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Vitamins That Promote Sleep

If your body is deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, sleep may elude you. By correcting these deficiencies, you may be able to fall and stay asleep more easily. Foods containing the missing vitamins may provide a better solution than buying assorted supplements because the vitamins and minerals in foods are balanced in ways that make them work more efficiently in the body.

  1. Vitamin B6

    • Vitamin B6 is involved in forming body proteins and structural compounds, nervous system chemical transmitters, prostaglandins and red blood cells. Vitamin B6 also has a critical role in proper immune function and hormone balancing. B6 aids our body in the production of serotonin, and serotonin helps to produce melatonin, a necessary hormone for sleep. Signs of deficiency include depression, anemia, impaired nerve function, convulsions, eczema and glucose intolerance. Proper levels of this vitamin can assist those with insomnia to sleep better according to the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Supplements of 50 to 100 mg per day can help relieve many of these symptoms. Foods sources of B6 include brewer's yeast, brown rice, royal jelly, lentils, whole grains, nuts, alfalfa sprouts, tuna, bananas, potatoes, chicken, beef, lamb, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, salmon and halibut.

    Vitamins B12, B9 and B5

    • Vitamin B12 works with folic acid (vitamin B9) to synthesize DNA, produce red blood cells and maintain the myelin sheath that surrounds our nerve cells. When vitamin B12 is combined with vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), it may assist individuals to sleep better and stay asleep longer, although the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database says there is not sufficient evidence to prove this. Vitamin B5 is also believed to reduce stress and anxiety.

      Food sources for B12, B9 and B5 include eggs, liver, wheat germ, liver, lamb, sardines and salmon. B12 from animal sources is the only effective source our bodies can use, according to the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements.

      Signs of a B12 deficiency are impaired nerve function, confusion, numbness in the extremities, impaired mental function, loss of memory, pernicious anemia, fatigue and diarrhea.

      Signs of a B5 deficiency include numbness and shooting pains in the feet, fatigue, listlessness and insomnia.

      Signs of a folic acid deficiency are poor growth of blood cells and other fast-growing cells, diarrhea, anemia, abnormal pap smears, depression, insomnia, memory loss, irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite and shortness of breath.

    Inositol

    • Inositol, a member of the B vitamin family, enhances REM sleep and helps to remove fat from the liver. Deficiencies in inositol may cause depression, panic disorders, liver problems and diabetes, according to the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Taking 100 mg at bed time may help to improve sleep.

    Mineral Support

    • Calcium and magnesium are nature's sedative minerals. Food sources of these minerals are more effective because they provide a proper balance of these two minerals. Food sources that contain both of these minerals include kelp, blackstrap molasses, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, almonds, pistachios, spinach and salmon.

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