Vitamin Dream (D3)

Deep in winter, as we are now, its common in darker areas/places, to feel rundown. We feel it as the lack of sun, but there is more than one idea as to why. A lesser known of these is that when sunlight hits your skin, the body produces Vitamin D3. Without it (winter), dreams are less frequent, less intense and less productive (restorative). Unlike vitamin C (water soluble), that is flushed out of your body on a continual basis, D3 (fat soluble) is cumulative, with a level that can get to low (say months after the end of the summer), reducing dream activity and its associated benefits.

Late last winter, I did a bit of research and started taking liquid D3 (supplements) on a daily basis. A few weeks in, it accumulated enough and my dream activity reached summer levels. This winter, I've been drinking more milk (its added to milk in the US to aid calcium absorption), so started to see/feel benefits only days into taking the liquid supplement.

Have you tried this? What was the effect, if any?

ElectronGuru said:

Deep in winter , as we are now

Click to expand...

For folks in the northern hemisphere, we've had a lovely sunny 28c down south day here.

Norm

Not only are we currently in summer, but even though winter is cold, it's often clear and sunny as well. I tend to walk more in winter, to feel the sun on my face, as it were.

I grew up in the tropics, so the only difference between summer and winter was whether it was raining or not.

All that said, my dad recently spent 9 months in England, and by the end of it he was feeling like crap. He came to the same conclusion about vitamin D, and within days of being home was starting to feel better.

Vitamin D3 has become more recognized is recent years as having a multiplicity of benefits which include prevention of cancer, heart disease, enhancing the immunity response, reducing musculoskeletal pain, treating depression, bone health, etc. I attended a lecture at our local hospital where a physician gave a talk about the latest research. He was very excited about what he's finding in his research and practice and feels that most people would benefit from increased blood levels of D3. He recommends getting tested. I'm a big fan of cod liver oil for the omega 3s as well as the vitamin D.

Also see: Vitamin D Council

I've been taking Vitamin D3 also. I'm not sure about any impact on my dreams, but I do generally feel a little more 'up' during the darker months. I don't know how much of this is the D3 vs placebo effect but I'll take it.

ElectronGuru said:

Deep in winter, as we are now

Click to expand...

Norm said:

For folks in the northern hemisphere, we've had a lovely sunny 28c down south day here.
Norm

Click to expand...

LOL Norm, speaking as one living North of the Guru, I'd ban you for saying that except that you'd just un-ban yourself.

This is very interesting. If not dreaming as much is a symptom of a D3 deficit, then I probably have one year round. In fact, I get less sunlight during the warmer months because I can't tolerate the higher daytime temperatures. As a result, I usually only venture out after sunset from early May through early October. The colder months I'll go out anytime, but unfortunately there's just less sunlight then.

some of my coworkers swear by this ugly fluorescent panel that is mounted on a floorstand.

As for me, I'm starting to think that I don't dream, or if I do, it is impossible to remember. But milk is still awesome.

EZO said:

I'm a big fan of cod liver oil for the omega 3s as well as the vitamin D.

Click to expand...

ElectronGuru said:

This winter, I've been drinking more milk (its added to milk in the US to aid calcium absorption)

Click to expand...

Things are still a bit fuzzy, and there are possibly a few gotchas here. For example, there's at least some evidence that the usually-high levels of vitamin A in cod liver oil inhibit vitamin D absorption, to the point that it may not actually be effective as a D supplement. And at least some (most?) milks are fortified with D2, not D3, and again, it's not quite clear whether D2 conveys the same benefits; many researches believe it doesn't. I do believe that D is one of those very few supplements for which there's enough evidence to do some due diligence, like getting blood levels checked at your next physical...

Joe Talmadge said:

I do believe that D is one of those very few supplements for which there's enough evidence to do some due diligence, like getting blood levels checked at your next physical...

Click to expand...

I know a doctor who's on a D3 crusade. He's convinced most of his colleagues to get their levels checked, and sure enough they're all low. I'm having mine checked soon.

I get full sun exposure for at least 20 minutes each day. I dream most nights. I also take a mix of other supplements containing vitamins and minerals, try to drink 60 oz water each day. My biggest problem is keeping my ph from getting to low.