Even though the research available about the relationship between vitamin B12 and insomnia remains unclear, some studies² show that elevated levels of vitamin B12 do cause sleeplessness.
Some research indicates that higher amounts of vitamin B12 link to shorter sleep duration and a higher risk of insomnia. A 2007 study suggests it may also affect the 24-hour biological processes that help a person go from wakefulness through drowsiness to sleep.
That is, B12 can wake people up earlier. It may be the case that B12 advances sleep onset or rising time without necessarily allowing enough sleep, in particular when large doses of B12 are taken every day.
Final Thoughts. Although there are no guidelines suggesting the recommended time to take vitamin B12, and there is no clinical evidence showing a link between B12 supplementation at night and sleep disruption, it does have the potential to disrupt sleep.
Vitamin B12 works on the pineal gland, which is responsible for the production of melatonin. The vitamin helps increase the production of melatonin during the nighttime hours, as well as release it earlier, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.
Vitamin C and B12
It's not advised to take vitamin C and vitamin B-12 at the same time, says Litt. That's because high doses of vitamin C can reduce the amount of vitamin B-12 that's absorbed and metabolized by the body, she says. Be sure to take vitamin C at least two hours after vitamin B-12.
Vitamin B-12 has a big role in stabilizing your energy levels. It actually helps give you more energy, rather than making you tired. If you do notice feeling a little fatigued, even though you're regularly taking a B-12 supplement, it's likely a sign of something else that is out of the norm in your body.
Taking Vitamin B-12 Before Bed
There is no specific time of day recommended when you should take vitamin B-12 supplements, as there is no clinical evidence demonstrating a significant difference between taking vitamin B-12 in the morning or at night.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can have distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms. It can have an etiological role in clinical presentations like depression, anxiety, psychosis, dementia, and delirium, requiring screening of at-risk populations.
“Take water-soluble vitamins on an empty stomach with a glass of water,” recommends Dr. Perez-Gallardo. And since it can be energizing, Dr. Perez-Gallardo says that the best time to take vitamin B12 is in the morning, so it won't affect your sleep.
Vitamin B12 (also called methylcobalamin) isn't a stimulant like caffeine. However, maintaining optimum B12 levels plays a key role in preventing you from feeling tired and weak.
Around 50% to 98% of vitamin B12 is excreted from the body 48 hours after injection. Research shows that vitamin B12 has a half-life of 6 days in the blood, making it six days before the administered amount gets excreted from your body.
In diabetes patients with advanced kidney disease, high daily doses of B vitamins (folate, B6 and B12) were found in one study to worsen kidney function and double the risk of heart attack stroke and death (see the Cautions section of the B Vitamins Review for more information).
Common causes of chronic insomnia include: Stress. Concerns about work, school, health, finances or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events or trauma — such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss — also may lead to insomnia.
Can magnesium cause insomnia? Magnesium does not cause insomnia. A magnesium deficiency, however, can. As discussed above in this article, we recommend healthy doses of magnesium through diet or supplements to help combat insomnia.
Magnesium is perhaps the most important vitamin or mineral when it comes to sleep. It plays a key role in the bodily function that regulates sleep and studies have shown that sleep suffers without optimal vitamin intake.
Nervous System Reactions
After getting a vitamin B12 injection some people may experience a disturbance to the nervous system. These symptoms may include dizziness, difficulty walking normally, nervousness, anxiety, weakness and uncoordinated movements.
B12 is very important for keeping your nervous system in good working order. Severe lack of Vitamin B12 is rare, but shakiness and tremors can occur even in mild deficiency.
Can I take magnesium and vitamin B together? Yes, as B vitamins and magnesium don't compete for absorption inside your body. Indeed, many supplements combine them as a way of simplifying how you monitor your intake.
Typically, our patients experience positive effects between 24-72 hours after the treatment.
Fatigue. Megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B-12 deficiency may lead to a person feeling fatigued. Without enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around their body, a person can feel extremely tired.
Constant fatigue is one of the main symptoms of a B12 deficiency, because when this vitamin is low, the body has fewer red blood cells. The primary job of those red blood cells is to transport oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. A lack of red blood cells translates to fatigue.
So does vitamin B12 give you energy? While B12 doesn't directly provide energy, it does give the body the tools it needs to convert food molecules into energy. Getting the recommended daily amount of B12 can therefore help ensure that the body is able to make the energy it needs to do everything you need it to do.