When you fall asleep, you experience different levels of sleep as your body undergoes the phases of its sleep cycle. Generally, these phases include both light and deep periods of dreamless sleep and periods of dreaming. 

The dreaming phase of your sleep cycle is known as the REM cycle.2 REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement; this phase got its name thanks to the way our eyes move rapidly in a range of directions during this period of sleep.

Typically, REM sleep occurs ninety minutes after you fall asleep and can be experienced variably throughout the night. Because your brain is most active during REM sleep, you can have vivid dreams during this phase. REM sleep is important because it strengthens your brain’s learning muscles and supports your body’s production of proteins.

There are three phases of the sleep cycle. They are:

1. Phase 1

• Your eyes are closed but you are sleeping lightly and could wake easily (10 minutes)

2. Phase 2

• Your heart slows and body temperature drops as your body prepares for deep sleep (25 minutes)

3. Phase 3

• You are in deep sleep mode, experiencing phases of NREM and REM sleep

But how do these sleep phases change as you age? I’m glad you asked! Keep reading below to find out.

Before we go over the best sleep supplements available for seniors, let’s take a look at some tips you can employ to encourage sleepiness. Studies show that the following tips have helped seniors fall asleep at night. These helpful sleep tips are to:

• Avoid naps
• Avoid caffeine
• Practice meditating
• Exercise
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid nicotine
• Keep a routine
• Use more pillows
• Avoid stressful situations
• Cultivate a relaxing sleeping environment
• Keep a healthy and nutritious diet
• Drink tea (chamomile)

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to help your body achieve the night’s sleep it needs. Not to mention, these sleep tips aren’t exclusive to seniors; anyone can try them! 

If you’re a senior who’s already tried a number of the above-mentioned sleep tips and you still have trouble falling or staying asleep, you may need a little extra help. 

Not to worry. There are all kinds of natural, healthful sleep supplements you can try, outlined below. Remember to consult a health care professional to find out which supplement is best for you.

Insomnia is often prevalent in senior populations due to the bodily changes that coincide with aging. Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall or stay asleep, resulting in waking up unrefreshed and tired. 

If you’re a senior who can’t fall or stay asleep, you’ve probably asked yourself how you can remedy this problem or tried a variety of quick fixes. Well, trying sleep aids can be a great way to get your body to fall and stay asleep!

The best sleep aids for seniors available on the market are:

• NightCap
• Zolpidem 
• Eszopiclone
• Zaleplon
• ramelteon
• Valerian root
• Melatonin
• Magnesium
• Chamomile

The best sleep supplements for seniors available on the market are:

• Sandland Stay Asleep Pills
• Mindbodygreen Sleep Support Capsules
• Healthycell 30 REM Sleep: Sleep Supplements
• Crash & Reboot Award-Winning Nootropic Sleep Aid
• REST Calming Sleep Aid
• Rae Restful Night’s Sleep Capsules 

When choosing the sleeping supplement that’s best for you, it’s important to consult a health care professional to ensure the supplement you choose is compatible with you.

My personal favorite sleep supplement is NightCap. Thanks to its all-natural ingredients, delicious flavor, and health benefits, NightCap is easily the best sleeping supplement on the market. Keep reading to learn more about what NightCap can do for you.

NightCap is an evening cocktail chock-full of healthful, all-natural ingredients designed to help you achieve the best night’s sleep possible. Not only does NightCap reduce stress and anxiety, but it maximizes your REM sleep, the dream phase of your sleep cycle. 

In addition to helping your body achieve deeper REM sleep, NightCap helps you sleep through the night without waking up. NightCap contains zero calories and zero grams of sugar. It almost sounds too good to be true! 

It’s safe to say that NightCap is a great way to end the day. You can even make it part of your evening routine; relax and wind down with NightCap to get the night’s sleep of your dreams.

Fortunately, there are also a number of delicious foods you can eat to help you relax and achieve a deeper night’s sleep. Let’s discuss this below.

The foods we eat have a significant impact on our health. Some foods are rich in sleep-inducing antioxidants such as melatonin and magnesium.

It's helpful to eat these foods at dinner when you're body is already beginning to wind down. The best foods to eat to help you fall asleep earlier are:

• Turkey
• Chamomile Tea
•  Almonds
• Cherries
• Fish
• Kiwi
• Walnuts
• White rice
• Bananas
• Oatmeal

There are so many healthy and delicious options that even a picky eater can consume foods that help them fall asleep earlier! 

If you’ve tried everything mentioned above and still can’t fall or stay asleep, there are a few more tricks you can try to encourage your body to get a good night’s sleep.

One of the most significant ways you can encourage your body to fall and stay asleep is by keeping a consistent routine and regulating your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock. This internal clock sends signals to your brain when it’s time to go to sleep and wake up.

But how does your “internal clock” set itself up to ensure your sleep schedule is regulated? Great question! Click here to learn more about your circadian rhythm, how you can regulate it, and how keeping a consistent routine can improve your health and help you sleep through the night.

Another great way to regulate your sleep cycle is by exercising. Exercise tires the body out, making it easier for you to fall asleep at night. Not to mention, exercise has innumerable benefits for your health. 

Exercising can even help you live longer! Click here to learn more about the benefits of exercise and how it can help you better regulate your sleep cycle. 

In addition to keeping a routine and exercising, take a look at the list below of things you can do on your own at home to improve your sleep.

• Keep a consistent bedtime
• Turn off electronic devices
• Take a shower or bath
• Listen to soothing music
• Drink tea
• Drink warm milk
• Bedtime yoga
• Journal
• Meditate
• Clean your room
• Read a book

With these surefire tips under your belt, you'll be getting a good night's sleep in no time. 

In this article, we learned about the changes in your sleep cycle that coincide with getting older. We reviewed sleep tips, discussed the best sleep supplements available for seniors, and learned about the different phases you experience while you sleep.

Now that you know some of the best and most effective tips in the game, nothing's stopping you from falling and staying asleep. Don't forget to check out NightCap if you truly want to maximize your REM sleep, achieve a deeper night's sleep, and sleep the whole night through.