Trilogy Health Services

Eat Well To Sleep Well

August 24, 2016

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By Team Trilogy

Managing your health can be a difficult task; especially when no one can seem to agree on what’s best for seniors. Should you cut out carbs? Stock up on protein? Drink a glass of wine? Have more chocolate? Have less chocolate? Take 10 vitamins every day? Cut out vitamins altogether? The questions are endless and overwhelming. However, there’s one aspect of a healthy lifestyle that everyone can agree on. It’s important that we get enough sleep.

Part of our mission at Trilogy Health Services is to ensure that our residents feel their best every day. This is why we employ expert nutritionists at each of our campuses. These men and women help us answer questions such as, “Does what you eat during the day affect how you sleep at night?” The answer is yes!

According to our nutritionists, there are biological reasons that we tend to have better days after getting a good night’s sleep. Seven to nine hours of shuteye allows our bodies to even out hormones that affect both our appetite and our stress levels. When we aren’t regularly well-rested, our waistlines and attitudes suffer the consequences. So what can we do to ensure that our nights aren’t spent tossing and turning? Our campus nutritionists have a few tips!

Be mindful of what you eat and drink every evening. Drinking caffeinated drinks or alcohol before bed can cause you to count too many sheep before you doze off and sleep less soundly than you would otherwise. Enjoying that 9 o’clock bowl of ice cream can also negatively impact your sleep. Our bodies have to work harder to digest foods high in fat, which makes it difficult to relax and fall asleep after indulging in a late-night treat. Instead, ease your craving by snacking on a small bowl of cereal with milk, toast with cherry jam, half a turkey sandwich or even a few whole grain crackers with cheese. These foods include substances such as tryptophan, serotonin and B vitamins that increase the amount of melatonin in our bodies. Melatonin decreases the amount of time it takes for us to fall asleep and increases the quality of sleep we enjoy.

At every Trilogy campus, we make delicious, healthy meals and snacks that keep our residents well fed and well rested. For more information on our services, or to schedule a tour, please visit our website.