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What Vitamins Help You Sleep

Can Vitamin Deficiencies Affect Your Sleep

Sleep Vitamins For Insomnia

Another area where there has been preliminary research is on how certain vitamins or lack thereof could adversely affect your sleep.

A 2018 study showed a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and sleep disorders. Given other data available about the effects of vitamin D deficiency, this connection doesnt seem that surprising. But even the researchers behind the study admitted the conclusions were controversial and said more studies are needed to confirm the link. That connection might be correct, but it could be just one of several factors, says Dr. Umeda.

Its possible that other vitamin deficiencies could indirectly lead to poor sleep. For instance, iron deficiency is considered a potential cause of restless legs syndrome which can interrupt sleep. But, as with the other studies mentioned here, theres just not enough evidence.

Why We Often Need Supplements To Help Sleep Through The Night

This is largely due to our faced paced, technology-saturated lifestyle which takes a huge toll on our circadian rhythms. Too much blue light, inadequate sunlight exposure, late workouts, stress, hormone disruption from environmental toxins, aging, and even your chronotype , all of it takes a toll, making it difficult for us to become sleepy when we should bebefore bed, or when were truly exhausted from a long night on the computer working.

If you want to know more about your chronotype and how that can influence on your sleep, go check out the podcast Why Your Chronotype and Circadian Rhythm Can Wreck Energy with Dr. Michael Breus, the sleep doctor. You can find it HERE!

Are Natural Sleep Aids Effective

Some research shows that certain natural sleep aids, such as melatonin, are effective. Other herbal supplements, such as valerian root and passionflower, have shown mixed results.

While some studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that natural sleep aids may be helpful, more research is needed to say for sure.

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The Most Effective Natural Herbs And Supplements To Help Sleep Through The Night

Natural sleep supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, and healthy herbs can help us to stimulate the calming and drowsy sleep receptors in the brainhelping to prepare us for a night of deep rejuvenating sleep that restores energy and enhances mental and physical performance, not inhibit it the following day.

These kinds of supplements can actually help you get your circadian rhythms regulated, allowing you to maximize your daytime energy levels and enhance performance in all you do.

Lets talk about the best, proven sleep supplements

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Vitafusion Sleep Well Gummy Vitamins, 60ct

While drowsiness is great when you’re trying to fall asleep, several sleep medications can result in next-day drowsiness as well, which can be dangerous if you need to drive. According to the Mayo Clinic, ” sleep aids available without a prescription can leave you feeling groggy and unwell the next day. This is the so-called hangover effect.”

Griffin confirms that “increased risk for next-day drowsiness” is present for those taking doxylamine, diphenhydramine, and even melatonin, supplements which contain the hormone which affects our sleep/wake cycles in the brain.

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How Can You Increase Deep Sleep And Rem

REM sleep takes place just about 90 minutes after youve fallen asleep and its an essential state for dreaming. A quality nights sleep will bring you through about 4 cycles of REM sleep. When REM occurs, your eyes, even though closed, move from side to side. As you get older, you spend less time in REM sleep, which can be problematic because REM is significant for memory formation and learning.

The same methods discussed earlier, including keeping a regular sleep schedule, preparing for bed, and investing in the right multivitamin can help support your REM sleep.

This Morning: Insomniac Describes Her Crippling Condition

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It is thought one in three of us will experience sleep problems at least once in our lives. There are a number of factors that can make sleep more difficult, from stress and anxiety to health conditions. Luckily there are also steps we can take to try to get some shut eye.

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The Best Vitamins For Sleep

Our editorial process includes extensive measures to verify accuracy, provide clarity on complex topics, and present factual information. Read more.

We regularly update our articles to include the latest research, expand coverage, and add new information as it becomes available.

We know that diet and sleep are deeply connected. But the truth is, we dont know nearly enough yet about how individual nutrients impact our sleep. Here, I look at 5 vitamins that appear to play a role in how much sleep we get and how restful and high-quality that sleep is. As youll see, several of these vitamins may affect our risk of sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea. And at least two of them appear to play a role in regulating our circadian rhythms, the 24-hour bio rhythms that control our sleep-wake cycles.

Im a big believer in leveraging a healthy diet to improve sleep. Often, diet alone doesnt give us all the nutrients we need. Supplements can play an important role in filling those gaps.

But before you run out and add the vitamins below to your supplement list, I encourage you to do two things. Look for ways to improve your vitamin intake through your diet. And talk to your doctor. Getting the dosingand the timingof supplement intake is critical to success, when it comes to sleep.

Why These 12 Are The Best Sleep Supplements

Could vitamin D help you sleep?

Many of the supplements Ive listed here have a highly synergistic effect. Whats important is you no longer have to rely on anti-histamine sleep aids and other prescription drugs to get sleepy at night to fall asleep more quickly or to stay asleep through the night. When you consider the overall effectiveness of the compound, plus the potential for side effects, going the route of using these compounds over prescription and over-the-counter drug-based sleep aids is an easy decision. Many people find that these natural supplements actually work better, and allow you to wake up refreshed, rejuvenated, and healthier .

