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Bentham Science Publishers, Current Pharmaceutical Design, 21(26), p. 2492-2496, 2020

DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200310145935

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Vitamin D and sleep regulation: is there a role for vitamin D?

This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

Background: Vitamin D exerts multiple pleiotropic effects beyond its role in calcium-phosphate metabolism. Growing evidence suggests an association between hypovitaminosis D and sleep disorders, thus increasing the interest in the role of this vitamin in the regulatory mechanisms of the sleep-wake cycle. Objective: The study aimed to explore and summarize the current knowledge about the role of vitamin D in sleep regulation and the impact of vitamin D deficiency on sleep disorders. Methods: The main regulatory mechanisms of vitamin D on sleep are explained in this study. The literature was scanned to identify clinical trials and correlation studies showing an association between vitamin D deficiency and sleep disorders. Results: Vitamin D receptors and the enzymes that control their activation and degradation are expressed in several areas of the brain involved in sleep regulation. Vitamin D is also involved in the pathways of production of Melatonin, the hormone involved in the regulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep. Furthermore, vitamin D can affect sleep indirectly through non-specific pain disorders, correlated with alterations in sleep quality, such as restless legs syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Conclusions: : Vitamin D has both a direct and an indirect role in the regulation of sleep. Although vitamin D deficiency has been associated to sleep disorders, there is still scant evidence to concretely support the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention or treatment of sleep disturbances; indeed, more intervention studies are needed to better clarify these aspects.