Category: General Health
Question: My mum has been having problems with her sleep intermittently over couple of years back At some point I was beginning to make conclusions that it is spiritual but I have the intuition that it is not For instance in a whole year she would battle with the sleeping difficulty for like three weeks to a month probably by December or in the midmonth of the year Anytime this happens it has always made her feel terribly sick She has taken several sleeping tablets and countless medical checkups over the previous years whenever this popup At some point the tablets made her feel weak some other time the tablets is not working anymore as she will still not be able to sleep after taking the tablets
And now its popup again another fresh time in the year she took sleeping medications the day after day but it has no effect Few days ago her illness aggravated We recently discovered shes hypertensive after she was rushed to the hospital Please I need medical tips and advice to sought this out now and forever Sleep difficulty has been the issue right from the inception Can you feel my grief Panacea please
Answer: Hello 

Thank you for using Wellvis 

The issue of sleep disorders in the elderly is very broad as causes vary significantly Understanding the exact cause can sometimes be time consuming but the results are always worth it 

Considering it is a long standing issue as stated by you it is important that she gets a general health review preferably from a physician or a geriatrician which will include understanding her medical history concomitant medications she may be on physical examination lab tests etc A mental status examination will also be required to rule out underlying psychological stress or disorders following retirement existing health problems death of loved ones etc 

Also she might be required to keep a sleep diary and a sleep study may be requested 

Overall it is important that the underlying issue be identified as soon as possible and any accompanying illness be treated or managed Over the counter sleep medications can become abused or not work as before once tolerance is built and most importantly can have adverse effect when used with some other medications 

Pending her review with a family physician some helpful tips include 
limiting liquid before bed avoiding caffeine and alcohol eating three to four hours before bedtime light exercising regularly taking a warm bath to relax etc 

Cheers