Studies find benefit of vitamin D, omega-3s, and several other key nutrients in sleep regulation and quality of sleep
Key Points
- Lack of sleep can be attributed to many factors, however, for individuals struggling with falling asleep and staying asleep, research has shown certain nutrients, such as vitamin D, magnesium, melatonin, and omega-3s, to be helpful
- A meta-analysis of 31 randomized controlled trials looked to see which dietary supplements had the strongest relationship to quality of sleep and found significant improvement among those supplementing with amino acids, melatonin, and vitamin D
- A separate review found a correlation between lower vitamin D levels and poor quality sleep and/or shorter sleep duration, and explains the role vitamin D plays in the synthesis of melatonin
- A randomized controlled trial demonstrated the greatest effect of supplementing with both vitamin D and omega-3s on improved quality of sleep, as well as improvement in stress and depression
How well we sleep can directly affect our overall health, and a consistent lack of sleep can contribute to the development and progression of chronic health diseases.
