Healthy Diet and Sleeping Better: How Does it Work?

How does your elderly loved one do with sleeping? Have they been struggling to fall asleep? During the middle of the night, do they wake up? Do they have restless leg syndrome? There are so many different sleeping issues that your elderly loved one might be facing.

Did you or your elderly loved one know that their diet could be affecting their sleep quality? Research shows that people need specific vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in their diet to maximize their sleep quality

Lycopene

 Home Care Assistance Cascade, MI: Diet and Sleep

One of the things that your elderly loved one may need more of in their diet is lycopene. People who don’t get a lot of lycopene each day may not be able to stay asleep for long periods at a time. Two of the foods that will allow your elderly loved one to get more lycopene in their diet are dried basil and parsley. You or a home care assistance provider can put these into almost any meal that you make for them. They can also eat watermelon, asparagus, tomatoes, and cabbage to get more lycopene in their diet.

Lauric Acid

You and senior care providers should also help your elderly loved one add more lauric acid into their diet. Studies show that lauric acid helps to improve cardiovascular health. When the heart is healthier, people are able to sleep better. Some of the things that can allow your elderly loved one to get enough lauric acid each day include coconut oil, milk, and cheddar cheese.

Selenium

Selenium can help to improve your elderly loved one’s sleep, too. Studies show that senior citizens that don’t get quality sleep are often lacking selenium in their diet. The good news is that it is quite easy to add more selenium in a person’s diet. Your elderly loved one can eat more grains, nuts, and seafood. They should also drink more dairy.

Vitamin C

Your elderly loved one should add more vitamin C to their diet to get better sleep, as well. Research shows that people who are vitamin C deficient often can’t sleep through the night. They may wake up and fall back asleep again – only to wake up a little bit later. The cycle often continues through the night, every night. Your elderly loved one can get more vitamin C in their diet by eating more bell peppers, papaya, parsley, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Conclusion

These are some of the things that you and your elderly loved one may need to know about having a healthy diet and getting better sleep. If needed, you or home care assistance providers can add these foods into your elderly loved one’s shopping list when you get their groceries.

If you or someone you know needs help with Home Care Assistance in Cascade, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.

Sources

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

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