afternoon and evening because it lightens and fragments sleep.
The use of nonprescription sleeping medications is not advisable. Over the long term, these drugs can lead to further sleep disruption, even when they initially seemed to be effective.
Following a bedtime routine should be consistent, but this does not necessarily include always going to bed at the same time. The client should engage in quiet activities that promote relaxa-tion, and then may go to bed. If the client hasn't fallen asleep in 30 minutes, the client should get up out of bed and do some quiet activity until he or she feels sleepy enough to go back to bed.