Below youll find links to my top choices of where to get each of these compounds . But if youd like to do things in a much more efficient and effective way, I highly recommend our Sleep Fuel supplement, which combines most of these ingredients into a single supplement. That way you get all the benefits in a cost-effective way, and without having to fiddle around with 10 different containers of pills, tinctures, and powders. Sleep Fuel gets amazing reviews from our members, and for good reason its packed with the most effective science-backed natural ingredients to help you get to sleep faster and sleep deeper, while protecting and even benefitting your health .

If you wish to purchase each of these supplements separately, here are the links to my recommended brands for each supplement:

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What Are The Best Supplements For Tiredness And Fatigue

10 supplements and vitamins for tiredness and fatigue. 1 1. B12. Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, plays a crucial role in cellular function and energy metabolism. You have to get it from your diet (or 2 2. Iron. 3 3. Vitamin C. 4 4. Folic Acid. 5 5. Magnesium.

Can a vitamin or mineral deficiency be behind your fatigue?

A deficit of this vitamin can sap bone and muscle strength. This vitamin is unique in that your body can produce it when your skin is exposed to sunlight, but there also arent many natural food sources of it. You can find it in some types of fish and in fortified products such as milk, orange juice, and breakfast cereals.

Supplements That Help You Sleep Better

Posted byEmma Williams on Mar 20, 2019 11:04:00 AM

Sleep is essential to good health, but many of us struggle to slip into the deep slumber we desire. This can be due to a multitude of reasons, both physical and psychological, from stress, anxiety, depression, or poor lifestyle choices leading to insomnia, or underlying medical conditions or obesity causing sleep apnea or other sleep disorders.

Unfortunately, sleep deprivation is related to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression so its absolutely essential that you try and get forty winks.

But if counting sheep isnât working for you, then you may require a little extra help to get a good nights sleep. Capsule manufacturers around the world have researched possible natural solutions. Consider trying the following vitamins and supplements:

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The Complete Beginners Guide On How To Get Better Sleep With Vitamins And Minerals

Roughly speaking, supplementing vitamins and minerals may help reduce insomnia, thereby reducing the incidence and impact of sleep deprivation.

But to understand the relationship between nutrients and sleep quality, lets first unpack the relationship between insomnia and sleep deprivationâ¦

  • Insomnia pertains to persistent problems with falling and staying asleep, especially when making a concerted effort to get better sleep.
  • Sleep Deprivation is a health condition that occurs when you fail to get enough sleepin other words, sleep deprivation is a consequence of insomnia.

Of course, sleep deprivation varies from mild, such as after one anomalously bad night of sleep, to severe, typically as a consequence of severe insomnia.

Ongoing insomnia may contribute to a severe state of sleep deprivation that negatively affects not only your daytime performance but underlying health systems as well.

Its one thing to get one night of bad sleep and feel tired and irritable throughout the following day.

Its another thing entirely to consistently get bad sleep, all the while accruing a large amount of sleep debt that eventually youll have to pay with long-lasting health conditions or fatigue syndromes.

Insomnia may be a reflection of any number of underlying physiological and/or psychological problems.

However, one particularly common contributor to poor sleep quality is malnutrition, or, more specifically, a lack of essential vitamins and minerals.

Give Caffeine A Curfew

Vitamins To Help You Sleep

Its a no-brainer not to neck an espresso just before you go to bed if you want to enjoy any sleep. But if youre having trouble nodding off, you may have to extend the caffeine curfew and avoid your regular teas and coffees after 4pm.

You can still enjoy a nice cuppa just choose decaf or switch to herbal teas.

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Why Gaba Can Benefit Sleep

Taken alone or with other natural sleep aids, GABA supplements help address anxiety, stress and an overactive brain, three main offenders that make it difficult to fall asleep. Its calming effect puts the mind in a relaxed state, so you’re in the right headspace to drift off to sleep.

Low GABA levels have actually been linked to sleep deprivation, as one study found participants with insomnia had 30% lower levels of GABA in their systems. Another small-scale study involving middle-aged adults published in the National Library of Medicine found that taking 300 mg of GABA before bed for at least a week can reduce sleep latency .

There’s no solid research showing GABA helps sleep efficiency , but the study’s results showed it may promote sleepiness as it affects early sleep stages. Another benefit is that it won’t leave you feeling drowsy the following morning like other over-the-counter medications such as ZzzQuil or prescription sleep medications.

Tips To Boost Your Rest

So, taking all this into consideration, here are my top tips to boost your Zs.

Improve your sleep hygiene:

  • Sleep hygiene is about the whole sleeping experience, improving your sleep over time, and being consistent. Try preparing for sleep by choosing a relaxing behavior before bed and doing it for a week straight. Try chamomile tea before bed or stretching, and add one of the nutrients or foods below to your day to get started on your sleep hygiene routine.

