Most people define insomnia simply as the inability to fall asleep. Yet even people who go to sleep relatively easily may drowse fitfully, wake frequently or wake too early. If you fall into any of these categories, learning more about insomnia treatments may be helpful. In some cases, altering your schedule or even the place where sleep interferes with your circadian rhythm, which in turn leads to insomnia. Some researchers have examined whether vitamin B-12 might establish healthy circadian rhythms.
B-12 Theory
Researchers examine the effects of various B vitamins, including vitamin B-12, to determine if the nutrients can help people overcome insomnia. According to the journal "Sleep Medicine," B-12 showed promise in the early 1990s during small-scale sleep trials. If B-12 helped the body regulate sleep patterns, some doctors theorized, people would be able to fall asleep more easily, as well as wake up feeling refreshed.
Reality
According to MayoClinic.com, virtually no evidence exists to support the use of vitamin B-12 to battle insomnia. The 2008 research reported in the "Sleep Medicine" journal broadened the scope of the two earlier studies from the 1990s. Those reports each focused on only two patients. The broader study included 772 adults of all ages, and explored whether vitamin supplements helped or harmed sleep habits -- and if so, which vitamins made a difference. Surprisingly, people taking vitamin supplements, including B-12, reported having more problems with insomnia than those who did not take vitamins. The report emphasized that the vitamins themselves might not directly cause insomnia, but instead reflect proactive measures taken by people with sleep disorders. Nonetheless, B-12 and other vitamins were ruled out as potential therapies for insomnia.
Considerations
In some cases, trouble sleeping at night may be due to daytime fatigue, which causes you to nap during the day or fall asleep too early in the evening. Incontinence and mood swings also interfere with sleep for some people. In these cases, an indirect link between vitamin B-12 and insomnia exists, because the symptoms are linked to vitamin B-12 deficiency. If trouble sleeping, along with fatigue and weakness, plague you, ask your physician about tests for nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B-12.
Alternative Remedies
Healthy lifestyle habits lead to better sleep patterns, notes MayoClinic.com. Excessive caffeine interferes with sleep, as does stress and depression. The herbs melatonin and valerian may be more effective in treating insomnia that vitamin supplements, but check with your doctor before taking any herbal or nutritional supplements for insomnia. Talk to your doctor about changing medications that appear to disrupt sleep. Alternatively, adding pain medication if body aches keeps you awake may also be helpful. Limiting daytime naps, taking baths or practicing yoga before bedtime may also help. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight, while avoiding workouts or meals just before bedtime. Keep a fan or "white noise" machine running, and move the TV or computer out of your bedroom if you suspect nighttime stimulation is interfering with sleep.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Insomnia; January 2011
- "Sleep Medicine"; Vitamins and Sleep: An Exploratory Study; Kenneth L Lichstein, PhD, et al; January 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B12
- MayoClinic.com; Vitamin B12; Evidence; July 2011
- "Sleep"; Treatment of Persistent Sleep-Wake Schedule in Adolescents with Vitamin B12; T. Ohta, et al; October 1991
- "Sleep"; Vitamin B12 Treatment for Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorders; M. Okawa, et al; February 1990
