How Can a Healthy Diet Help Your Elderly Loved One to Sleep Better?

By Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP | May 6, 2020 |

Getting good, quality sleep is important for elderly adults. Unfortunately, there are many senior citizens who suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. In addition, there are various health reasons for lack of sleep such as lifestyle, irregular heartbeat, stress, and more. As a caregiver for your elderly loved one, it is important to know more about how a healthy diet can help them to get better sleep. Once you read this information, share it with your loved one’s elder care providers and any others who may be preparing their food, as well.

Elder Care Berkeley Heights NJ – How Can a Healthy Diet Help Your Elderly Loved One to Sleep Better?

Lauric Acid

One of the things that will help your elderly loved one to sleep better is lauric acid. Eating more cheddar cheese, milk, and using coconut oil can increase your loved one’s intake of lauric acid. The reason this is important is that it keeps your loved one’s cardiovascular system functioning properly. When there aren’t issues with one’s cardiovascular system, they can get better sleep at night.

Lycopene

Research shows that those who don’t get enough lycopene in their diet will sleep for shorter amounts of time. Parsley and dried basil both have lycopene in them. These can be incorporated into just about any meal that you cook for your elderly loved one. To make sure your loved one gets even more lycopene, have them eat asparagus, watermelon, cabbage, and tomatoes.

Selenium

Elderly adults who have trouble falling asleep may not be getting enough selenium in their diet. Your loved one can get more selenium in their diet by eating nuts, grains, dairy products, seafood, and various types of meat. If your elderly loved one increases their intake of selenium, they can fall asleep easier and sleep better throughout the night, as well.

Vitamin C

There are many elderly adults who are deficient in Vitamin C. A Vitamin C deficiency can cause many issues including not getting quality sleep at night. If this is an issue that your elderly loved one is facing, it is important to add more Vitamin C into their diet. You can do this by making sure they eat more cauliflower, broccoli, parsley, kale, papaya, bell peppers, oranges, and berries.

Sleep quality and getting enough sleep is important for elderly adults. If your elderly loved one isn’t getting the best sleep, it is important to take a look at their diet. Are they getting enough of the things mentioned above? If not, it might be time to make some adjustments to their diet.

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015038/

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Elder Care Services in Berkeley Heights NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.

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Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP

Co-Owner at Generations Home Healthcare LLC

Susan is the Co-Owner of Generations Home HealthCare and has 35 years of business experience and entrepreneurship. For the last 10 years she has been a Registered Nurse working at St. Luke’s Hospital (Bethlehem, PA) in the Neuro/Trauma Unit and as a critical care nurse at Hunterdon Medical Center. She has a B.S. from Rutgers University and a BSN from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA.Susan is currently in the process of obtaining her Master’s in Gerontology. Susan is married, has 2 children and 2 grandchildren.

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