Vitamin D3 and insomnia

[Nancy LC]

I just wanted to report that I am pretty sure vitamin D3 cured my life-long insomnia. I made a lot of health changes awhile back and taking regular D3 supplements (2000-6000 iu depending on time of the year and sun exposure) seems to have made me sleep like a baby! I wasn't totally sure it was the D3 though until I mentioned it on the Paleo forum and someone else tried it (another person with chronic insomnia) anyway she reports that she is now sleeping through the night!

So it is something to try. I use D3 that comes in 2000 iu capsules from Carlson's.

[MizKitty]

That's really great! I havea friend with insomnia, I'm going to pass on the word.

I think it's important to stress for others who come along and read this and decide to try D, that cardiologist Dr Davis, on his heartscan blog, says he tests the blood of his patients for Vitamin D levels, and only sees improvement when the form taken is D3 in oil-based gel capsules, like those you are taking from Carlsons. He says tablets or powder capsules do nothing, nor does the inferior D2.

[Zuleikaa]

I just wanted to report that I am pretty sure vitamin D3 cured my life-long insomnia. I made a lot of health changes awhile back and taking regular D3 supplements (2000-6000 iu depending on time of the year and sun exposure) seems to have made me sleep like a baby! I wasn't totally sure it was the D3 though until I mentioned it on the Paleo forum and someone else tried it (another person with chronic insomnia) anyway she reports that she is now sleeping through the night!

So it is something to try. I use D3 that comes in 2000 iu capsules from Carlson's.Great news Nancy!!!

When you pass the news along be sure to tell them not to take the D3 after 3 PM. D3 taken then can actually cause insomnia in some people.

[pauleo]

Is it necessary to take other supplements when starting D3? (I thought I once read something about taking calcium at the same time as vitamin D).

[pauleo]

I just ordered some D3 in 2000IU tablets, then found a Weston Price web page that recommended vitamin D but also had strong warnings about not overdosing (and saying that it's difficult to detect overdose until damage is done).

Do vitamin D supplementers here take a blood test to check their D levels? Is 2000IU in the danger zone for overdosing?

[Nancy LC]

I take my D3 at night. Works like a charm on me.

There's little chance you can overdose on D unless you're taking more than 10,000 iu a day over the course of many years. They think the average person uses up about 4000-6000 iu of D every day so 2000 iu wouldn't even replace what you use, unless you're also getting lots of sun. http://vitamindcouncil.org has a lot of info about dosing

[MizKitty]

Pauleo, also read
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Vitamin%20D%20toxicity%3F

and http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Vitamin%20D%20disappointment%20ahead

[Ginga]

How long did you take it before noticing any effects? I would like to try this.

[Nancy LC]

I'm not sure because I didn't put the two together for a long time. I had been sleeping well for a few months and was puzzled. I think it may have taken a couple weeks but again, not 100% certain. Nelson had a quick response. She reported back a couple weeks later that she was sleeping through the night.

[kebaldwin]

I take amino acids that promote growth hormone (they work while you sleep) to help me sleep.

[method]

I just ordered some D3 in 2000IU tablets, then found a Weston Price web page that recommended vitamin D but also had strong warnings about not overdosing (and saying that it's difficult to detect overdose until damage is done).

Do vitamin D supplementers here take a blood test to check their D levels? Is 2000IU in the danger zone for overdosing?

2000 IU is a strong dose but the danger zone probably begins at 5000 IU or even higher for some people. Yes, you should check your D levels before starting and then check again 4 weeks as well as 8 weeks after your dosage begins. These three measurings will tell you exactly how your body reacts to X amount of D going into your system and will be essential in helping you calculate your optimum daily dose. Depending on your lab results you may conclude 2000 IU per day is perfect in winter for you and 1000 IU per day in summer. All depends on your blood D levels.

Here is a blog of this one person who used Vitamin D therapy to fix his insomnia, sciatica and brain fog/depression. Its a good read, the guy describes well how he recognized some symptoms of negative side effects and then compensated for them using trial and error:

http://www.cfs-recovery.org/vitamin_d_recovery.htm

Its one of the few sites on vitamin D actually put up by a patient, rather than a doctor. Well, make that the only site related to Vitamin D put up by a patient.

[pauleo]

http://www.cfs-recovery.org/vitamin_d_recovery.htm

Its one of the few sites on vitamin D actually put up by a patient, rather than a doctor. Well, make that the only site related to Vitamin D put up by a patient.

Thanks! Great site, very informative. (And thanks all, for replies).

[Nelson]

Great news Nancy!!!

When you pass the news along be sure to tell them not to take the D3 after 3 PM. D3 taken then can actually cause insomnia in some people.

Actually, I take my D3 at bedtime, and it works like a sleeping pill.

[Nancy LC]

That link about D3 and CFS.... I found something I don't like:
I recommend that if you take vitamin D, that you use purified vitamin D2 or D3. I'll get into the different types of vitamin D supplements later.D2 is really not going to help anyone.

He's got issues with Vit. D that probably most people don't.

[method]

That link about D3 and CFS.... I found something I don't like:


I saw that too but the CFS guy doesn't recommend D2 over D3. I suspect you have this D2 phobia because of what you saw in Dr. Davis's blog. I brought up a couple of discrepancies I didn't like in Dr Davis's blog, in another thread you started before which hinted at glaring incompetence but you brushed those aside. If Dr Davis can be wrong and we can continue to trust him as a reliable source then I think its reasonable to give a serious look at this CFS recovery site also. If a doctor can blunder, well a patient can be allowed to make mistakes too. Doesn't mean the rest of his info is not unique and useful.


D2 is really not going to help anyone.


Its quite a sweeping statement to say that D2 is not going to help anyone. I have never seen any human or animal studies that have proved that D2 helps nobody. He does not recommend D2 over D3, all he says is that it takes more D2 to have the same effect as D3 and to keep both types of D as an option. He also admits he never tried D2.

Vitamin D2 comes from yeast that has been irradiated with ultraviolet light. Some people call this "artificial" vitamin D. Studies show that it takes about 50% more vitamin D2 to have the same effect as D3. Some web-sites say this means that D2 is inferior to D3. This is not true. I have not tried vitamin D2, but it may be a worthwhile alternative for people that are unable to tolerate D3.

See, he is promoting D2 only as an alternative to D3. He is also quoting studies he found which clearly show D2 works as well as 2/3 the equivalent dose of D3. All he is guilty of is not bashing D2 as being useless or harmful. He does not recommend D2 over D3 and in fact did use the D3 form exclusively for his treatment. He just leaves it as an option for the reader to investigate and try out.



He's got issues with Vit. D that probably most people don't.

He says he is Vitamin D sensitive but to me that is what makes his site so informative and helpful because it forced him to do a huge amount of research and develop reliable, personal protocols of self-treatment.

He has issues with fish liver oil, possibly the Vitamin A or the hormones in Fish oil more than he does with Vitamin D and I think that is also very valuable information to consider. Many multivitamins are now completely eliminating Vitamin A and replacing it with Beta Carotene because its very hard to get excess vitamin A out of your system. Studies have been done which associate high blood levels in people with all sorts of problems, especially bone density problems.