Denton County Living Well Magazine September/October 2020 | Page 46

Reinforce Your Sleep with
Vitamin D
By CHRISTINA REITER, BSN, CCN
It is estimated that over half of the world’s population is vitamin
D deficient.
At the same time, it is well known that sleep disorders are fast
becoming an epidemic. Many studies have shown a link between
low vitamin D and decreased melatonin production, which affects
sleep quality and other common conditions.
Most people are deficient due to lifestyle: they work indoors,
most under fluorescent lighting, with few (if any) windows and the
A/C cranked; wear clothing, and when outdoors, use sunscreen to
help prevent certain types of skin damage. These are the accepted
realities of modern life, yet they also take away from natural vitamin
D production.
Why not simply go outside and get some sun to boost vitamin
D levels? The notion that humans somehow “soak up” vitamin
D from the sun is false; Rather, it is the interaction of ultraviolet
(UVB) light with a cholesterol derivative found in the skin and
other factors (such as time of year, sun angle, distance from the
equator, latitudes and amount of cloud cover) which causes D to be
formed. The additional variables make it challenging for humans
to produce sufficient vitamin D levels to maintain healthy levels.
44 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020