Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that can affect your quality of sleep and cause a number of serious health problems. While a number of factors affect sleep apnea, researchers have grown increasingly interested in the role vitamin D may play in this disorder. Consult your doctor before using any dietary supplement.
About Vitamin D
Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunlight vitamin, because your skin manufactures it in response to exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. It is also present in a limited number of foods, including diary products, fatty fish like tuna and fortified breakfast cereals. It's often hard to meet your daily requirement of vitamin D from food sources alone, and you may increase your risk of a vitamin D deficiency if you receive limited exposure to sunlight. A deficiency may place you at a higher risk of bone weakness and is linked to a higher incidence of certain types of cancer, depression and obesity. As obesity is one of the key causes of sleep apnea, researchers are beginning to examine the benefits of vitamin D supplementation for this condition.
Sleep Apnea Facts
Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in your breathing while you sleep. There are two forms of sleep apnea --- obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. In central sleep apnea, you experience repeated pauses in your breathing because your brain doesn't send the proper signals to the muscles that regulate breathing. In obstructive sleep apnea, you experience breathing difficulties and pauses due to the constriction or narrowing of your airways. This form of sleep apnea occurs most commonly in people who are overweight and often leads to snoring. When your breathing temporarily stops, you may move into lighter phases of sleep or even wake up, which leaves you feeling tired and fatigued during the day. A number of treatments and self-help techniques may help sleep apnea, including weight loss and using breathing devices. Additionally, some practitioners, such as neurologist Stasha Gominak, believe that vitamin D deficiency can cause sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Vitamin D supplementation may help, although clinical research evaluating this claim is still ongoing as of 2011.
Clinical Evidence
Some evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in the development of the conditions, especially obesity, that can trigger or exacerbate sleep apnea. A study published in 1998 in the journal "Calcified Tissue International," a professional, peer-reviewed journal of bone structure and function, showed that those who are obese have much lower levels of serum vitamin D than nonobese individuals. Another study published in the September 2000 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" confirmed these findings, demonstrating a clear link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency. Specific studies are needed to evaluate the benefit of vitamin D supplementation on sleep apnea symptoms.
Considerations
While vitamin D supplementation may have some benefit for patients with sleep apnea, you should never use dietary supplements to self-treat your symptoms. Sleep apnea can cause serious health problems. Consult your doctor if you suspect that you have sleep apnea. Inform your doctor if you choose to use a vitamin D supplement.
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Sleep Apnea
- Dr. Gominak.com: Vitamin D Hormone
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Vitamin D
- "Calcified Tissue International"; Low Circulating Vitamin D in Obesity; Y. Liel, et al.; 1988
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Decreased Bioavailability of Vitamin D in Obesity; J. Wortsman, et al.; September 2000
