Can B vitamins help you sleep?
Will popping a few vitamin pills help you win the battle against insomnia?
Unfortunately, there’s no clear cut answer to that question.
Study results are mixed.
So no one can say that dietary supplements with B-complex vitamins can improve your sleep.
Nevertheless, B vitamins are often found in dietary supplements designed to fight insomnia.
The research isn’t clear. In fact, it’s even been found that taking daily vitamins is associated with worse sleep patterns, compared with people who don’t use bottled vitamins.
People who took multivitamins also tended to wake up more at night, according to this study, published in a 2008 edition of Sleep Medicine medical journal.
However, on the other hand, we know that adequate levels of Vitamin B12 may help promote healthy sleep.
Raising the levels of this nutrient is associated with better sleep.
Vitamin B To Help You Sleep?
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So why are B-complex vitamins still found in natural sleep formulas? Since there’s no scientific proof they work.
One answer to that question is that people like them. I take a natural food based multivitamin about once a week, to help me sleep. I think it helps immensely.
However, I must stress that I’m not claiming this will work for anyone else. Everything in this post is my personal opinion only and not designed as medical advice.
Even though the study cited above showed these nutrients don’t help you sleep, the authors noted that more research is needed.
Also, too much of a good thing may have the opposite effect.
The reason I don’t take this multivitamin every day is because taking it too frequently seems to prevent me from sleeping. I’ve tried doing this, with terrible results.
Part of the reason it’s believed that B Vitamins can help you sleep is due to the fact that people who have trouble sleeping often have nutrient deficiencies, such as low levels of Vitamin B6. So it seems intuitive to supplement. But so far this theory hasn’t held up in research.
However, there is some evidence that B12 supplementation can help with sleep. One report published in the medical journal Sleep noted that two patients improved with daily doses of B12. This is not a randomized control study. But it does help support the idea that B12 may play a role in good sleep.
Can Vitamin B Help You Sleep?
I do take a supplement with B-complex vitamins about once a week. I firmly believe it helps me sleep. Despite the lack of scientific proof that they do.
My food-based vitamin also contains Vitamin D. Low levels of this crucial nutrient are known to cause sleep disturbances.
So it’s possible this is the reason for my better sleep is the Vitamin D. My supplement also contains B12, another nutrient that may help insomnia.
There’s also the so-called placebo effect. I can’t prove this isn’t a factor. But I don’t think it’s much of one. Because when I take my weekly supplement I feel calmer than usual. Sometimes I wonder why I’m feeling so calm, even in the face of stress. Then I remember about the vitamin.
Taking B Vitamin Complex for Insomnia
I have experimented with taking my multivitamin more often. But I notice that doing this tends to keep me awake. So there might be something to the study I cited earlier in this post, on how vitamin supplements were associated with worse sleep.
It’s clear that we don’t have all of the answers yet. Getting enough sleep is dependent upon a multitude of factors, some of which we may not even be aware of.
Whether B-complex Vitamins should be added to your natural sleep routine is something I can’t answer. You’ll have to do your own research and decide for yourself.
Or find a good food based Vitamin C complex supplement and see if it helps you.
Ideally, you should do this while working with your doctor. I’m not a medical professional, so I can’t give medical advice. All I can do is share my personal experience of using natural remedies to help me sleep better.
Taking Vitamin B Complex Before Bed
Trial and error have taught me not to take my multivitamin every day. Or else risk being wide awake at night.
Once a week does seem to help me sleep. I usually take my food-based multivitamin on Thursday, as the work week is winding down. I take it during the day, so it has plenty of time to work.
My multivitamin has Vitamin D. This could be a factor. I also use various other natural sleep remedies, such as essential oils and herbs.
Overall, I’ve found that rotating my natural remedies make them work better. On the nights I don’t take my multivitamin I may use essential oils or an herbal remedy.
Vitamins To Help Sleep Deprivation
Whether or not you take vitamins to help you sleep is going to be a personal decision. The data is not there to support this. It might have something to do with the design of the study. It might have something to do with the dosage. Maybe vitamins can help you sleep better. But no one can say definitively without the proof.
I’m not one to live my life according to medical studies. Design flaws or other variables may cause them to be inaccurate. Studies are only as good as their design.
So I listen to my body. I take a multivitamin once a week. This is the dose that seems to work for me. It seems to help me sleep. Too often seems to keep me awake.
Personally, I think it’s best to get your nutrients from food. Not from a bottle. That’s why I make sure to eat a healthy balanced diet. Also, this is why my multivitamin is food based. This means it contains the micro-nutrients we need, in the right proportions.
You can see the brand of multivitamin I take below. I can’t say enough about the quality of this supplement.
Vitamin B Complex for Insomnia
There’s a lot of good natural health information available on the Internet. You can easily search for this and sift through the studies.
Magnesium is a mineral that’s associated with better sleep. Many natural health experts believe that magnesium deficiency is a serious problem, and recommend specific supplements to keep our magnesium levels in a healthy range.
There’s some debate over which form of magnesium supplementation is best. I’ve decided for me that it’s a magnesium spray, which I apply to the inside of my wrists every so often. (Like once a month.)
Just like my multivitamin, too much of a good thing causes me to lose sleep.
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Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use natural remedies unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
