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Taking the B vitamin Inositol for sleep is a common sense therapy that has been practiced both formally and informally since before the dawn of modern medicine.
Like all B vitamins, Inositol is naturally found in many common food sources, and as such has been an integral part of human chemistry all along.
By cutting stress reactions and balancing brain chemicals, Inositol can promote an overall feeling of peacefulness, calm, and clarity, eradicating many of the causes of insomnia. This connection between good sleep and Inositol is one of the reasons that B-vitamins are so prevalent, even in mainstream Western medicinal supplementation traditions.
Here’s what we know about how a simple, safe, vitamin nutrient just might be the answer to frustrating sleepless nights.
Brain Health
Mood
Weight Loss- Supports brain & liver health
- Involved in mood regulation & nerve signalling
- Improves insulin sensitivity for PCOS, fertility & weight loss
Top Inositol Products* ❯What Causes Insomnia?
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While insomnia has a broad range of possible causes, from poor diet to chronic pain to deficiencies of the neurochemical melatonin, the number one cause of sleeplessness is mental stress.
As many as 40 percent of all people will experience insomnia in a single year, and the majority of those cases are caused by stress.
Unresolved worries, in the form of runaway thoughts about work, money, health, and relationships, are the most oft-cited reasons for sleeplessness.
Hardcore prescription meds like Ambien address sleeplessness by literally slowing down all of the processes of the brain. This blunt, blanket approach can lead to many unwanted side effects, such as hallucinations and sleep-walking, not to mention liver toxicity.
A much healthier approach looks to the compounds our bodies already use and create in order to holistically improve conditions. This concept is at the heart of the nootropic movement, and is the basis of therapies which advocate taking Inositol for sleep.
Inositol and the B Vitamins
B-vitamins are organic nutrients that have long been known to relieve stress naturally. Found in literally dozens of very common human food sources like eggs, spinach, grains, and meats, the B-vitamin complex is comprised of at least 9 different distinct compounds, each with its own value to the body.
These different compounds include Riboflavin, Biotin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Choline, and Inositol. Of this group, Inositol is most frequently taken to relieve stress and anxiety symptoms and boost a sense of peaceful mental clarity. For this reason, taking Inositol for sleep disturbances and related disorders is a natural fit.
Inositol’s effects are more subtle than those of hard pharmaceutical drugs, but just as effective. Many people include it in a daily regimen of B-vitamins to set general conditions which are conducive to normal sleep cycles. Inositol can also be taken on an as-needed basis when sleeping problems arise.
While the supplement has also gained popularity in the bodybuilding community for its fat burning properties, a dose of Inositol close to bedtime will not keep you awake or make you feel “high.” As has been noted with similar B-vitamin Niacinamide, Inositol can contribute to a tranquilizing, drowsy feeling which quickly gives way to normal, restful sleep.
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How Does Taking Inositol For Sleep Issues Work?
Inositol has a two-pronged approach to improving sleep. First, it improves communication within the brain by unlocking calcium and triggering the action of various neurochemicals, such as serotonin.
Serotonin in particular is known to promote a greater sense of peacefulness and contentment. Vexing problems from a day at work or school seem more manageable and easy to resolve. This can combat the “racing mind” effect that many people experience when laying down to sleep.
Interestingly, these late night thought patterns are similar to the hyperactive thoughts of OCD patients – an imbalance which Inositol is also recommended for.
Next, Inositol gets to work diminishing stress responses in the brain. It does this by directly interacting with GABAergic receptors. GABA is the natural chemical which the body produces to inhibit the over-firing of nerves.
By quelling these excitatory reactions, GABA reduces the many physical and mental processes which are normally kicked into gear by stress triggers, such as faster heart rate.
Unfortunately, GABA is not bioavailable in pill form and cannot be directly supplemented when levels are low. For this reason, using GABA supplements for better sleep is largely ineffectively. Inositol, which is bioavailable, picks up the slack and behaves just like GABA in the brain.
The result is a calm and relaxed mind which is protected against stress before it strikes. There is no greater method for improving sleep quality than cutting mental stress. The tranquil effects of taking Inositol for sleep cannot be understated.
