The Relationship Between Diet and Sleep in Older Adults: a Narrative Review

Purpose of Review Older adults more frequently experience reduced sleep quality and quantity compared to younger adults. Diet is one modifiable lifestyle factor that may influence sleep outcomes in older adults. The purpose of this review is to synthesise the current literature investigating the imp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current nutrition reports 2021-09, Vol.10 (3), p.166-178
Main Authors: Gupta, Charlotte C., Irwin, Christopher, Vincent, Grace E., Khalesi, Saman
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cardiology
Clinical Nutrition
Diabetes
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Nutrition and Aging (Y Gu
Oncology
Section Editor
Topical Collection on Nutrition and Aging
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Summary:Purpose of Review Older adults more frequently experience reduced sleep quality and quantity compared to younger adults. Diet is one modifiable lifestyle factor that may influence sleep outcomes in older adults. The purpose of this review is to synthesise the current literature investigating the impact of diet, including foods and nutrients, on the sleep quality and quantity of older adults. Recent Findings Overall, the observational and intervention studies suggest that following a Mediterranean diet, and the consumption of certain food items (e.g. milk), and nutrients (e.g. vitamin D and vitamin E) may influence (improve or reduce) sleep quality and quantity. Summary This review describes the potential efficacy for dietary factors to improve sleep outcomes in older adults. However, given the heterogeneity of included studies in this review (i.e. aims, methodologies, and outcomes assessed), it is difficult to consolidate the available evidence to make specific recommendations. More targeted research exploring the relationship between diet and sleep in older adults is needed to strengthen the current evidence base.
ISSN:2161-3311
2161-3311
DOI:10.1007/s13668-021-00362-4