Vitamin D and good sleep

Vitamin D plays a role in sleep. Having low levels of this vitamin may affect your sleep quality. There are receptors in the brain that are sensitive to vitamin D and these receptors control sleep. The good news is that you can increase your vitamin D levels through exposure to sunlight, taking supplements and eating foods that are rich in vitamin D.

Vitamin D is usually associated with sunlight, because it helps produce the vitamin. We do not think much about vitamin D at night. There are receptors in your brain centre that are sensitive to vitamin D and that affect your sleep. High levels of vitamin D may make you sleep better, while low levels may lead to poor sleep or even insomnia. As long as you get enough of the vitamin, you are likely to experience good nights' sleep.

The following are the common sources of vitamin D:

• The best source of vitamin D is the sun. The rays from the sun hit your skin and the skin produces vitamin D. People with dark skin need to spend a little longer in the sun (10-15 minutes a day) to produce the same amount of vitamin D as people with lighter skin (2-5 minutes a day). 
• Foods rich in vitamin D are fatty fish (e.g. salmon, sardine and tuna), egg yolk, cod liver oil and mushrooms. Sometimes foods have vitamin D added to them (fortified), such as milk and orange juice (it will say so on the packaging).
• You can also take vitamin D supplements if you think you are not getting enough from sunlight or the foods you eat. You can get these supplements from pharmacies.

To determine the quality of your sleep , three factors are important:

• The number of hours of uninterrupted sleep you get.
• The number of times you wake up during sleep and how long it takes you to fall back asleep.
• How tired you feel during the day.

Poor quality sleep can be very worrisome, especially if it is affecting your daily activities. This may be due to low levels of vitamin D, which you can easily correct by increasing exposure to sunlight, eating foods rich in vitamin D, and the use of supplements when needed. If you are getting enough vitamin D, but your sleep pattern does not improve,  you should visit your healthcare provider for further evaluations.