Choline Role in Sleep, REM and Dreaming

How effective is taking choline for sleep?

Choline is a water-soluble essential nutrient that is similar to the B vitamin family. This compound plays many diverse roles in the body and brain.

Choline helps support adrenal function, maintains a healthy nervous system, and is necessary for inducing sleep. Italso supports cell membranes, protects the liver from accumulating fat, and enhances memory functions. Choline has also been used as a mood booster and a headache reducer.

It is found in several different foods including turkey, eggs, scallops, and broccoli. Below is a discussion of how choline works and the role it plays in regulating sleep.

Choline

Cholinergic Supplement

Memory

Brain Health

Cognition

How It Works:

• Supports memory and synaptic plasticity
• Raises acetylcholine levels
• Promotes brain health and focus

Dosage:

Between 250 - 1,000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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Why is Choline necessary?

Choline is responsible for ensuring that metabolic processes run smoothly and is also important for the initiation of healthy sleep cycles.

Choline is a molecule found naturally in the body, and helps maintain the body’s circadian rhythm (internal clock).

A major role for Choline in the brain is that it is the precursor for the production of the important neurotransmitter, Acetylcholine.

Neurotransmitters are molecules that help the brain communicate with and regulate systems in the body by transmitting signals between cells through junctions called synapses. It is through this transmission that sleep, mood, thirst, and hunger are all regulated.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is involved in memory and consciousness. It also has a distinct role to play in inducing sleep and dreaming. Levels of Acetylcholine are high during states of sleep when dreaming typically occurs.

The cholinergic system is composed of millions of nerve cells that use the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine to regulate action potentials in the nervous system. The release of Acetylcholine leads to the stimulation of neural receptors that propagate an impulse. The cholinergic system is associated with several behavioral and cognitive function such as learning, mood regulation and attentional control.

The Importance of Sleep

Many of us would like to know how to improve the quality of our sleep and make our nights more restful. Most of us spend on average 25 years sleeping over the course of our lifetimes, which translates into approximately 30% of our lives.

During this time, our bodies undertake important maintenance and repair processes that are difficult to conduct while we are awake. Sleep gives our bodies a chance to reset neurotransmitter levels, to distribute nutrients, to clear out toxins, and to consolidate memories.

Sleep deficiencies can lead to significant health problems including fatigue, mood disruptions, and increased susceptibility to illness over time.

Sleep disturbances may be caused by chemical imbalances or deficiencies in the brain. During the day, levels of certain hormones and neurotransmitters are high in the body providing energy and stimulation to carry out daily tasks. During the evening, these levels drop and levels of nighttime hormones like Melatonin rise, preparing the body for sleep.

A normal drop in excitatory hormones causes an increase in sleep hormones. In contrast, a normal drop of sleep hormones in the morning causes excitatory hormones to rise again.

Choline and Sleep

Choline supplements are typically used to improve memory and brain health. But this vitamin may also help you get better REM sleep at night.

It has been noted that direct effects of choline on sleep occur through the cholinergic nervous system through the regulation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In particular, choline helps to initiate the onset of this cycle.

REM sleep is one of the five stages of sleep a human goes though during sleep and is characterized by quick random movements of the eye under the eyelids. It is sometimes viewed as the most important sleep state as it may be involved in processing information learned during the day and forming memories.

Choline is involved in the brain’s stimulus barrier system. This is what allows us to focus on one thing at a time during waking hours and to avoid distractions.

This stimulus barrier can also help us stay asleep at night. It helps to filter out noises and perceptual information from the external world when we are sleeping, so that we are less likely to be aroused in the middle of the night.

This mechanism of action makes it easier to achieve REM sleep states so we wake feeling refreshed the next morning.

Choline can also increase dream activity and the vividness of dreams. Acetylcholine is involved in the synthesizing of memories to form dreams which occurs when we are sleeping.

In some cases, taking a choline supplement can make it easier for you to remember your dreams or it can make your dreams more exciting and adventurous. Some individuals have even used choline and related cholinergic supplements to induce lucid dreaming.

But don’t expect that taking a dosage of a choline supplement before bed will work as a sleep aid. In many cases, this can lead to excess stimulation and cause your mind to stay awake even if your body is tired. The best advice is to take this nutrient early in the day so that a late dosage does not contribute to sleep disruptions.

Additionally, there are also reports that taking this supplement too late at night can result in extremely vivid nightmares, so you should try to consume it earlier in the day.

Research into Choline’s Effects on Sleep

Research shows that there is a distinct circadian rhythm to the cholinergic system. In certain sleep states, Acetylcholine activity is high, while in other states there is almost no cholinergic activity.

This break in cholinergic activity is theorized as potentially important for the consolidation of declarative memory so that concepts we learn during the day can be properly organized within our minds.

While studies have made a connection to choline and sleep, more research is needed to determine the efficacy of supplementation over long-term use.

And though studies suggest it’s safe for short-term use, there’s no evidence that choline for sleep is an effective long-term treatment. Choline is available as a health supplement only, and the FDA has not approved Choline as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.

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