Insomnia is a common and growing problem. When we cannot sleep, we tend to look at environmental factors such as light levels and the comfort of our room or bed. In addition, doctors and patients alike are quick to blame lack of sleep on stress and other psychological issues.
While our environment and our mood are both very important when it comes to how well we sleep, there is another factor that many of us neglect to consider: our diet. New research suggests that our diet may be more important than we previously believed in determining how well we sleep. In fact, common vitamin deficiencies affect sleep as much or more than many other lifestyle factors. Here are six crucial vitamins your body needs in order to get sufficient rest at night.
1. Vitamin A: Helping to See the Light (or Dark)
Vitamin A is best known for its role in vision. Because perception of light and dark is an important contributor to internal clocks, vitamin A also is essential in regulating our circadian rhythm.
Vitamin A is present in part of the cells in our eyes that sense light, which are called opsins. When these cells are working well and have ample vitamin A, the signals from our retinas will be passed to other areas of the brain and control when we release melatonin. Without vitamin A, our brains and bodies will not be as effective at perceiving this important sleep timing cue.
2. Vitamin D: Fighting Insomnia and Sleep Apnea
Millions of people throughout the world suffer from insomnia. Many others suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a disease in which sufferers snore throughout the night and stop breathing for extended periods of time.
Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked in several studies to both obstructive sleep apnea and to short sleep duration. Scientists believe that this may be due to the activating effects of this vitamin on several genes that are important in regulating the circadian rhythm. Because this vitamin is produced when our skin is exposed to light, it likely is an important cue to our bodies about the time of day.
3. Vitamin E: Antioxidant for Restful Sleep
Vitamin E is one of the best-known antioxidants, helping to repair DNA from the damage of the day and encouraging proper healing of cells and tissues. This antioxidant powerhouse also appears to have a measurable effect on how well we sleep at night.
Researchers looked at the sleep of subjects with obstructive sleep apnea. Half of the group was given the antioxidants vitamin E and vitamin C while the other was not. The ones who did not receive the antioxidants slept more poorly than the group that took them.
Although this is a small study, it suggests that antioxidant vitamin deficiencies affect sleep in addition to putting us at a higher risk of life-threatening diseases. This is just one more great reason to take your vitamins every day.
4. Vitamin C: Protecting Against Negative Effects of Sleep Disorders
Vitamin C likely affects sleep in part because of its action as an antioxidant. In addition, this sour-sweet vitamin also may have other effects on your health and your circadian rhythm. It appears to protect insomniacs from certain negative effects of a dysregulated circadian rhythm such as memory loss. It also can repair certain cell structures that are damaged by sleep disorders.
If you are not sleeping well, this vitamin can help you to get the slumber that you need while reducing the permanent and life-threatening effects of sleep loss. That is a win-win that no insomniac should turn down!
5. Vitamin B6: Crucial for a Healthy Circadian Rhythm
Although B vitamins are best known for their role in energy production and metabolism, two of them are also important for sleep. Because of its role in producing melatonin and serotonin, vitamin B6 is crucial for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm and getting the rest that you need.
Vitamin B6 also appears to be important in dreaming, an essential part of sleep. People who take this vitamin are more likely to remember their dreams and to have colorful dreaming experiences. If your dream life is not up to par, a deficiency of B6 may be partially to blame.
Although a deficiency of this vitamin can interfere with your dreams, you should not add a B6 supplement without talking to your doctor. Taking too much of this vitamin also can interfere with sleep, making it important to hit that perfect middle ground.
6. Vitamin B12: Important Circadian Rhythm Regulator
Because this vitamin is critical to regulating the sleep-wake cycle, a deficiency of B12 may leave you feeling sleep-deprived and unable to sleep at the same time. Present in animal proteins, this vitamin plays perhaps a greater role in our circadian rhythm than any other vitamin.
Vitamin B12 has been found in several studies to be an effective treatment for insomnia. However, this comes with a caveat: as with B6, getting too much B12 also can interfere with sleep.
Your sleep-wake cycle is a complex interaction between your hormones, your environment and your behaviors. If you are not eating enough of the right foods, your sleep is just one of many areas of your health that will suffer. Keeping a healthy lifestyle is essential not just to sleeping soundly, but to enjoying the best possible health and well-being.