Sleep Aides for Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Rose knows that waking up during the night may be a result from certain vitamin, mineral, amino acid an enzyme deficiencies, while impaired sleep is a lack of calcium, magnesium, B6 and B12 vitamins, folic acid and melatonin.  Here are the reasons why you need these supplements as a sleep aide for a better night’s sleep.

Calcium has a sedative effect on the body especially when you acquire it through food.  Calcium will help restlessness and wakefulness. Calcium is rich in these foods:

Whole Food Sources	Serving	Calcium (mg)
Sardines	3 ounces	372
Chinese cabbage, cooked	1/2 cup	239
Spinach, cooked	1/2 cup	230
Rhubarb, cooked	1/2 cup	174
Wild salmon, canned with bones	3 ounces	167
Kale, cooked	1 cup	122
White beans, cooked	1/2 cup	113
Bok Choy, cooked	1/2 cup	79
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	70
Pinto beans, cooked	1/2 cup	45
Red beans, cooked	1/2 cup	41

Additional healthy food sources of calcium include:

• Broths made with vegetables and/or organic bones
• Organic, unpasteurized dairy from healthfully raised goats, cows, or sheep (if you can ingest dairy without experiencing discomfort anywhere in your body)
• Green food powders that contain a variety of organic green vegetables
• Sesame leaves and sesame seeds

If you take a calcium supplement the adult dosage is approximately 600 mg of liquid calcium to insure a relaxing effect and 1,500-2,000 mg daily divided into doses after meals and before you go to sleep.

Magnesium is rich in foods such as kelp, wheat bran, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses and brewer’s yeast.  Magnesium will help you to relax and fall asleep and 250 mg is recommended or 1,000 mg daily divided into four doses. If you suffer from restless leg syndrome (RLS) a combination of magnesium and calcium has been tested and proven to reduce leg cramps during the night.  Take the combination of 2:1 ratio or 500 mg calcium and 250 mg magnesium at least 45 minutes before you retire. 

B Vitamins are recognized as having a sedative effect on the nerves.  Vitamin B6 is in the following foods:

Whole Foods	Serving	Vitamin B6 (mg)
Potato, baked, with skin	1 medium	0.70
Banana	1 medium	0.68
Salmon	3 ounces	0.48
Chicken, light meat without skin	3 ounces	0.46
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	0.44
Avocado	1/2 medium	0.42
Turkey, without skin	3 ounces	0.39
Hamburger	3 ounces	0.39
Fish	3 ounces	0.29
Collard Greens	1/2 cup	0.17
Brown Rice	1/2 cup	0.13
Green Peas	1/2 cup	0.11

If you take a supplement of Vitamin B6 take 50 to 100 mg daily.

Vitamin B12 treats insomnia and when taken with Vitamin B5 it will help relieve stress.  Supplement should consist of 25 mg of Vit B12 and 100 mg of Vit B5.  Foods that contain Vitamin B12 are:

Whole Food Sources	Serving	Vitamin B12 (mcg)
Beef Liver, cooked	3 ounces	68
Wild Salmon, baked	3 ounces	2.4
Grass-fed beef, cooked	3 ounces	2.0
Raw cow's milk	8 ounces	0.9
Organic cheese	1 ounce	0.5
Organic egg, hard boiled	1 large	0.4
Organic chicken, cooked	3 ounces	0.3
Organic turkey, cooked	3 ounces	0.3

Signs of Deficiency

• Chronic fatigue
• Unexplained numbness or tingling of arms or legs
• Anxiety and irritability
• Depression
• Digestive problems like a sore tongue, loss of appetite, and constipation
• Poor hair

Inositol enhances REM sleep. foods that contain inositol including, dried beans, calves' liver, cantaloupe, citrus fruits (except lemons), garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lecithin granules, lentils, nuts, oats, pork, rice, veal, and whole grain products. Supplement dosage: 100 mg daily, at bedtime.

Chromium helps someone with a blood sugar problem which causes them to stay awake at night. Brewer's yeast is a good source of Chromium. If you prefer supplements, take 250 to 500 micro- grams twice a day.

Tryptophan (L-tryptophan) is an amino acid that is produced by our body naturally and plays a major role in the repair of protein tissues and in creating new protein. Tryptophan converts into serotonin, a natural sleep-inducing chemical. It also increases your body’s ability to produce melatonin, the hormone that regulates your body's natural inner clock.

