Is it healthy for my father to only sleep while sitting up on the couch with the light on, instead of sleeping in his bed?

Please read this article about sleeping falt: killerculturearticles-written-by-syd/health-conditions/heads-up-the-way-you-are-sleeping-may-be-killing-you/#

There is a good reason why elderly people often prefer to sleep in a chair...I had the problem of falling asleep in the chair but as soon as I lay down , no sleep! This is all related to breathing, most of us have chronic low level hyperventilation and especially the elderly. Laying flat deepens the breathing, increasing the hyperventilation and starving the body of oxygen...thus no sleep. This is why heart attacks often happen during the night, the hyperventilation effects the heart. So if someone feels better sleeping upright there is no harm, their breathing will be better and less risk of heart attack and stroke during the night..Have just learnt this from following a course in Buteyko breathing. Many of the tutors routinely sleep in chairs as it aids their breathing and general health, so no harm in sleeping in a chair.

My mother will not return to sleeping in her bed since my father has passed away. She has made a comfortable "bedroll" she unrolls each night on the couch and also uses a "J" pillow, too.She found them for children at a local store. They have an animal theme and are small enough for her tiny body. She seems to be delighted by the animal theme. Would your father sleep on a sofa ?

Someone on here said their mother would sleep sitting up but her head would fall to one side and cause pinch nerve. There's thing pillow called J-pillow,u can order it online. Most people use it when flying,but it would be Perfect for your mom. It sits behind your head and wraps under ur chin, i have one and its Super comfortable. It keeps your head straight so ur head cant fall. u can order it online,its not expensive its cheap. Just google J-pillow,ur mom will love it im sure. And anyone else who likes to sleep sitting up.

GABBY:

At the tender age of 50, I still love sleeping in the floor. People tell me it's not healthy, but I wake up fresh as the Spring. Anyway, if he's sleeping peacefully and doesn't complain about body aches, let him be.

I have sleep abnea and I have the c-pap machine. I have to take ambein as well. I drive in a van all day and some times I have an hour or so to pull over in the shopping mall parking lot and sleep. I still snore but it is the most blissful sleep you can imagine. Sometimes it is hard to move any body parts when firsy awaken because my body is so relaxed.

We were able to buy both a motor wheelchair and a reclining chair that raises up to a standing position for my husband from two different nursing homes that families whos parents had died wanted to sell at a great savings the chair was brand new the one she had first was not able to be fixed by the store she bought if from but the mataintence crew from the nursing home fixed after she bought a new one and she sold the old one so it is an option to look into to get equiptment you would not be able to afford and both made my husbands life better during his last few years of living

Just a guess, gabbyman 1, but since your father likes to sleep with the light on and not in his bed it sounds like he MIGHT be suffering from somniphobia. Also, I often think that sleeping in bed in the dark is something like sleeping in an enclosed box (coffin) so maybe this is why he likes sleeping in a chair and having a light on? It is less coffinlike. If he is suffering from fears, then maybe someone can help him overcome the fears. But if, as others have suggested, it is just physically more comfortable for him to sleep in a chair, there may be a physical reason why this is so. When my sister is congested she often finds it physically more comfortable to sleep at night sitting up. I know my husband often has his best sleeps resting in a recliner, snuggled under blankets, in a sunshine-filled room that has the TV or radio broadcasting in the background. Hmmm, this thought sort of makes me want to snuggle down in the same way myself!! :-)

my dad too would rather sleep in his recliner and has for years , till we got him a hospital bed . he wouldnt sleep in it for a longtime , till then he got bedsores , had to make him sleep in his hospital bed so he can sleep sideways , i d raise the hospital bed up so he wouldnt be layin down flat .
i guess when you get older you dont like layin down flat . breath better while sleepin sittin up .
whatever theyre comferatble with , shouldnt be a pblm ..

My mother has done this for years. She has sleep apnea and would often stop breathing when she slept in a bed. She tried the C-pap mask, but found it uncomfortable. (I also think that there was a lot of fear because she lived alone and felt safer in a chair.) When sleeping in her recliner, my mother's head often bends to the side and this has caused pinched nerves and curvature of the spine, over the years, and effects her walking.

I would recommend a electrical lift recliner that can go back a bit and has an extended foot rest. (If you have not used the Medicare reimbursement for certain mobility devices, they will give you a partial reimbursement for the mechanical part of a lift chair. Your medical supply retailer can give you more information and they usually file the paperwork for you.)

The issue for me and many other caregivers is realizing that seniors often do not do what is best for their health - even when they are presented with all the facts. Overall, I would try to get your father to return to sleeping in a bed, if possible. Perhaps he could try relaxation methods before bedtime (ie: warm milk, cocoa, or tea, listening to soothing music, etc.) It really is healthier.

Good Luck,
Lilli

My parents have started sleeping in their chairs and seem to rest better that way. I sleep in a chair when my asthma is giving me problems. Do you think it might have something to do with breathing more comfortably? Take care, and I hope you get some rest, too.

I'm not sure just how healthy it is, but I know my father (96) that I care for, is much more comfortable in his chair with a huge fleece throw. I think his comfort is that he's always fallen asleep there & then later went to bed & couldn't go back to sleep.
I just make sure he's warm and comfortable and just let it go....if it makes him happy, then it makes me happy!
Sitting up with his feet down does hamper circulation, but I have circumvented that by giving him a small ottoman to raise them a little.
Don't know how much I've helped, but at least you know there's at least one other person out here with the same situation.
Love to you and your father!
Deep breaths & a quick walk around the house help also.