Inositol’s effects can further be heightened by combining it in a nootropic stack with choline supplements. Choline, another one of the B vitamins, harmonizes well with Inositol. Supplements like Citicoline promote efficient communication in the brain, with easy access to thoughts and better reasoning ability.
When combined with Inositol’s calming effects, the resulting state of mind is confident yet relaxed. Worries are diminished, and relief from anxious thoughts makes sleeping easier than ever.
Inositol for Sleep Dosage Guide
Inositol is very easily tolerated and has almost no known side effects. You will find it in small amounts in many common foods that make up the North American diet. While food is one good source of Inositol, to truly make up for deficiencies and achieve better sleep, supplementation with capsules or powder is necessary.
The best dosages of Inositol for sleep and insomnia is between 500 mg and 2 grams. While it can be taken an hour before bedtime to promote restfulness, many users note that the best effects occur when Inositol is taken daily over extended periods of time. Stress factors gradually reduce and the mind and body learn to sleep on a regular schedule.
As restful sleep becomes easier to achieve, many users report that the dread of insomnia – ironically one of the main causes of sleeplessness – itself starts to lessen. The result is an all-natural, side effect-free approach to a good night’s sleep.
- Woodcock EA. Inositol phosphates in the heart: controversy and consensus. J Mol Med (Berl). 1995
- Vucenik I, Shamsuddin AM. Cancer inhibition by inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) and inositol: from laboratory to clinic. J Nutr. 2003
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- Parys JB, De Smedt H. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and its receptors. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2012
Article last updated on: April 16th, 2018 by Nootriment
5 Comments
Thank you for the article. I have troubles with sleep, the overactive mind and difficulty ‘winding down.’ I’ve taken Inositol the past couple nights, and felt calmer and feel like I slept deeper. It’s still hard to get up at 5:30 a.m. though…
I disagree with this sentence:
“Unfortunately, GABA is not bioavailable in pill form and cannot be directly supplemented when levels are low.”
This is simply theoretical, and many sites just parrot the same thing. I HAVE taken GABA capsules, on multiple nights, over the span of at least 5+ years, and let me assure you they very much calm you down. IT WORKS. Benzodiazepines interact with GABA receptors as well. My wife has taken it, and a few people at work as well. She had to stop it because it was too hard to wake up the next morning.
Take too much GABA and you WILL feel drowsy/hung over half-way through the next day. At one time I tried 500 mg at bedtime, but couldn’t wake up the whole next day, so I trimmed down to only 100-200 mg, only if I am in dire need.
Julia Ross, author of “The Mood Cure” has used GABA in their clinic’s patients for several years and they have shown consistent positive effects for sleep, as they do with L-tryptophan (which I’ve also tried, but it leaves me too hung over). She calls GABA “wildly effective” for insomnia help.
I’ll keep testing my 750 mg Inositol cap at bedtime and monitor my sleep quality and quantity. Thank you again.
Hi Matthias
For what it’s worth, my understanding is that GABA does not cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) unless the BBB is damaged. Google PMID: 6677191 “A GABA-EEG test of the blood-brain barrier near epileptic foci.”
I wonder if more people have a permeable BBB than previously thought? I also wonder if this would prove especially true for those of us with sleep problems? I’m not implying these are true, just wondering.
Too bad Choline is a diuretic. Otherwise I would be taking it with Inositol for better sleep. I have an overactive bladder and that greatly contributes to my insomnia.
Hi all. The article states that many people include (inositol) in a daily regimen of B-vitamins to set general conditions which are conducive to normal sleep cycles.
I assume this would be the B Vitamin Complex,? but at what strength would anyone recommend it? 50mg for example?
Thank you.
Took myoinositol for 2 weeks to increase fertility but develop serious insomnia that I had to stop taking it anymore. Its harder than normal for mr to go sleep. And I will wake up if there is any sound and then not able to go back to sleep. Horrible feeling. Strong sode effect. By the way my acnes never stop after I start taking this pill too. Im just on a low dosage of 500mg only. So far I dont see any benefits onky drawbacks.