If you’ve raised small children, you understand the benefit of a good nap. It helps a child have enough energy throughout the day and also helps them regulate their emotions a bit better when they’re well-rested. And, as a parent, having a little nap can give you a bit of rest as well.

If you are caring for an elderly loved one, especially one who has Alzheimer’s Disease, and requires almost constant care either from your or your Alzheimer’s care provider, you could learn that napping might also help your senior have a better day as well give you 20-30 minutes of rest.

The key to receiving positive health benefits from a nap for your senior is to keep it short. Naps that are longer than 30 minutes often disrupt sleep cycles and create sleeping issues at night. And for anyone providing Alzheimer’s care, a sign that the condition is getting worse is your loved one wanting to take multiple long naps during the day.

But, if your loved one can take a short nap, it might be a good part of his Alzheimer’s care and it could something you and his Alzheimer’s care provider encourage. Here are five benefits that your senior may discover by simply taking a short 20-30 minute nap each day.

• Less daytime sleepiness. If your loved one is dozing off in front of the TV because he’s not sleeping well at night, a better solution is to have a planned nap time for him. Watch his daily patterns to see if there is a better time to grab a little shut-eye like right before lunch or in the early afternoon. Just make sure it’s not too close to bedtime.
• Better cognitive function. Since most people wake up from a short nap refreshed, your loved one may showcase better cognitive function in the form of better memory, reasoning, and the ability to complete tasks. You might find a short nap before bath time will help your Alzheimer’s care provider have an easier time bathing your loved one.
• More energy for movement. Your loved one might find he really enjoys a good walk after a short nap, helping him to stay active and get the physical activity he needs.
• Fewer health complications. Napping gives the body a window of recovery during the day where the body can work on relaxing stressed muscles, bringing the heart rate down and slowing breathing patterns down. All of these can help protect your loved one against other health complications like heart disease or high blood pressure.
• Reduced stress-based outbursts. A regularly scheduled nap can help your loved one remember where he is in each day, especially if it is followed by another regularly scheduled activity like eating or walking. Knowing what comes next helps your loved one navigate his day without confusion or fear.

Work with your Alzheimer’s Care team to see if incorporating a short nap into your loved one’s day will provide benefits without any negative side effects.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s care in Dallas, TX, please contact the caring staff at Clear Path Home Care today. Call (817) 631-7710

Clear Path Home Care provides compassionate, high quality home care in Parker County, Tarrant County, Johnson County, Hood County, Somervell County, Erath County, Bosque County and Hamilton County in Texas.

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Clear Path Home Care Staff

Staff at Clear Path Home Care

Clear Path Home Care offers a unique Total Care Management system to optimize each client’s happiness and wellbeing utilizing our carefully vetted Senior Advisory team. We provide coordination between families and all aspects of elder care needs, which may include Home Health, Hospice, Physicians, Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, or Assisted Living Facilities. Personal care consists of help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and transferring.

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