If the seniors you're caring for are able to exercise, one of the best things you can do is to get them moving. A study that compared 53 physically active older women to 48 women who didn't exercise showed that the exercisers slept an average of 50 minutes more each night than the sedentary group. What's more, the physically active women rated their sleep quality at 8.3 out of 10 compared to the nonexercisers who rated their sleep satisfaction at only 5.8.
Taking a brisk walk each day or finding an exercise class that's geared toward older adults can make a big difference. Remind them not to exercise vigorously too close to bedtime, though, because it might give them too much energy to relax and fall asleep. Some light stretching before bedtime is fine.
