There are several diseases that cause insomnia in people. However, did you know that the reason you stay wide awake at night could be because you’re dealing with vitamin deficiency insomnia? Yes, you read it right. Insomnia or sleeplessness can also stem from the deficiency of certain vitamins in your diet. These deficiencies of vitamins for sleep also affect your overall well-being.
What you eat affects your sleep schedule directly. In most cases, we end up missing out on a lot of nutrients in our diet which eventually leads to sleep disorders. Supplements play a huge role in maintaining that balance in our bodies.
In this article, we will look at the different vitamin deficiencies that can lead to insomnia and how you can control them by making a few lifestyle changes.
5 Essential Vitamins for Sleep
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders that people experience and the reasons can be numerous. However, vitamin deficiency insomnia is a very common disorder mostly seen in young people across the globe. It is caused due to an unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary choices and is often misdiagnosed.
However, if you are a generally healthy person who is still suffering from insomnia and there is no evident reason in sight, get yourself tested for the following vitamins.
Read on to know about the essential vitamins for sleep and how their deficiency can cause insomnia and other sleep disorders:
1. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the most powerful nutrients that help maintain the strength of our bones and boost our immune system. It also helps in controlling inflammation. Several studies have come up to show how vitamin D is related to our sleep schedule. A lack of vitamin D can lead to a poor sleep quality and give rise to several sleep disorders.
Vitamins for good sleep are extremely important. As far as vitamin D is concerned, it affects both the quality as well as duration, that is how much we sleep per day for a prolonged period. A lack of vitamin D can also lead to sleep apnea in people of all age groups.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C effectively boosts our immune system. The lack of this vitamin leads to several minor and severe health problems such as exhaustion, pain in the limbs, anaemia, debility, and many more. It also affects how well and for how long you sleep at night. A study that came out in 2009 showed how a combination of vitamin C and vitamin E can reduce the chances and control severe symptoms of sleep apnea.
A lower intake of vitamin C leads to shorter sleep durations. If it continues for a prolonged period, it gets converted to insomnia.
3. Vitamin E
Vitamin E protects our cells from damage by oxidative stress. It is one of the major vitamins that help you sleep. It takes care of your brain and makes sure your brain is healthy and functions properly even when you sleep.
A 2012 study explained how vitamin E protects our brains from losing certain incidents from our memories. Both short-term and long-term memories are affected by the lack of vitamin E. People who suffer from sleep apnea also can improve their conditions by increasing the intake of this vitamin.
4. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is an underhyped yet extremely essential vitamin that keeps our immune system healthy. Several studies have shown how this vitamin affects our sleep schedule and is directly linked to how dreams function while we sleep.
Vitamin B6 actively controls our lucid dreams. These are dreams that people can partially control. They have a sensation of being in a dream and therefore, they can control a few moves there. An increase in the intake of this vitamin can help you remember your dreams for a longer period of time.
However, a deficiency of this vitamin leads to several sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea as well as several mental disorders, including depression.
5. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 improves our cardiovascular health and has a huge impact on controlling our overall brain functions. It also takes part in supporting DNA activities including red blood cell formulation.
A few controversies have taken place over the last few decades to argue the impact of vitamin B12 on sleep disorders. Several studies have shown how the lack of this vitamin can lead to sleep disorders. On the other hand, other studies have shown how higher levels of this vitamin lead to sleep disruption.
Nonetheless, it has been proven how the deficiency of this vitamin can cause insomnia in people of all ages and a comparatively higher level can help prevent such disorders.
How to Prevent Vitamin Deficiency Insomnia?
The best vitamins for insomnia have to be included in our daily diet for a healthier sleep schedule. Spend a little time knowing the impacts of these vitamins and what you lack at the present time.
The best way to have vitamins is to include them in your daily diet. Try consuming more fish oil, egg yolks, and fatty fish in order to increase the intake of vitamin D. If you lack vitamin C, consume more fruits and vegetables, including spinach, kiwi, strawberries, cauliflower, broccoli, to name a few.
Increase your daily vitamin B6 intake by consuming more dairy items, fish, meat, and eggs.
Include more nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, hazelnuts, peanuts, tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli if you lack vitamin E.
You can also balance your vitamins by including a few supplements. However, make sure you consult a doctor or a nutritionist before adding any supplement to your diet.
Conclusion
Insomnia can be one of the scariest disorders to deal with. It does not only hamper your physical health but also affects your mental health and adds extra pressure on you on a daily basis. Therefore, the deficiency of vitamins for sleep causes other disadvantages on your overall health as well. Make sure you consume enough vitamins to avoid such issues irrespective of your age, gender, and background. Eat enough fruits and vegetables and include supplements (if need be) and keep your immune system as healthy as possible.
