Vitamin D isn’t actually a vitamin—it’s a hormone that can increase the amount of melatonin your body creates. Low levels of vitamin D are linked to insomnia and fragmented, poor-quality sleep. Natural sunlight exposure helps the body make vitamin D . When sunlight is scarce, find vitamin D in fatty fish, fortified foods, cheese, and egg yolks, or a supplement.Taurine, which is found in meat, shellfish, and dairy , promotes deep sleep by helping the brain process GABA.
, and liver, but it’s difficult to get enough of these nutrients through food alone, so consider a supplement.The mineral is essential to high quality, restorative sleep; deficiency can cause restless legs syndrome and fatigue. Add -rich foods like red meat, beans and lentils, tofu, spinach, and cashews to your plate, or take a daily supplement.Found in dark chocolate, avocados, nuts, seeds and whole grains, the mineral calms the body and mind to prepare for sleep. Get it through your diet or take a magnesium glycinate supplement one hour before bed. Be careful if you get your magnesium throughResearch shows it can significantly increase slow-wave sleep by increasing the activity of GABA receptors.Jose Colon, M.D.