SolveYourProblem eLearning Series:
Please Help Me Sleep Better At Night!
Natural Sleep Remedies
( 22 pages )

Vitamins and Minerals
Can Relieve Your Insomnia

Vitamin supplements may be used to provide you some relief from insomnia. This is particularly true if you are deficient in certain vitamins, amino acids, minerals, or enzymes that are necessary for healthy sleep.

Try adding one of the following nutritional supplements to your daily well-balanced diet:

• Calcium: When combined with food, calcium can have a sedative effect on your body. Calcium deficiencies in your body can cause wakefulness and restlessness. The recommended amount of calcium supplement per day is 600mg. It should be taken along with food and may be combined with a magnesium supplement.
     
• Magnesium: Take a magnesium supplement of 250g each day. This can help induce sleep since a magnesium deficiency can cause nervousness which may prevent you from sleeping. Studies show that low levels of magnesium can lead to shallower sleep and cause you to wake more during the night. Try to add magnesium-rich foods to your diet. This includes wheat bran, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, and kelp.
    
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 50 to 100mg of Vitamin B6 per day can help prevent insomnia. Your body needs adequate B6 in order to produce serotonin which is required for the sleep-triggering hormone called melatonin. An excellent source of vitamin B6 is a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast which can be stirred into a glass of fruit juice.
     
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): This is another important supplement in the cure for insomnia. If you are deficient in this vitamin you may experience confusion, loss of memory, and a general feeling of tiredness. The recommended daily dose is 25mg and can be combined with Vitamin B5. Good choices of Vitamin B12 and B5 can be found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, bananas, tuna, wheat germ, peanuts, and whole grains.
    
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): This vitamin is good for relieving stress and anxiety. Deficiency of B5 can cause sleep disturbances and fatigue. The daily recommended dose is 100 mg.
     
• Folic Acid: A deficiency of folic acid may be a contributing factor to insomnia. The recommended daily dose is 400 micrograms. Folic acid can be found naturally in orange juice, leafy green vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, and beans. It should be noted that the synthetic form of folic acid found in over-the-counter vitamins is more easily used by your body than the natural product.
     
• Copper: Studies show that a low intake of copper in pre-menopausal women may inhibit them from falling asleep quickly. The study showed that those women who received a 2mg copper supplement each day fell asleep faster and felt more rested in the morning. You are probably getting 1 mg of copper each day which wouldn't cause enough of a deficiency to cause any obvious symptoms but may be affecting the way that you sleep. Try to include more copper in your diet. Some of the best sources are cooked oysters and lobster.

If you eat a well-balanced diet you should find that you have no problem with vitamin deficiencies. You may want to add one or two of the above supplements to your diet for a short period of time to see if you notice a significant difference.

If you find that there is no noticeable improvement you may want to cease taking the supplement and concentrate on improving your eating and exercise habits.

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