Vitamins to Sleep Better

Vitamins, minerals, and nutrients perform hundreds of roles in the body, from producing hormones to regulating metabolism and aiding cellular repair. Simply put - your body needs nutrition to work correctly and stay healthy.

Many vitamins and minerals also play a critical role in sleep, with deficiencies known to reduce sleep quality and duration. This article explores the best vitamins and minerals you can take for a better night’s sleep.

Vitamin B12 - Vitamins to Sleep Better

Vitamin B12 could be the missing link you’re looking for. B12 is necessary to produce melatonin (sleep hormone), which regulates your circadian rhythms. This means a B12 deficiency can directly impact your sleep-wake cycle.

With melatonin supplements banned in the UK, taking B12 could increase your melatonin levels and help you sleep better.

Vitamin D - Vitamins to Sleep Better

Vitamin D isn’t a vitamin – it’s a hormone. It has several functions in the body, such as helping you absorb calcium, but in terms of sleep, it activates serotonin synthesis. This happy hormone is also a precursor to melatonin.

You can get vitamin D from oily fish, red meats, egg yolks, and fortified foods, but the sun is the best source (if you can catch some).

Vitamin E - Vitamins to Sleep Better

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant with proven neuroprotective effects in sleep-deprived people. It protects from the effects of chronic sleep deprivation on short- and long-term memory, helping you keep your faculties.

Studies also show that Vitamin E improves sleep in those with apnea, and the antioxidative effects also protect cells from free radical damage.

Calcium - Vitamins to Sleep Better

Calcium – the mineral that gives you strong bones – is also directly related to your sleep cycles. Calcium levels increase during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase, working inside neurons to control sleep duration.

A calcium deficiency robs your brain of a vital mineral for regulating sleep, decreasing sleep duration and increasing the risk of awakenings.

Magnesium - Vitamins to Sleep Better

Magnesium contributes to over 300 processes in the body, and sleep’s one of them. A primary function of the mineral is maintaining your mitochondria, which produces steroid hormones like cortisol.

Studies show magnesium can improve insomnia, helping people fall asleep faster and sleep longer with fewer awakenings.

Potassium - Vitamins to Sleep Better

Potassium plays a critical role in the electrical signals sent by muscles, helping them contract. Low potassium can give you weakness and cramps, keep you awake, and increase blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Studies also show that potassium deficiencies reduce REM sleep, possibly because of lower potassium channel dysfunctions.

Omega-3 - Vitamins to Sleep Better

There is mounting evidence that omega-3 (ALA, DHA) deficiencies are associated with reduced sleep quality. Omega-3 regulates norepinephrine, a stress hormone, high levels of which can decrease REM sleep.

This study found that higher levels of omega-3 DHA improve sleep quality in young children, while this study found the same in young adults.

A word of warning on dosing

We recommend taking blood tests before vitamin/mineral regimes to determine what deficiencies (if any) you have. This will stop any guesswork and help you avoid the rabbit hole. 

You can order private blood tests at home with do-it-yourself kits or ask your GP to run them after periods of no sleep.

In too high a dose, many vitamins and minerals can be dangerous. You should follow the instructions on the product label and consult your doctor before starting a regime to ensure that what you are taking is safe.

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