Get these nutrients and foods into your nutrition regularly:

  • Getting enough B vitamins has been shown to support not only your energy throughout the day but also your sleep.
  • Boost your melatonin before bed with tart cherry juice or tart cherry extract sources. My favorite is Shaklee Performance PM Recovery Complex with tart cherry extract.
  • Ever feel tired after eating turkey? Well thats tryptophan kicking in, an amino acid thats actually found in a lot of foods. Write down your favorite healthy foods with tryptophan and try eating these soporific foods in a meal or as a snack before bed.
  • Magnesium and calcium are the sleep minerals. A lack of magnesium is associated with poor sleep and calcium is essential to make melatonin. Throughout your day, make sure you are eating foods rich in these critical nutrients, such as dark leafy greens, dairy, nuts, and legumes.

Eat healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates, and vegetables:

Theres something about kiwi:

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Do Sleep Supplements Work

Yes. That doesnt mean that every sleep aid will work for you, however. Everyones body is different. We all have different sleeping problems and health conditions. You may have to sample several different products before finding the supplement that works best for you. Members of our review team have tried all of the sleep aids on this list. Were certain that one of them will work for you.

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You Could Develop Liver Problems

These supplements may help you get better sleep

We asked Griffin about valerian supplements, which are made from the flowering valerian plant and are a popular choice among herbal sleep aids.

“There is limited evidence about the efficacy and safety of valerian as a sleep aid,” Griffin replied. “As a result, it is difficult to make recommendations on how much valerian should be used or can be used safely. However,” he went on, “at high doses, valerian may damage the liver and should be used cautiously especially in anyone with liver disease. Like melatonin, valerian is considered a supplement, meaning there is much less regulation related to the manufacturing of these products.”

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Are Otc Sleep Aids Safe

Diphenhydramine and doxylamine succinate are antihistamines that are sold over the counter. While theyre sometimes used as sleep aids, thats not their primary use. There is not strong evidence that they work well as sleep aids, and they may cause side effects.

Older adults, especially those with kidney or liver issues, should not use diphenhydramine.

Its best not to take OTC sleep aids regularly, since doing so can lead to dependence. If you do use them, do so only occasionally and for no more than 2 weeks at a time. Be sure to talk with a healthcare professional if youre regularly experiencing trouble sleeping.

Make Sure You Get Enough Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral, which has been shown to both help people fall asleep and stay asleep for longer.18

Try taking a supplement or eating foods like tofu, spinach, almonds, avocados and dark chocolate to keep your levels up.

It is important to note that the research was tested out on elderly insomnia patients and so may not be as effective on the general population.

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Lifestyle Tips To Improve Your Sleep

1. Improve your light exposure

  • Increase your bright light exposure during the day. Natural light affects both your brain and your body, helping you stay awake and telling your body when its time to hit the hay. Daily sunlight improves both your sleep quality and duration, especially those with major sleep issues.
  • Decease your blue light exposure in the evening. Staring at a screen, blasting blue light at you, tricks your body clock into thinking its day time, reducing its ability to create melatonin. Try to put screens away 2 hours before sleep, or, failing that, adjust your phone settings to block blue light.

2. Exercise during the day

  • If you exercise at the right time, youll have more energy in the day, and sleep better at night.
  • Exercise speeds up your metabolism, increases your body temperature and stimulates hormones such as cortisol, so its important you dont work out too close to bed-time.
  • The more vigorous you exercise, the better you sleep, although even light daily exercise for 10-15 minutes will improve your sleep quality.

3. Set a regular sleeping pattern

  • If you wake up and go to bed at regular times your body clock will set itself accordingly as your circadian rhythm aligns itself with sunrise and sunset.
  • Doing this will be really hard at first but if you commit to going to bed and waking up at the same time for a couple of weeks, your sleep quality will drastically improve.

4. Get into a chill out routine in the evenings

The Best Sleeping Position For Neck Pain

The Best Vitamin That Help You Sleep

Sleep position: Sleeping on your side or your back.9

How it helps: If you sleep on your back, putting a rounded pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck provides much-needed support. If you sleep on your side, put a pillow thats higher under your neck than your head to keep your neck in alignment.

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How Does What You Eat Impact How You Sleep

Its not just having too much coffee or alcohol that can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Some research shows that your food choices throughout the day can impact your sleep patterns through the night. For example, one study showed that inadequate fiber intake, too much saturated fat and higher sugar intake was linked with study participants waking up more during the night and, in general, getting lighter, less restorative sleep. Read more here.

There are also a number of nutrient/vitamin deficiencies that can affect sleep. Michael Breus, Ph.D., is known as The Sleep Doctor, and in todays blog, we are relying heavily on his knowledge. For example, this sleep expert advises that some research on omega-3 suggests the fatty acid may improve your sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster. On the other hand, low levels of omega-3 DHA may result in a melatonin deficiency, a potential sleep-related issue because melatonin helps regulate your sleep.

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