3 Common Supplements That Could Be Ruining Your Sleep

Nearly three-quarters of Americans take supplements to address nutritional deficiencies or support overall well-being. But some commonly used products can have an unintended side effect: disturbed sleep. Here are three to keep in mind.

Some pre-workout supplements, as well as those marketed for weight loss or energy, contain caffeine, said Pieter A. Cohen, MD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and internal medicine physician at Cambridge Health Alliance. As a result, they can disrupt sleep if taken too close to bedtime.

Although some supplements list caffeine as an ingredient, many do not disclose the amount. Others may contain caffeine without clearly labeling it. “It is often very difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to see how much caffeine is in a product by looking at the label,” Cohen said. Health.

Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve function, red blood cell formation and energy production. It may also play a role in regulating melatonin (the hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle), which could help promote sleep and daytime functioning in people with a deficiency, said Grace Derocha, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Health.

That said, the relationship between vitamin B12 and sleep seems complex, with some evidence suggesting it might actually reduce your nighttime sleep. For example, a small study of healthy adults found that vitamin B12 influenced melatonin levels and that one of its forms, methylcobalamin, was associated with less sleep, but not poorer overall sleep quality.

But it’s not entirely clear whether supplements actually disrupt sleep — and why they might do so. “Overall, the research is mixed,” said Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, MD, a board member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Health. “Additional cross-sectional studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between sleep, circadian rhythm and vitamin B12. »

Although there is no strong evidence that multivitamins interfere with sleep, it could be for several reasons. Many multivitamins contain vitamin B12, a nutrient linked to sleep disturbances, and one study found that people who took multivitamins reported higher rates of insomnia and more nighttime awakenings than those who didn’t take them.

However, Abassi-Feinberg cautioned against placing too much emphasis on these findings. “It’s important to remember that a single study does not indicate a definitive trend or causality,” she said. The study also had important limitations, including a relatively small sample size, nonrandomized design, and reliance on self-reported sleep data.