From the Desk of Dr. James Greenblatt
Dear friends,
How many people do you know that struggle with sleep problems? What if there was a simple three prong approach to alleviate most sleep disorders? And what if that same approach could also help correct microbiome imbalances and immune system dysfunction?
Vitamin D deficiency has long been correlated with multiple health conditions. However, little attention has been paid to the links between vitamin D and sleep. Numerous areas in the brain have been found to have vitamin D receptors, including areas implicated in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
In fact, a recent meta-analysis has found that low vitamin D is correlated with increasing risks for sleep disorders (Gao 2018).
Dr. Stasha Gominak noticed a similar correlation in her own medical practice. Patients with low vitamin D almost invariably had sleep problems and restoring vitamin D to proper levels improved sleep, sometimes profoundly.
However, over time, it became clear there was another factor, one likely related to lower levels of acetylcholine. The key for sustained improvements over the long term was the inclusion of the B vitamins, although dosing was of critical importance to achieve proper benefits.
As a side effect of treatment, it wasn’t unusual that patients also had significant improvements in chronic gastrointestinal problems. Over the course of her practice, Dr. Gominak refined her approach that combines vitamin D and B vitamins that proved effective for relieving sleep disorders and improving, or resolving immune dysregulation and gastrointestinal health problems. She has previously published two separate articles in the medical literature on her research findings (Gominak 2012, Gominak 2016).
We host a webinar with Dr. Gominak where she presented her research on vitamin D, vitamin B complex, and sleep disorders. (Enrollment is free!) Dr. Gominak describes her clinical experience using a unique vitamin D and vitamin B complex protocol to improve sleep, immune function and gastrointestinal health.
If you wish in to expand your skill set even more, take a look at our online course by Dr. Gominak, Sleep Primer for Mental Health Professionals.
References
Gao Q, Kou T, Zhuang B, Ren Y, Dong X, Wang Q. The Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018;10(10):1395. Published 2018 Oct 1. doi:10.3390/nu10101395
Gominak SC, Stumpf WE. The world epidemic of sleep disorders is linked to vitamin D deficiency. Med Hypotheses. 2012;79(2):132-135. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2012.03.031
Gominak SC. Vitamin D deficiency changes the intestinal microbiome reducing B vitamin production in the gut. The resulting lack of pantothenic acid adversely affects the immune system, producing a “pro-inflammatory” state associated with atherosclerosis and autoimmunity. Med Hypotheses. 2016;94:103-107. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2016.07.007
