Sleep is crucial to keep us healthy, active, and alive. In this busy and hectic life, many of us attempt to slip into the deep slumber but failed due to physical or physiological factors as stress, anxiety, depression, or poor lifestyle. We need vitamins to have a good sleep.
Sleep deprivation can cause many health-related risks like obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and stroke. Vitamin deficiency can be a root cause of regular sleep interruption. Click on this article about sleep and belly fat to know more.
Deficiency of magnesium, calcium, iron, and vitamins as A, D, E, and K can lead to insomnia or quality & quantity sleep disorder. In this article, you will go through the deficiencies of those vitamins, leading to poor sleep patterns and you will understand how these vitamin deficiencies interrupt the hormone balance.
Moreover, you will get to know about crucial vitamins for peaceful sleep and to get rid of depression. After reading the article, you will be able to identify the underlying cause of your poor sleeping pattern as depression, vitamin deficiency, or anxiety and how can you manage it by intake vitamins.
You will also get to know how our vitamins containing diet and supplements as calcium and magnesium contribute to combat anxiety and improve sleep by directly affecting the brain which is responsible for our sleeping cycle.
Vitamins and minerals for a good sleep
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Vitamin B6
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the essential minerals in our body to maintain the brain’s functioning and other parts1. It is essential to carry out more than 600 cellular reactions in our body2.
It contributes to bone strengthening, brain, heart, and muscle functioning. It also gives us relief in inflammation, constipation, and lower blood pressure. However, its main task is to combat sleeping disorders as insomnia.
Therefore it is also known as natural treatment3. Magnesium aids in the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system to fall asleep and stay asleep. It also regulates the melatonin (a hormone) level in our body to maintain equilibrium in the sleep-wake cycles.
It also binds to the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors which are neurotransmitters and are responsible for quieting down the nerve activity to feel us sleepy. It helps us get to sleep and achieve deep, peaceful, and restful sleep4. It is due to its direct association with the brain, in which it blocks more excitable molecules from binding to neurons, resulting in a calmer nervous system.
Magnesium intake maintains the neurotransmitter GABA in our body, slowing down our brainstorming process and turning our brain off at night5. This transmitter helps our brainpower down at night and slows down the communication between our brain and central nervous system. As a result, we feel relaxed, de-stress feelings, and ultimately fall asleep.
Calcium
Calcium is a significant sleep-inducing nutrient because it relaxes our muscles and sedates our nerves; therefore, it is often taken at night to induce sleep6. Calcium is crucial for our bones and teeth; instead, it also helps us get peaceful and deep sleep.
It helps the body use the Amino acid (tryptophan) to make melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleeping patterns and sleep-wake cycles7. Some researches revealed that low calcium could lead to sleep interruption and cause chronic insomnia. Therefore, dairy products which contained both tryptophan and calcium are one of the top sleep-inducing foods8.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 helps us to recall dreams. It produced serotonin and melatonin hormones which are responsible for our peaceful, deep, and sound sleep. The deficiency of vitamin B6 also increases depression and anxiety, resulting in chronic sleeping disorders like insomnia.
Symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency are poor sleep pattern, weak immune system, mood changes, and seizures9. Deficiency of Vitamin B6 leads to short sleep duration, low bio-clock timing, and severe sleep apnea.
There is a strong association between low vitamin B6 in our body and disturb the sleeping cycle. Bananas, spinach, and potatoes are a good source of vitamin B6 to regulate our sleeping cycle.
Best vitamins for sleep and anxiety
The best vitamins for sleep and anxiety are Vitamin B6, Calcium, and Magnesium. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant and a deep, peaceful sleep inducer. Its principal function is to regulate the level of melatonin in our body10.
Melatonin is responsible for controlling the sleep-wake cycles. Moreover, it maintains the GABA neurotransmitter in our body, responsible for turning our thinking process at night11. Its deficiency can cause insomnia, disturbed sleep and waking up early in the morning within inability to get back at the bed, depression, anxiety, and muscle tightness12.
Some studies suggest that magnesium intake can help release depression and anxiety13. A combination of magnesium and vitamin b6 could be as effective as anti-anxiety medications like alprazolam14.
