The Medical Advisor

According to health experts, vitamin D 1 , 2   and sleep 3 , 4   deficiencies are at epidemic proportions. It also appears they are related, as vitamin D levels affect your sleep quantity and quality. 5   Sleep is an essential strategy for optimal health and immune support, and is at the heart of your circadian rhythm. You may have heard your circadian rhythm referred to as your body clock. It's a natural, biological timer present in your cells that helps the body recognize sleepiness and wakefulness throughout a 24-hour period. Sleep is vital to remaining alert and awake during the day. But did you know that if you don't get enough sleep, nerve connections begin to break down in your brain? Animal research 6  published in the Journal of Neuroscience looked at the astrocyte activity in the brain of four groups of mice. Astrocytes are a type of brain cell that normally gets rid of unnecessary nerve connections. In mice that were well rested, they noted 5.7% of brain synapses had

Research published in December 2021 1   using data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA) discovered those with a vitamin B12 deficiency had a greater risk of symptoms of depression. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2   264 million people worldwide live with symptoms of depression. In 2017, roughly 17.3 million adults in the U.S. had experienced at least one major depressive episode. This number rose in 2019 to 19.4 million adults who had experienced at least one major depressive episode. 3  It is not uncommon for someone who has depression to also suffer from symptoms of anxiety. 4  According to the CDC, 5  data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show women are roughly twice as likely to experience depression as men, which was a pattern that was observed in each age group surveyed. Symptoms of depression can include feeling sad or empty, hopeless, irritable, worthless and restless. You may have difficulty sleeping, expe