How Vitamins Make Your Sleep Better

Twenty-five percent of Americans will experience intermittent insomnia sometime in the year, while ten percent suffer from chronic insomnia. Insomnia is the second leading mental health disorder in the United States, with symptoms such as fatigue, moodiness, anger, appetite changes, lack of motivation, and poor decision-making. Sleep deprivation can increase the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder, a leading cause of insomnia. So, you see how sleep deprivation becomes a vicious cycle.

Quality sleep is affected by a variety of things you do during the day, such as what you eat, your ability to handle stress and anxiety, your schedule, and your exercise. It is also affected by the vitamins you do or don't get in your diet and supplements. Here are some of the key vitamins that make your sleep better.

Vitamins Make Your Sleep Better: Vitamin D and Sleep

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, may be one of the most important vitamins for sleep. Vitamin D supports the immune system, manages inflammation, and also regulates your mood and stress levels. Despite the health benefits of Vitamin D, millions of people are deficient. The majority of food sources are animal-based, such as fatty fish, cheese, and eggs, so vegetarians and vegans may need to supplement.  

You can make vitamin D by exposing your skin to sunlight. This process is impaired if you constantly wear sunscreen, if your skin is extremely dark, if you are obese, or if you have a kidney or digestive tract issue that prevents Vitamin D from being properly converted or absorbed.  

Could your sleep be better with vitamins?

Vitamin E to Counteract Sleep Deprivation

Vitamin E helps protect and maintain healthy cell function in the body. This vitamin is especially crucial if you have a long-standing sleep disorder that has left you short. Vitamin E has been shown to protect short and long-term memory and counter the effects of sleep deprivation.

While most people get enough vitamin E, deficiencies can occur, largely due to genetics or underlying medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis, cholestatic liver disease, or celiac disease. Food sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and green leafy veggies.

Vitamins Make Your Sleep Better: Vitamin C

Vitamin C is well known for its antioxidant properties, which bolster our immune systems. But, research has also shown several unique links between Vitamin C and sleep. For example, people who sleep fewer hours at night consume less Vitamin C than those who sleep longer hours. Vitamin C deficiencies are also linked to greater sleep disruption. In addition, Vitamin C is linked to brain protection and to reducing the effects of sleep apnea.

Nearly 7% of American adults experience a Vitamin C deficiency, and restoring your levels of these vitamins make your sleep better. Common signs of a deficiency may include cork-screw shaped body hair, rough and patchy skin, bright red colored hair follicles, swollen and painful joints, oddly-shaped fingernails, and easy bruising. Foods high in Vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes.

Vitamins Make Your Sleep Better: Vitamin B6

Lack of Vitamin B6 increases symptoms related to insomnia and depression. B6 is involved in over 150 enzymatic reactions that help process fats, carbs, and proteins. It is also instrumentally linked to the immune and nervous system. Unfortunately, excessive vitamin B6 levels can present with much the same symptoms, so it is important to test your levels of B6 before beginning supplementation because vitamin B6 toxicity is a growing problem.

Vitamin B6 deficiencies are more likely if you are deficient in other B vitamins such as B12 and Folate. Deficiency is also more common if you suffer from liver, kidney, digestive, or autoimmune diseases. People who smoke, alcoholics, those who suffer from obesity, and pregnant women are also at risk. Foods high in B6 include meats, fish, whole grains, and eggs.

Vitamin B12 and Sleep-Wake Disruptions

B12 is important in maintaining consistent sleep by limiting sleep-wake disruptions, which are common in people who suffer from depression and anxiety. Vitamin B12 should be taken early in the day to prevent the extra energy vitamin B12 gives you from keeping you awake at night.

B12 deficiencies are common, especially in those with MTR or MTRR gene variants who may be getting enough B12 in their diet but not utilizing it properly. You may be at risk if you are taking diabetes medication, heartburn medication, are strictly vegan, or are elderly. Much like Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 is mostly found in animal-based foods, meaning that without supplements, vegans and vegetarians are at risk of being deficient. Common symptoms of a B12 deficiency are pale or jaundiced skin, weakness and fatigue, and pins-and-needles sensations in your hands or feet. Foods high in B12 include beef, fish, and organ meats.

References:

Abboud M. Vitamin D Supplementation and Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 3;14(5):1076. doi: 10.3390/nu14051076. PMID: 35268051; PMCID: PMC8912284.

Alzoubi KH, Khabour OF, Rashid BA, Damaj IM, Salah HA. The neuroprotective effect of vitamin E on chronic sleep deprivation-induced memory impairment: the role of oxidative stress. Behav Brain Res. 2012 Jan 1;226(1):205-10. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.09.017. Epub 2011 Sep 16. PMID: 21944940.

Volpe AD, Lucia A, Pirozzi C, Pastore V. Comparative Study between the use of Melatonin and A Solution with Melatonin, Tryptophan, and Vitamin B6 as an Inducer of Spontaneous Sleep in Children During an Auditory Response Test: An Alternative to Commonly Used Sedative Drugs. J Int Adv Otol. 2017 Apr;13(1):69-73. doi: 10.5152/iao.2017.3054. Epub 2017 Mar 9. PMID: 28274900.

Ortega RM, Jiménez-Ortega AI, Peral-Suárez Á, Martínez-García RM, González-Rodríguez LG. Nutrición en la mejora de la calidad del sueño y en la lucha contra el insomnio [Nutrition in improving sleep quality and fighting insomnia]. Nutr Hosp. 2025 Sep 11;42(Spec No1):43-46. Spanish. doi: 10.20960/nh.06090. PMID: 40728459.

Bouloukaki I, Lampou M, Raouzaiou KM, Lambraki E, Schiza S, Tsiligianni I. Association of Vitamin B12 Levels with Sleep Quality, Insomnia, and Sleepiness in Adult Primary Healthcare Users in Greece. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Nov 23;11(23):3026. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11233026. PMID: 38063594; PMCID: PMC10706823.

Zhang Q, Qi X, Wang Z, Zhang D, Wang T. The Association Between Dietary Vitamin C and Sleep Disorders: A Cohort Study Based on UK Biobank. Nutrients. 2024 Oct 28;16(21):3661. doi: 10.3390/nu16213661. PMID: 39519494; PMCID: PMC11547431.