While turkey and having a piece of pumpkin pie will definitely make you lethargic after your holiday dinner. Here is a list of some healthy foods that are naturally rich in tryptophan:

• Beans
• Whole grains, including rice
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Hazelnuts
• Peanuts
• Eggs
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Miso (fermented soy beans)
• Unsweetened soy milk
• Raw dairy products (if you can tolerate dairy)

If you combine any of the food listed above with a healthy carbohydrate-rich food as an evening snack, you will provide your body with a good opportunity to produce enough serotonin to facilitate a good night's rest.

What follows are some suggestions for healthy meals and snacks that combine a tryptophan-rich food with a carbohydrate-rich food:

1. Rice with miso soup
2. Whole grain pita with hummus (add tomato and red onion slices for flavor)
3. Whole grain crackers with organic peanut butter (add a touch of honey for sweetness, if desired)
4. Unsweetened whole grain cereal with soy milk
5. Rice with lentils
6. Rice, black beans, and guacamole
7. Hummus with steamed broccoli
8. Eggs with whole grain toast

Supplements are ban in the United States by the FDA after a Japanese manufacturer was suspected of causing a serious blood disease.  There is no risk in eating foods rich with tryptophan. 

Phosphatidylserine is an amino acid that helps the brain regulates the amount of cortisone produced by the adrenals. It is helpful for those who cannot sleep because of high cortisone levels, usually induced by stress. Cortisone is usually at high levels in the morning, for wakefulness. It is found to be high in people with high stress at night that prevents them from sleeping. There are two major sources for phosphatidylserine: cow brains and soy lecithin. Phosphatidylserine supplements were once made from cow brains, but now are commonly manufactured from cabbage or soy. Researchers changed to vegetables due to the concern that products made from animal sources might cause infections such as mad cow.

Serotonin made from the amino acid tryptophan is an important initiator of sleep. Eating foods rich in tryptophan will raise serotonin levels and promote faster sleep.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a form of tryptophan that is one step closer to serotonin administration. 5-HTP has also been found to decrease the time required to get to sleep and to decrease the number of times you will wake during the night. To increase the sedative effects of 5-HTP, take it with a food high in carbohydrate such as fruit or fruit juice near bedtime or at least 45 minute prior to retiring.

5-HTP increases the REM sleep by about twenty-five percent while simultaneously increasing deep-sleep Stages 3 and 4, without increasing total sleep time. It is important to maintain adequate levels of vitamin B., niacin, and magnesium when using 5-HTP, as these nutrients serve as essential cofactors in the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin.

5-HTP supplement is not recommended to take over 100 mg per day.  Large doses may have adverse side effects as excess serotonin can cause cardiovascular disease.  Higher doses may also lead to a greater number of disturbing dreams and nightmares due to abnormally prolonged REM sleep. It can also lead to mild nausea.

Some also suggest that 5 HTP, especially in larger doses should be used with the prescription drug carbidopa. The purpose of this drug is to prevent the 5 HTP from being converted to serotonin in the peripheral circulation.

Melatonin is a hormone secreted naturally by the pineal gland. Melatonin controls our wake/sleep cycle and induces sleep by being produced mainly when the sun goes down. Melatonin is found naturally in plants and in algae. Melatonin supplements help people fall asleep and it is also useful in overcoming jet lag.  Note:  Melatonin is only effective for those that have low melatonin levels.  Therefore it is primarily effective for the elderly as aging is the biggest reason for low melatonin levels.  Side effects have been reported as it may cause depression, fatigue and restriction of coronary arteries (a warning for smokers).

Also you should not take melatonin if you are pregnant and nursing, under the age of 35, if you have cancer of the blood or immune system or if you have a kidney disease.  Melatonin can disrupt normal circadian rhythm or your wake/sleep cycle. It’s not recommended to take animal sources as synthetic melatonin is much safer.  It is also advisable to take melatonin in gradual doses.  Start with 1.5 mg around 2 hours before retiring.  If this is not effective than increase the dosage 5 mg daily until you find a dosage that works for you. 

Below are natural plant sources of melatonin. Melatonin content is in nanogram (ng) per gram of plant sample.

Melatonin source	Melatonin content (ng/g)
Huang-qin	7,110
St. John’s wort, flower	4,390
Fever few, green leaf	2,450
Fever few, gold leaf	1,920
St. John’s wort, leaf	1,750
White mustard seed	189
Black mustard seed	129
Wolf berry seed	103
Fenugreek seed	43
Sunflower seed	29
Fennel seed	28
Alfalfa seed	16
Green cardamom seed	15
Tart cherry fruit (Montmorency)	15
Flax seed	12
Anise seed	7
Coriander seed	7
Celery seed	7
Poppy seed	6
Milk thistle seed	2
Tart cherry fruit (Balaton)	2

Good Eating...Good Night Sleep
Good Evening,
Rose Sheepskill