So many people wake up tired, with dark circles under their eyes, with puffy eyes or their eyes are bloodshot. They actually are more tired than when they went to bed. They don’t sleep through the night. They have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
They may have sleep apnea that wrecks their sleep. They need naps during the day because they’re so tired.
We know that stress can disrupt sleep. Sometimes a lack of vitamin D goes hand-in-hand with high levels of cortisol. High cortisol can deplete your vitamin D and low D can raise your cortisol.
You have vitamin D receptors in many places within your body including your central nervous system and deep within your brain. One of D’s functions among many is muscle paralysis during delta wave sleep. You need to basically turn off to get deep sleep. So, for example, if you have restless leg syndrome, that’s a vitamin D deficiency.
Taking vitamin D allows your body to get into a full resting deep delta wave sleep. That’s how you recharge.
The amount that people are usually told to take is about 600-800 IUs, the amount that’s supposed to prevent rickets. But it’s not enough to experience a therapeutic effect, especially if you have an autoimmune condition such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus. Or even to get that deep restorative sleep you need, or to alleviate low back pain.
At a minimum, you need 20,000 IUs daily of vitamin D to get a therapeutic effect. This might sound like a lot but 40,000 IUs is only one milligram. People are often concerned about the toxic effect of too much vitamin D. I have a video about just that, which I’ve linked below.
Basically, the toxic effects of vitamin D have to do with the level of calcium in your blood, not from vitamin D itself. So don’t worry; plus, you need this level of D to fix your sleep cycles.
It’s difficult to get enough vitamin D from food; as well, many people don’t get out into the sun enough for their body to make it. Another reason is a genetic mutation can occur to your vitamin D receptors and prevent its absorption. I theorize that the mutation occurs because of exposure to the glyphosate residue in GMO foods.
Start with 20,000 IUs; if that doesn’t help, increase to 30,000 IUs. Take vitamin K2 and magnesium. This should bring you restorative sleep.
Dr Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 55, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices but focuses on health education through social media.