How Baxendale Helps Its Residents Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This article looks at why the elderly sometimes have difficulties getting a good night’s sleep – and why Baxendale Care Home takes various steps to ensure that all its residents have the right sort of environment to minimise the risk of this being a problem.

The blog will take between three and four minutes to read.

One of the problems that many elderly people suffer from is the inability to get a good night’s sleep. At Baxendale, we do everything we can to ensure our residents are well looked after – and this includes at night.

Baxendale Care Home – a 24-hour Care Home in Whetstone

At Baxendale Care Home, we cater for people with a variety of medical conditions, including respite and specialist dementia care. We are currently rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Why a Lack of Sleep Can be a Problem for the Elderly

One of the common myths is that elderly people don’t need as much sleep as younger people. However, the NHS and Age UK both say everyone (not just the elderly) should aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. We need the same amount of sleep as we get older, but we are less able to stay asleep as we age. This particularly affects individuals with dementia – up to half of all people with the condition have sleep issues, and these tend to worsen as the condition progresses.

A lack of sleep can lead to someone becoming more irritable during the day, and it may be masking (or be caused by) other health conditions. Insomnia can also affect your mental wellbeing, causing conditions such as depression and anxiety.

However, at Baxendale, we try to ensure all our residents can enjoy a good night’s sleep thanks to the following facilities and services.

Personalised Bedroom Environments

At Baxendale, residents are encouraged to personalise their private, en-suite rooms with cherished belongings, photographs, and items from home to create a comforting, familiar atmosphere. Even though the residents are not in their own home, being surrounded by these ‘comfort blankets’ should help when it comes to dropping off to sleep.

All our bedrooms are also personalised in line with residents’ individual health needs – as well as items such as shower hoists, it could also include special pillows or blankets to aid sleep. Just ask the staff if you have any needs or concerns.

For more information on how we ensure residents’ rooms are their own personal space, check out our previous blog post here.

Daytime Activities and Stimulation

One of the problems is that elderly people can easily start ‘napping’ during the day. However, this lowers the body’s natural inclination to sleep at night. If this drive is exhausted by a long nap, an older adult may experience insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, or waking up frequently during the small hours.

In medical terms, as we get older, our circadian rhythms (internal body clocks) naturally advance, causing older adults to feel tired earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning. Napping can further flatten this rhythm, although short ‘power naps’ early in the afternoon can be beneficial.

One way of avoiding problems is ensuring the elderly get plenty of daytime exposure to sunlight (which helps with internal body clocks). There are plenty of opportunities to achieve this at Baxendale – such as a stroll around our picturesque gardens or reading a book on our outside terrace, for instance.

Baxendale’s busy events schedule will also help prevent excessive daytime napping. Our social activities range from arts and crafts activities to games, musical concerts, and trips outside the home. There are also some gentle physical activities and exercises which we encourage residents to take part in.

There is no obligation to take part, but the social and health benefits are obvious – and our residents enjoy them as well!

Around-the-Clock Monitoring and Care

Some residents, especially those with dementia, often experience sleep disturbances or become confused at night. Baxendale provides dedicated staff to monitor residents and provide reassurance, even during the small hours. (As a 24-hour care home in Whetstone, our rota is split into three separate eight-hour shifts every day.)

So if any resident has a sleep-related problem, our trained night staff are available to discreetly help with comfort checks, mobility, and emotional reassurance, ensuring that anyone who wakes up feels safe and supported without widespread disruption – and should be able to get back to sleep quickly.

We also function as a dementia care home in North London – we have a dedicated unit (including a sensory room, and specialist care packages) which should provide an environment which is both calming and stimulating and should help with sleeping patterns.

Contacting Baxendale Care Home

If you would like to learn more about our facilities and services, follow this link and fill in the online form. We would be happy to take you and your loved one around the home and grounds so you can see what we offer.

You can also call us on 020 8445 1127. The same contact details apply if you are interested in working here and becoming part of the Baxendale family.

FAQs

Q: Can certain medications interfere with sleep?

A: Yes. Many medications for blood pressure, asthma, or even certain supplements can act as stimulants. If you or your loved one notices a change in sleep patterns after starting a new prescription, we recommend discussing a timing adjustment with our nursing team or your GP. (Residents can choose to register with either a local GP or the care home’s designated GP. The home’s staff handles all the paperwork required to facilitate this.)

Q: Can diet affect sleep quality for seniors?

A: Absolutely. Beyond just avoiding drinking too much caffeine, particularly in the evening, heavy or acidic foods can cause heartburn when lying down. At Baxendale, we are conscious of the need to provide our residents with a healthy diet.

Our daily meals are all freshly prepared on site every day, with varied and nutritionally balanced hot and cold options always available. Our kitchen has been given a five-star rating from the local environmental health team.