Is it because of lack of vitamin D that you are not getting enough sleep even if you sleep 12 hours a day? You will know after reading this!

Recently, a netizen posted that he "always doesn't get enough sleep, 8 hours of sleep on weekdays and 12 hours of sleep on weekends, but still doesn't feel full." Because he saw someone say "it might be vitamin D deficiency", he went to the hospital for a check-up, and the result of the full test of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was only 5.52ng/mL (under normal circumstances, the body's vitamin D is sufficient when 25(OH)D≥20ng/mL).

Does Vitamin D deficiency lead to insufficient sleep?

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01

What does vitamin D do?

First, let’s talk about what vitamin D is.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium from food in the intestines, which is good for bone health. In addition, vitamin D also regulates many other cell functions in the body.

The "Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese Residents" clearly recommends that people aged 0 to 64 need to consume 400 IU of vitamin D every day (IU is the international unit, 400 IU of vitamin D is 0.01 mg).

When we go to the hospital for a checkup, we usually check the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in the blood.

According to the provisions of the Health Industry Standard of the People's Republic of China (WS/T) "Screening Method for Vitamin D Deficiency in the Population", when the 25(OH)D level in the blood is greater than 20ng/L, it indicates that the nutritional status of vitamin D is normal, and when it is lower than 12ng/L, it indicates deficiency.

Methods for screening vitamin D deficiency in the population

The biggest problem of vitamin D deficiency is that it can lead to osteoporosis. The netizen at the beginning of the article often suffers from "leg cramps", which may be related to vitamin D deficiency.

But, can vitamin D deficiency cause sleep problems?

02

Always “Not Getting Enough Sleep”

Is it a vitamin D deficiency?

For those who "never get enough sleep", their sleep is likely to be " nonrestorative sleep (NRS)".

In 1987, the American Psychiatric Association first listed "nonrestorative sleep" as a symptom of insomnia, which is described as a feeling of restless, light, or poor quality sleep, even though the duration of sleep may appear normal.

The causes of non-restorative sleep are complex: there are psychological factors, such as mood disorders, and lifestyle factors, including alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine intake, as well as several other behaviors associated with poor sleep hygiene. However, there is no clear evidence that vitamin D deficiency is the main cause of "not getting enough sleep."

As for other types of insomnia symptoms, some studies have found that vitamin D deficiency is related to insomnia and poor sleep quality. For example, some studies have found that the serum vitamin D levels of chronic insomnia patients are significantly lower than those of healthy people. However, these research results are not consistent.

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In 2021, a randomized controlled clinical study in Norway provided vitamin D supplementation to 189 people with vitamin D deficiency for 4 months. The results showed that vitamin D supplementation did not have a significant effect on improving sleep levels.

In 2022, a systematic review and meta-analysis studied the effect of vitamin D supplementation on sleep quality. A total of 19 studies were included, including 13 randomized controlled studies. The results showed that compared with the placebo group, vitamin D supplementation was associated with a decrease in sleep index, but the level of evidence was only moderate. Moreover, the results of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on sleep difficulties and disorders were inconsistent. Therefore, the researchers believe that the effect of vitamin D supplementation on sleep needs further study.

Overall, although vitamin D deficiency is associated with sleep disorders, vitamin D supplementation has no direct effect on the prevention or treatment of sleep disorders.

03

How to improve sleep?

There are many complex factors that affect sleep. From the perspective of diet and lifestyle, it is recommended to start from the following aspects:

1. Pay attention to food diversity and balanced nutrition in your daily diet. Studies have found that a balanced diet and nutrition are good for overall health and also help us sleep well.

2. Eat a light dinner and don't eat too much spicy food. Studies have found that excessive intake of oil, salt, and fat and too little vegetables can easily lead to insomnia. Too spicy food can increase gastrointestinal irritation and affect sleep.

3. Don’t eat too late. Eating too late, especially close to bedtime, means that the food is not fully digested and the stomach is still full. You have to continue moving to digest the food, which is not good for sleep. It is recommended that you don’t eat within three hours before going to bed.

4. Don’t go to bed hungry. If you feel hungry before going to bed, you can eat some starchy foods, such as oatmeal porridge, millet porridge, etc.

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5. Avoid strenuous exercise before going to bed. Appropriate exercise before going to bed can reduce light sleep, increase deep sleep, ensure sleep continuity, and improve sleep efficiency, which means it is easier to sleep through the night. But be careful not to do it too vigorously.

6. Don’t drink too much water before going to bed. Drinking too much water will easily cause you to have to go to the bathroom, which will inevitably affect your sleep.

7. Don't smoke, drink, or eat caffeinated foods before going to bed. Drinking will affect the quality of sleep, and smoking will only make you more and more excited and even more unable to sleep. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine. If you want a good sleep, it is best to avoid foods and drinks containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, milk tea, cola, chocolate, and foods and drinks containing guanara extract and Paraguayan tea extract, which also contain caffeine.

8. Take a hot bath before going to bed, turn off the lights, stay away from mobile phones and other electronic screens, play fewer games and watch fewer TV series. These can all help you fall asleep.

04

How to supplement vitamin D?

Although vitamin D supplementation has no direct effect on improving sleep problems, it is still very important for human health.

There are two main ways for humans to obtain vitamin D: one is that the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays in the sun and converts itself into vitamin D₃; the other is to obtain it from food. Animal foods are rich in vitamin D, such as dairy products, salmon, mackerel and sardines.

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If you want to get vitamin D, you should do more outdoor activities. Choose a time when the ultraviolet rays are not strong and stay in the sun for about 10 to 20 minutes . You can also eat more foods rich in vitamin D , such as dairy products, salmon, mackerel and sardines.

If you are really worried about deficiency, you can also take vitamin D supplements . Taking vitamin D supplements usually has more benefits than disadvantages.

References:

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Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Reviewer: Zhu Huilian, Professor and Director of the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University; Zhong Kai, Director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Editor-in-charge: Yang Yaping

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