It's common for sleep patterns to change as people age older, such as getting tired sooner, waking up earlier, or getting less deep sleep. Such restless sleep schedules can negatively affect mood, activity levels, and physical and mental well-being. Sleep deprivation or insomnia is highly prevalent in seniors and can cause major concerns. It is believed that 40-70% of the elderly have persistent sleep disorders, with up to 50% of cases going untreated.
Thankfully, there are many natural ways to help the elderly go to sleep faster. Picking the right meal and consuming it routinely in diet can produce real-time results. Below are some sleep-promoting foods that can help seniors sleep better and lead healthy lifestyles.
Elderly dietary choices have a major influence on stamina and sleep. It can greatly impact weight, heart health, blood sugar levels, and more. There are certain foods and drinks that are confirmed by medical practitioners to improve sleep.
Here are the top ten such meals:
Tart cherry juice offers impressive health benefits. It is an additional cure for your elderly loved one experiencing trouble falling asleep. Cherry juices are incredibly rich in melatonin, the sleep hormones that help transition your body to sleep. However, if a person dislikes cherry juices, they can also try tea.
Several tea flavors like lavender, magnolia, and green tea might help you go to sleep. One of the greatest teas for promoting restful sleep in adults is chamomile. As the body naturally retains less water as we get older, giving such fluids to the elderly will therefore keep them hydrated and make things easier to chew.
Sleep-related properties of almonds are great for promoting sleep. Almonds are high in magnesium. Magnesium promotes deeper and longer-lasting sleep. A handful of almonds is recommended to be eaten after dinner and before bed to promote sleep.
Cheese is another meal that can help the elderly sleep. When it comes to the hormones that regulate sleep, cheese is incredibly rich in the Tryptophan substance that regulates sleep and relieves stress. Calcium is another ingredient in cheese that aids the brain in producing and releasing melatonin. Melatonin further boosts the body's relaxation and promotes sound sleep.
Fatty fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which may enable the body to balance the sleep cycle by influencing serotonin regulation. The Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish not only help and speed up serotonin production, but they also control your heart rate. Serotonin is responsible for several essential components of fuller sleep. It fosters a regular body clock and encourages positive emotions of joy and calmness.
Warm milk or other dairy products may help you unwind and sleep better at night. The warmth of the milk and the abundance of Tryptophan, an amino acid, relaxes muscles and promotes quality sleep. Foods high in tryptophan have been discovered to boost mood and sleep in the elderly. However, it's ideal to consume these foods around one to two hours before bedtime to reduce late-night trips to the restroom!
Turkey is tasty and healthy. It contains significant levels of tryptophan and protein, which may make you tired, making it a perfect food to consume before bed. Research states that taking reasonable protein levels before bed improves sleep quality, resulting in less nighttime wakefulness.
White rice is a great bedtime food for the elderly. Studies have shown that rice is more efficient than other carbohydrates like bread and macaroni. Increased rice consumption triggers the production of calming hormones (serotonin), which makes us want to relax and fall asleep.
Kiwi smoothies are among the most delicious foods that seniors can eat before bed because of their low calories and high vitamin C composition. According to one study, adults who consumed two kiwis an hour before bedtime experienced 45% faster sleep onset than others. Aside from that, eating kiwis may improve your digestion, lower inflammation, and decrease your cholesterol. Moreover, smoothies are easily chewable for the elderly and make a delightful meal!
Walnuts are rich in magnesium and serotonin. All of these molecules are essential components of systems that improve sleep quality and ensure that older people wake up feeling refreshed. Overall, walnuts are one of the top foods for promoting sleep. However, some elderly folks could find it challenging to chew them. If that’s a problem for you or your loved one, you can add powdered nuts to sweets, yogurt, and smoothies and streamline your sleep cycles!
This simple dish has a surprising impact on improving older people's sleeping patterns. Oats are often associated with breakfast but they also make a great nighttime snack. Due to their ability to assist in regulating the body's internal clock and producing melatonin, they are frequently taken as a natural sleep aid. Additionally, oats stimulate the body's production of numerous sleep-related hormones. When coupled with milk, oats are an excellent source of tryptophan, another sleep stimulator for the elderly.
When the amount of gray hair, wrinkles on your face, and age increases, you may experience changing and challenging sleep cycles. Here are some tips to improve your sleep and add comfort to your senior years—
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