So, the balance of magnesium in our body is crucial to keep us healthy and peaceful. Calcium uses the tryptophan amino acid to make melatonin regulate our sleeping cycle and make us sleepy at night.
It helps us to nourish the nervous system and prevent anxiety and restlessness. Vitamin B6 produced the serotonin and melatonin hormones to fell asleep for a longer duration15. These all Vitamins are essential for our sleeping and to get rid of anxiety.
Conclusion
Anxiety can come in any form as panic, fear, or worry and can lead to more stressed factors as insomnia. Anxiety and insomnia both may take place due to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
The sleeping cycle is associated with our hormones like serotonin, melatonin, and few amino acids as GAPA. Hormone interruption in these hormones due to poor diet or external factors can lead to chronic insomnia and other health issues.
Each Vitamin has a specific role in the sleeping cycle and makes us relaxed. Magnesium maintains the GAPA neurotransmitter to turn off our brainstorming and thinking activities at night.
Calcium helps the body use the tryptophan amino acids to produce the melatonin hormone, and vitamin B6 is responsible for producing the serotonin and melatonin hormone to regulate our sleep-wake cycles.
Deficiency in any Vitamin can put us at the risk of health problems as nervous breakdown due to chronic insomnia. So, one should take care of his Vitamins intake to keep healthy and well.
FAQ
What vitamins to have a good sleep?
Magnesium, calcium, Vitamin B6 are potent vitamins and minerals to get much needed shuteye.
What is the best sleep aid supplement?
The best sleep aid supplement contains 100% natural and proven effective ingredients for better sleep. Dream is made up of such ingredients and are tested by independent third party to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
Is it good to take vitamins before bed?
That depends on which vitamins you’re taking. Some vitamin such as the B6 which produces serotonin and melatonin to help us go to sleep. Therefore, taking such vitamins before bed is optimal for a good night’s rest.
References
- 1. What to Know About Taking Magnesium for Sleep | Health.com. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.health.com/condition/sleep/magnesium-for-sleep
- 2. How Magnesium Can Help You Sleep. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-and-sleep
- 3. Publishing HH. Sleep and magnesium supplements. Harvard Health. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/ask-the-doctor-sleep-and-magnesium-supplements
- 4. Magnesium and Sleep – Amer sleep. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://amerisleep.com/blog/magnesium-and-sleep/
- 5. Magnesium + GABA & Melatonin for Sleep – Candreva Premium Health Products. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://canprev.ca/products/magnesium-gaba-melatonin-for-sleep/
- 6. Calcium Physiology and Calcium-regulating Hormones – Endocrine System. Veterinary Manual. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/endocrine-system/the-parathyroid-glands-and-disorders-of-calcium-metabolism/calcium-physiology-and-calcium-regulating-hormones
- 7. Calcium May Help Prevent Hormone Disorder. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.webmd.com/women/news/20121018/calcium-prevent-hormone-disorder
- 8. Vitamins and minerals – Calcium. NHS.uk. Published October 23, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium/
- 9. Lemoine P, Babylon J-C, Da Silva C. A combination of melatonin, vitamin B6 and medicinal plants in treating mild-to-moderate insomnia: A prospective pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2019; 45:104-108. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.024
- 10. Vitamins to help sleep | Heights. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.yourheights.com/blog/vitamins-to-help-sleep/
- 11. Gattermann C. GABA mechanisms and sleep. Neuroscience. 2002;111(2):231-239. doi:10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00034-9
- 12. 5 vitamin deficiencies that can affect your sleep. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://thesleepdoctor.com/2019/02/12/5-vitamin-deficiencies-that-can-affect-your-sleep/
- 13. Magnesium for Anxiety: How You Can Fight Anxiety and Feel Better. Healthline. Published January 25, 2021. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.healthline.com/health/magnesium-anxiety
- 14. Poteau E, Kabir-Ahmadi M, Noah L, et al. Superiority of magnesium and vitamin B6 over magnesium alone on severe stress in healthy adults with low magnesia: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial. Plops One. 2018;13(12). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208454
- 15. Supplements for anxiety: Best types and evidence. Accessed April 30, 2021. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325823
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