Sleep patterns changiSleep patterns changing with ageng with age

Living with Parkinson's Daily life
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Sleep seems to have developed a mind of its own. Waking earlier than I used to, and sometimes wide awake in the middle of the night for no obvious reason. Naps can help, but they sometimes make night-time worse.

Has anyone found a good routine that keeps sleep more or less under control? Do you nap, or avoid it? Any simple habits that made a noticeable difference?

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Hello SmallStepsPeter,

Hopefully our wonderful forum members can provide you with some peer to peer advice, but in the meantime we have some information on our website that may help. You can find this here: Sleep | Parkinson's UK

All the best,

Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team

1 Like
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Thanks @Nickle ! You’re so kind. :grinning_face:

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My sleep patterns have changed too, very similar to what you describe. Prior to developing this condition I was a very good sleeper, seven solid hours a night home or away.

I try hard not to worry about broken sleep. I try to relax and tell myself I’ll drop back off, and often do. I don’t read or do puzzles as I think they’ll just stimulate my brain, although sometimes, if it’s after 5 am, I’ll just get up, have a cuppa and read a book. I try not to nap during the day, although sometimes I feel intensely tired, usually in late afternoon. I generally go to bed at the same time every night (11pm) and drop off pretty quickly. I find having a cooler bedroom helps my sleep and I try to avoid eating and drinking in the evenings. Most of all though, I try not to worry about it, although I’ll admit that can be easier said than done!

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Hi @Jim8888, thank you for sharing this.

Changes in sleep can be unsettling, especially since you mention you were previously a good sleeper.

It sounds like you’ve taken a thoughtful approach to managing this. Sticking to a routine, keeping the bedroom cool, and being gentle with yourself when sleep is broken can all help.

It’s understandable that not worrying about it takes practice.

Thank you for sharing out what helped you, as this may in turn help other users of this forum.

Sending you our warmest wishes

The Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team :blue_heart: