Too Much and Too Little Shut-Eye May Be Bad for Health

Thanks for sharing your mother's dilemma. Her early-morning waking is a very common concern of older adults. There are many tips you can try to help your mom get more rest. First, have you considered her sleep environment? Is her room dark, quiet, and a little cool? Does she have rituals that help her relax before bedtime, things like a warm bath, a light snack of warm milk and toast, or a few minutes of reading? There are things to avoid because they interfere with sleep. The big three are alcohol, caffeine, and daytime naps. What you describe your mother experiencing may a form of insomnia (she can fall asleep but wakes too early.) If that's the case, you may want to look for patterns to see if you can pinpoint what could be causing her early waking. This checklist: http://www.caring.com/checklists/questions-about-insomnia-before-going-to-doctor may help you do that. All the best helping your mother get a good night's rest.

It never occurred to me that not enough sleep might be part of the problem to my mother's not feeling well. I'd LOVE some practical advice on how to improve it - short of talking to her doctor. My mother goes to bed around 11 and for the life of her cant' sleep past 4 am.