Noveille recommends taking maca root in the morning when you can't stop yawning, or as a stimulant at noon with lunch. You can also increase your libido with non-stimulating herbs such as shatavari, fenugreek or ginkgo biloba. If you've been drinking ashwagandha or drinking moonmilk (the ashwaganda-infused elixir that took over Instagram last winter) before going to sleep, try swapping it for a more relaxing option, such as reishi mushrooms. You probably already know that our skin produces vitamin D when exposed to UV rays from the sun, which is why many of us take a vitamin D supplement in winter, when daylight is limited.
But did you know that some research suggests that vitamin D has an inverse relationship with the sleep hormone, melatonin and, therefore, with our sleep? Some experts suggest that the body associates vitamin D with sunlight and therefore stops the production of the nocturnal hormone. As a result, taking vitamin D supplements at night, when your levels of melatonin naturally increase, can affect sleep quality. Axe recommends taking any vitamin D supplement with a snack or meal to increase absorption. If you've been eating yours with dinner, try changing your breakfast or lunch schedule. All of the B vitamins play a role in how our bodies convert the food we eat into usable energy.
Vitamin B12 is particularly known for its ability to increase energy, and its deficiency can contribute to exhaustion and feelings of sadness or stress. However, since they make our metabolism move and work, they can have a somewhat stimulating effect that disrupts sleep when taken too late in the day, says Jonathan Valdez, R, D, N. Fortunately, “since B vitamins are water-soluble, you can take them with or without food at any time of the day,” Axe says. Even if you don't like breakfast, try taking your bus on the A, M. Magnesium, which promotes relaxation, is best taken at night, Valdez says.
However, magnesium and calcium compete for absorption, so if you take them together, you're likely to miss out on all the benefits of both. In addition, since vitamin D actually improves calcium absorption, if you take vitamin D in the morning, you should also take calcium at that time, Valdez adds. Magnesium is best taken at night because it promotes healthy and healthy sleep. For people who have leg cramps at night, magnesium may also help alleviate that problem. It's also important to know which vitamins should not be taken together.
These are the supplements that don't go hand in hand or don't go with food. Some of the vitamins it contains are very likely to be fat-soluble so it's important to consume them with a snack or meal. It's hard to say if it's better to take vitamin D in the morning or later in the day but anecdotally some people report having better luck with a morning routine. If you take vitamin B-12 at the same time as your other B vitamins in the morning then you should be fine. Vitamin E is an effective antioxidant that helps protect the body's cells from damage and helps with sleep-related health problems. Many people make taking their vitamins part of their morning routine and this should work well as long as breakfast contains some fat calories.
To further complicate matters certain vitamins should be taken in combination with a meal that contains some fat calories. Anecdotally some people report that vitamin D can interfere with sleep especially when taken too late in the day. Some common side effects of sleep deprivation that you may experience due to vitamin E deficiency include memory loss and mental decline. In a small preliminary study published in 2002 researchers gave college students very high doses of vitamin B-6 for five days and found that their dreams were more vivid colorful and strange than usual. For example while it's safe to take vitamin D with vitamin B12 it's not recommended says Dr Virgilio Sanchez a board-certified family medicine doctor at the Conviva Care Center in Miami Florida. This is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is better absorbed with food while B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin that should be taken on an empty stomach says Dr Various research³ associate the lack of an adequate amount of vitamin D in the blood with a higher risk of a worse quality of sleep. There simply isn't enough information to recommend avoiding multivitamins at night so you can take them whenever you see fit. Medical studies have not yet established whether vitamin E offers protection against testosterone the health problems caused by insomnia in humans. To ensure optimal health and well-being it's important to understand which vitamins should not be taken at night and why.
Knowing which vitamins are best taken during different times of day can help ensure that your body gets all of its essential nutrients without disrupting your sleep cycle.
