1 min
Does vitamin C prevent you from sleeping?
Vitamin C has a reputation for disturbing the sleep process. But is this really the case? We tell you more.
Why is it said that vitamin C prevents you from sleeping?
This idea that vitamin C interferes with sleep comes from a well-known warning phrase on the boxes of food supplements: "It is best not to take this medicine at the end of the day because of its mildly stimulating effect".
This statement appeared in 1934 on the boxes of vitamin C distributed by the Roche laboratory. The link made by the Swiss laboratory comes from the contribution of ascorbic acid in the synthesis of dopamine, a molecule acting on the state of excitation and cerebral stimulation. But this mention has never been questioned.
In fact, it appears that a very large dose of vitamin C would slightly increase the stimulating effects of dopamine without significantly impacting on sleep balance. Therefore, daily consumption of the doses recommended by ANSES has no impact on the quality of sleep.
American studies on the impact of vitamin C on the sleep cycle tend to confirm that there is no clear correlation between the consumption of ascorbic acid and the user's ability to fall asleep. Indeed, MRI tests show no difference in brain activity in patients who have or have not consumed ascorbic acid before falling asleep.
In short, a common misconception
Although the belief is fairly widespread, most studies tend to confirm that vitamin C does not have a negative impact on sleep. So there is no contraindication to taking vitamin C in the evening!
