Can Zinc Help You Sleep?
Can zinc help you sleep is a mineral essential to the health of every cell in our body. It’s an integral part of our immune system, and it even helps us heal wounds. Zinc is found in many foods, including meat, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts, and fortified products, but it can be difficult to get enough from diet alone. Zinc deficiency has been linked to frequent infections, ADD/ADHD symptoms and poor sleep quality.
A growing body of research suggests that zinc plays a key role in the regulation of sleep patterns, particularly REM (dreaming) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. It may also support the production of melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone.
Studies show that dietary zinc improves sleep onset latency, increases sleep efficiency and enhances overall sleep quality. However, the article stresses that dietary zinc supplements should not be used as a standalone treatment for chronic sleep disorders without medical supervision.
Sleep Solutions: Investigating the Potential of Zinc for a Better Night’s Rest
In addition to its potential sleep-promoting properties, zinc may help reduce the effects of stress and anxiety on our mood. It may help improve mood and cognition by lowering the levels of certain inflammatory substances.
Getting enough zinc in our diet can be challenging, especially if we are eating foods such as legumes and grains that contain phytates, which block the absorption of this essential nutrient. That’s why it’s important to focus on consuming a variety of high-zinc foods, such as oysters, beef, poultry, and pork, as well as dark leafy vegetables, beans, pumpkin seeds and fortified cereals.