While some vitamins are best taken in the morning, others can be taken at night with little risk of a negative impact on your sleep. There are, however, some vitamins and supplements that you may want to avoid when bedtime comes around so that you do not lose out on any of that much needed sleep.
“Digestion slows down during sleep, so taking your nutrient supplement late at night would not be associated with an efficient absorption.” Neil Levin, a clinical nutritionist at NOW Foods, agrees that morning is best for multivitamins and any B vitamins.
You should take your multivitamins in the morning with a meal so you can ease absorption. However, if that causes stomach pain, try taking it before bed. Remember, the most important thing is to make them a part of your daily routine.
Certain vitamins, like those believed to aid in supporting your energy levels, may actually interfere with your sleep if you take them too close to bedtime, and on the other hand, some vitamins can help promote a deeper, more restful sleep.
You can—but it's probably not a good idea. For some supplements, optimal absorption can depend on the time of day taken. Not only that—taking certain vitamins, minerals, or other supplements together can also reduce absorption and may result in adverse interactions, which can be harmful to your health.
While the best timing has not been established, scientific data to confirm anecdotal reports that supplementing at night may interfere with sleep is unavailable. Current research suggests you can fit vitamin D into your routine whenever you prefer.
Therefore, magnesium supplements can be taken at any time of the day, as long as you're able to take them consistently. For some, taking supplements first thing in the morning may be easiest, while others may find that taking them with dinner or just before bed works well for them.
Although there is no adequate scientific evidence on how vitamin D supplementation at night may affect sleep, health professionals recommend it is best to take vitamin D in the morning. ⁵ Taking it at night interferes with melatonin production, affecting sleep quality.
Since it's best to take Vitamin D with a meal, it makes sense to avoid taking this supplement before bed. Eating too close to bedtime may cause sleep disruptions. Because certain populations are more prone to Vitamin D deficiency, it is important to know if you are at-risk.
Combining supplements will not normally interfere with the way they work and in some cases may be beneficial, for example vitamin C helps iron absorption.
There are a few types of these nutrients, and they're all good for your body. But three of them -- vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid -- are especially important. Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. You need it to keep your brain working well and to help your body change food into energy, which is called metabolism.
Combining multiple supplements or taking higher-than-recommended doses can increase the risk that they can cause harm, said Kitchin. "You really can't get toxic doses of nutrients through food, but you can absolutely get toxic doses through supplements," Kitchin said.
Magnesium supplements should be taken with meals. Taking magnesium supplements on an empty stomach may cause diarrhea.
The short and simple answer is: Yes! Vitamins C and D are commonly found together in multivitamins. They have complementary effects, which means that taking them together can better support your health. They're particularly beneficial to the immune system.
Extra amounts of water-soluble vitamins are typically excreted. The fat-soluble vitamins A and D are the most likely to cause toxicity symptoms if you consume them in high amounts.
The effect of equivalent oral doses of vitamin D3 600 IU/day, 4200 IU/week and 18,000 IU/month on vitamin D status was compared in a randomized clinical trial in nursing home residents. A daily dose was more effective than a weekly dose, and a monthly dose was the least effective.
Core tip: B vitamins are a known fat gain promoting factor. Food fortification-induced high vitamin consumption is followed by a rapid increase in obesity prevalence.
One study of older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplementation at a dose of 500 milligrams daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, reduced nighttime awakenings, and increased their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.