|
|
Article: Nutritional influences on sleep.(Nutritional Influences on Illness)
- Article from:
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- Article date:
- April 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Townsend Letter Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
In this month's column, we will review both how marginal nutritional deficiencies may interfere with sleep, and how supplementation (even in the absence of evidence of deficiency) may improve it.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Vitamins
Folic acid Deficiency
A deficiency of folic acid may interfere with sleep by promoting the sensorimotor form of restless legs syndrome in which pain, numbness and lightning stabs of pain in the limbs are relieved by movement or local massage. (1)
Niacinamide
Animal studies suggest that niacinamide supplementation has effects similar to that of the benzodiazepines. These include hypnotic and ...