The Use Of Vitamins And Minerals In Finding An Insomnia Cure
Vitamin supplements may be used to provide you with 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.
Calcium 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. These include wheat bran, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, and kelp.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
50 to 100mg of Vitamin B6 per day can help prevent sleeplessness. Your body needs adequate B6 in order to produce serotonin which it requires for the manufacture of the sleep-triggering hormone - 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 sleeplessness. If you are deficient in vitamin B12 you may experience confusion, loss of memory, and a general feeling of tiredness. The recommended daily dose is 25mg and this can be combined with Vitamin B5.
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 vitamin 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 sleeplessness. 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 2 mg 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.
One of the best sources of copper is to be found in 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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The information contained here should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and in no way should be considered as an offering of medical advice.
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