5 Steps to Help Older Adults with Insomnia

Insomnia is common among older adults—but it’s not an inevitable part of aging. Here are 5 expert steps professionals can take to help them sleep better.

Insomnia affects nearly half of older adults, yet it’s too often dismissed as a “normal” part of aging. The truth? Sleep problems can and should be treated—because when older adults sleep better, they improve their brain health, mood, and overall quality of life.

In this episode, Dr. Regina Koepp, board-certified clinical psychologist and geropsychologist, shares 5 essential steps that mental health, medical, and aging services providers can take to identify, treat, and improve insomnia in older adults.

You’ll learn:
✅ How to assess insomnia symptoms and track their impact
✅ Why changing the narrative around sleep problems matters
✅ Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold standard treatment—recommended over medication for older adults
✅ Key CBT-I strategies: sleep restriction, stimulus control, reframing thoughts, relaxation, and consistent wake times
✅ How to uncover root causes like unmanaged pain, grief, trauma, caregiving stress, and medication effects
✅ Why collaboration with primary care and sleep medicine providers is crucial for long-term solutions
✅ The dangers of common medications like Benadryl and Tylenol PM for older adults

👉 Get all of the resources in this episode here: https://www.mentalhealthandaging.com/...
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👉 Become an Aging Informed Therapist with our CEU courses for psychologists, social workers, therapists, counselors, aging life care experts: https://courses.mentalhealthandaging....

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ABOUT DR. REGINA KOEPP & THE CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH & AGING
This is your go-to resource for mental health and aging. I’m Dr. Regina Koepp, a clinical geropsychologist and founder of the Center for Mental Health & Aging. Each week I share expert insights on mental health, aging, dementia, caregiving, and end of life.

We're creating a national movement to elevate mental health for older adults—because there is no expiration date on healing, transformation, or love.

Remember: It's only with your help that we can meet the mental health needs of older adults. So thank you for being here.

#mentalhealthandaging # #olderadults #therapytools #geropsychology #mentalhealthcare ##psychologicalcare #agingwell #clinicalinterventions #healthpsychology #continuingeducation #olderadults #geropsychology #dementiarisk


DISCLAIMER:
The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her show, blogs, and on her website.