Vitamins for Tiredness
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Time to read 4 min
What vitamins help with tiredness?
Vitamins, found mainly in supplements and in our foods, can provide energy during our waking day and improve the quality and duration of your sleep. Many can provide both, but if daytime tiredness or nighttime insomnia have been affecting you in particular, it's important to know what benefits vitamins provide.
Vitamins for better sleep
Vitamins and minerals scientifically proven to promote longer, better quality sleep include:
- Vitamin E - promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels. Vitamin E is also thought to reduce interruptions that cause people to wake up, such as night sweats or sleep apnea
- Magnesium - relaxes the muscles while reducing stress and controlling the nervous system. Magnesium also helps balance the circadian rhythms, helping to reduce tiredness during the day and prompting the mind and body to go into sleep mode at night time. The mineral can also help prevent episodes of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), which can occur while falling asleep or wake a person up from sleep, thanks to magnesium's muscle-relaxing properties.
- Vitamin D helps regulate the circadian cycle, keeping energy high during the day and promoting relaxation at bedtime.
- Vitamins B12 and B6 - Vitamin B12 can help control the regulation of melatonin - a hormone that prompts the body to begin the process of falling asleep. B12 has also reportedly helped those with chronic insomnia. Vitamin B6 helps produce melatonin and works alongside magnesium to relax the muscles.
- Vitamin C - helps regulate the immune system, which in turn can prevent tiredness and the disruption of sleep.
Vitamins for energy during the day
The following vitamins and minerals have been linked to increased energy, strength, alertness, and mental productivity:
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- vitamin D
- magnesium
- vitamin B (all types)
- iron
- vitamin C
How do I get tiredness-beating vitamins into my life?
For clarity, we'll divide vitamin intake into two groups: supplements and food.
Supplements can be purchased at supermarkets, chemists, and drugstores in the form of daily tablets, sprays, bath salts, gummies, and more - although daily tablets are the most common form of supplement. These can offer a greater dosage of certain vitamins than foods can (depending on the product), and their daily use can ensure a long-term benefit that is sometimes easier to achieve than from diet.
Food is a more traditional, natural way to incorporate vitamins and minerals into your daily routine - without the extra cost of buying supplements on top of groceries. However, getting enough vitamins in your lifestyle to receive this health benefit requires some planning and knowledge of which foods offer vitamins that aid with sleep.
Vitamins available for purchase
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Common supplements available in health and wellbeing stockists include (but are not limited to):
- tablets
- powders
- bath salts
- room sprays
- gummies
- body creams
- drinks
- oral sprays
- drops
Foods rich in energy-boosting vitamins
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The following foods are examples of diet staple foods rich in sleep-boosting ingredients, organised by the primary vitamin they offer. In many cases, they offer multiple vitamins and benefits - for example, chicken contains high levels of both iron and vitamin B.
- vitamin E - sunflower oil, avocado, mango, fish, broccoli, red bell peppers
- magnesium - spinach, black beans, brown rice, nuts, soy
- vitamin B - dairy, chicken, beef, leafy greens
- vitamin C - berry fruits, potatoes, sprouts, orange juice
- iron - red meat, seafood, lentils, beans, eggs
Frequently Asked Questions
Can food provide more vitamins than supplements?
Supplements tend to have a higher concentration of vitamins than the average meal, but they can be expensive to achieve all desired vitamins compared to a balanced diet.
Does vitamin D keep you awake?
Although it has a reputation for giving people a high energy level, vitamin D regulates the entire circadian rhytm - both energy during the day and falling asleep at night. It may be best to consume vitamin D during the day to be on the safe side.
Summary
Vitamins B, D, and C, magnesium, and iron are all examples of vitamins that can help reduce and prevent excess tiredness during the day.
Vitamins can be incoporated into your lifestyle by changes to your diet or through daily supplements.
The Myza Editorial Team
The Myza Editorial Team works together to create and curate The Sleep Journal, a series of blog posts designed to help our customers with frequently asked questions and curiosities regarding everything in the world of sleep, from sleeping positions to skin and hair care. We also provide regular shopping guides, interviews, and reviews to provide insight into our hand-picked brand collaborations and the benefits they have to offer.
