Relationship between Vitamin D and Insomnia in Older Adults

Abstract

Vitamin D is one of the common fat-soluble vitamins, which can be obtained from ultraviolet exposure and intake from particular food or supplementation. Insomnia caused by many reasons like diseases or health status, would also increase possibilities of suffering from other diseases, and has a prevalence to be common among all sorts of people, especially in older adults. Researchers found vitamin D associated with neurotransmitters, oxidative stress and inflammation. Many research also suggest vitamin D are relevant to insomnia, people with low serum vitamin D concentration have a higher possibility to suffer from insomnia, after a period time of supplementation of vitamin D insomnia patients, many of them get improved, but there are no significant difference on some on them either. The mechanism about vitamin D improving insomnia symptoms is not clear, there is no determine recommended dose and duration for patient, and also not enough clinical trials for further exploration. As an auxiliary means of insomnia treatment, vitamin D may have a good performance combined with other therapies. The current review summarizes some mechanism of vitamin D, both positive and negative evidence associated with vitamin D improves insomnia symptom, and have an outlook for the future study on insomnia between vitamin D.