How Guided Fitness Supports Sleep Quality in a Dementia Care Home

Up to 66% of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia experience disturbed sleep. So, is there any non-pharmacological way to improve sleep quality? A study published by NIH shows that tailored exercise programs can positively affect sleep efficiency and overall well-being of seniors.

If your senior loved one is dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s and experiencing sleep issues, then a memory care home can be a perfect choice for their support. The guided fitness programs can be a game changer in improving sleep efficiency, reducing daytime sleepiness, enhancing deep sleep, and minimizing the reliance on sleep medicines. 

But that’s not it. In this post, we’ll discuss 5 ways guided fitness can support sleep quality for your senior loved one with dementia. Read along!

5 Ways Guided Fitness Supports Sleep Quality in a Dementia Care Home

A memory care community not only provides a comfortable and safe place for your senior loved one with dementia to live but also offers comprehensive support for their mental, physical, and emotional growth. A guided fitness program is one of the initiatives to fulfill that. Let’s discuss the five ways in which guided fitness supports sleep quality in dementia care communities.

1. Improves Sleep Efficiency

Sleep efficiency is the measure of time spent sleeping out of the total time spent in bed. Seniors with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia can commonly experience low sleep efficiency. A Sleep efficiency less than 80% indicates troubled and restless sleep. 

Mild exercises, such as walking, stretching, yoga, and chair exercises, can improve sleep efficiency up to 10%. Structured exercises can also help regulate circadian rhythm, lessen nighttime awakening, reduce the risk of falls, and enhance overall mood. These improvements in health can also slow their cognitive decline. 

2. Enhances Deep Sleep

Deep sleep will play a significant role in maintaining cognitive functions of your senior loved one, improving their brain health, and removing metabolic waste products, such as amyloid-beta, which is found in the brains of seniors with Alzheimer’s. In dementia, deep sleep is often rare, which over time worsens the cognitive ability of the individuals. 

Guided fitness in dementia care homes, especially the ones that include aerobic exercises, is known to be quite helpful in extending deep sleep phases. Exercise boosts the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. Moreover, it increases the production of cytokines, which are a type of protein responsible for promoting deep sleep. 

Enhanced deep sleep can also delay the progression of cognitive decline, which will help maintain the quality of life of your senior loved one. 

3. Minimizes Dependency on Sleep Medication

While sleep medications may seem like an easier way to deal with sleep issues, they carry significant side effects like confusion, increased risk of falls, and cognitive impairment. It is found that the higher doses of Z-drugs used in treating sleep disturbances are associated with an increased likelihood of fracture and stroke risks in seniors with dementia.

Thus, it is important to look for other non-pharmacological ways, such as guided fitness programs. Guided fitness programs in dementia care homes are an excellent way for seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia to get specialized memory care services. As they engage in physically intensive exercises, they will eventually sleep better naturally without relying on sleep medicines.

4. Reduces Daytime Sleepiness

Older adults with dementia commonly experience excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Due to their disrupted nighttime sleep and irregular sleep cycles, it becomes difficult to manage and avoid daytime sleepiness. Since the potential causes of EDS can disrupt circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycles, exercise serves as a great way to solve these issues.  

Doing regular, routine exercise in the morning can align the sleep-wake cycle to natural light, fixing the circadian rhythm. It will also increase their energy levels, which will keep your senior loved one physically active and awake throughout the day. 

5. Promotes Physical and Mental Well-Being

With numerous benefits of exercise on sleep, improvements in physical and mental well-being often follow as natural outcomes. Better sleep resulting from exercise helps with cognitive stability and improved mood.

In dementia care homes, exercise is a part of the daily routine, helping residents with regulating their sleep-wake cycle, boosting energy levels, improving physical health, and promoting an active lifestyle. Better physical and mental well-being translates to better quality of life for both the seniors with dementia and their caregivers. 

Worried About Your Loved One With Dementia? Get the Tailored Care for Them at the Harrison of Stuart!

Watching your senior loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia tossing and turning all night, staying restless, and sleeping excessively during the day can be painful. If they don’t get the right support, they might lose their social energy and experience a faster decline in cognitive abilities. 

If you are looking for a memory care community that offers specialized care in a safe and familiar environment, consider The Harrison of Stuart Assisted Living & Memory Care. 

Here at The Harrison of Stuart, we provide a range of helpful amenities and services tailored to your loved one’s needs! Schedule a tour to learn more about our offerings.