# Vitamin D and sleep during the winter months **URL:** \ **Category:** Nutrition\ **Created:** [January 24, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546 "2020-01-24T17:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alexstenerson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/alexstenerson/32/5407_2.png) [@alexstenerson](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/alexstenerson)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/22 "2020-01-24T20:55:04Z")
What do you guys do for an hour before bed? ---
**Author:** ![TRusername](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@TRusername](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/TRusername)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/23 "2020-01-24T21:24:25Z")
Thanks for the suggestion. In bed my wife and I generally watch a bit of Netflix on an iPad with the blue light filter turned on, usually about half an hour before bedtime. I don’t drink alcohol at all but the lack of coffee is killer ☹. ---
**Author:** ![Rizzi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/rizzi/32/17674_2.png) [@Rizzi](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Rizzi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/24 "2020-01-26T17:47:57Z")
> [@TRusername](#): > > I’ll wake up between 1-3AM to go to the restroom Try to do this as dark as possible / with eyes closed / sleep mask on / as little light exposure as possible. When returning to bed I turn my sheet to have a little cooling effect to the body (but you said you have a cooling system 👍). ---
**Author:** ![gcarver](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/gcarver/32/15266_2.png) [@gcarver](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/gcarver)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/25 "2020-01-26T22:44:46Z")
“Daylight” bulbs are very blue (5000K). Old style incandescents are usually very red (2700K). You can find lights anywhere in between with LEDs and CFLs. I love the look of ~3500K inside at night, but its too blue later in the evening. I’ve made a habit of really turning off more lights as the evening goes on. Another thing to look out for are blue-backlit lcd’s on your alarm clock and stuff. I find them extremely distracting in an otherwise dark room, whereas a red lcd is fine. ---
**Author:** ![alexstenerson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/alexstenerson/32/5407_2.png) [@alexstenerson](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/alexstenerson)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/26 "2020-01-26T22:52:00Z")
Still curious what everyone does for one hour before bed. ---
**Author:** ![RobC](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/robc/32/61745_2.png) [@RobC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/RobC)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 10:53pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/27 "2020-01-26T22:53:31Z")
Read a book? ---
**Author:** ![alexstenerson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/alexstenerson/32/5407_2.png) [@alexstenerson](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/alexstenerson)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/28 "2020-01-26T22:54:07Z")
With blue or non blue lights? ---
**Author:** ![Westonite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/westonite/32/12898_2.png) [@Westonite](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Westonite)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/29 "2020-01-26T22:56:44Z")
I couldn’t find any articles showing melatonin was habit forming. Links? ---
**Author:** ![CaptainThunderpants](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/captainthunderpants/32/133391_2.png) [@CaptainThunderpants](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/CaptainThunderpants)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/30 "2020-01-27T00:25:10Z")
I try to have the TV off around an hour before bed. I’ll still use my computer but I use f.lux to blue filter down to 3000 at sunset, which gradually goes down to 2600 over the next hour and a half. It gets really noticeable which kind of forces me to stop using my computer. I’ll also do my getting ready for bed routine: brushing my teeth, getting together anything I need for the next day, supplements (I take ZMA (zinc, magnesium, B6) and Vitamin D) and I like to write down a few notes like things I need/want to do the following day or thoughts for the day. It’s a routine that helps me signal that it’s time to wind down. Then I’ll get in bed and read or listen to podcasts. ---
**Author:** ![cinzanoframepump](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/cinzanoframepump/32/25963_2.png) [@cinzanoframepump](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/cinzanoframepump)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/31 "2020-01-27T00:29:58Z")
Swindled podcast is great, but especially if you need to hit the hay and are stuck awake. ---
**Author:** ![svens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/svens/32/118037_2.png) [@svens](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/svens)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 7:10am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/32 "2020-01-27T07:10:14Z")
When i was using Whoop last year, it’s stats showed that 1hr book reading before bed increased SWS sleep amount 14%. ---
**Author:** ![ibaldwin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/ibaldwin/32/44413_2.png) [@ibaldwin](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/ibaldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/34 "2020-01-27T12:11:49Z")
Forum lesson for me I guess, I can’t find anything either about habit forming, in fact, most articles say otherwise. For me, I didn’t like the effects, it regularly made me feel groggy and with a headache the next day. So, that’s all from me. I think the best advice gleaned here is limiting caffeine, killing your screens at least an hour before bed, making sure your room is cool enough, limit hard workouts to earlier in the day, and consider taking a supplement like melatonin or an antihistamine only occasionally. If you drink, don’t. And, of course I’m intrigued by the comment on CBD and sleep, I’m not sure I’ve heard of that benefit. ---
**Author:** ![BlueHeron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/blueheron/32/115365_2.png) [@BlueHeron](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/BlueHeron)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:52pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/37 "2020-01-27T12:52:48Z")
Nothing wrong with using a sleep aid occasionally, just don’t make a habit out of it. I recommend diphenhydramine HCL. Usually sold as Unisom or NyQuil ZZZ. ---
**Author:** ![T\_Field](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/t_field/32/28414_2.png) [@T\_Field](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/T_Field)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/38 "2020-01-27T15:21:20Z")
I’m at 48 degrees north, and usually don my blue blockers about 7:30 and hit the bed about 9-9:30. I wake up around 6, and sometimes fall back asleep if I need more. I’m in the middle of a self controlled experiment using a Whoop to see if a morning cup of coffee affects sleep. Matthew Walker in “Why We Sleep” claims so, but so far it doesn’t seem to be the case for me. ---
**Author:** ![anthonylane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/anthonylane/32/7098_2.png) [@anthonylane](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/anthonylane)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/40 "2020-01-27T15:33:58Z")
> [@TRusername](#): > > I don’t but I also read that the vitamin D from synthetic sources don’t absorb readily in the body. Does this mean that you’re not taking a vitamin D supplement? I live in MN and definitely am not getting UVB exposure for at least 4-5 months of the year. As a result I’m taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Regarding your midnight wake up…my wife occasionally suffers from the same thing. Falls asleep, is woken up at some point and cannot fall back asleep. She hasn’t been on magnesium for a while (1-2 years), but I recall that when she was taking a powdered version of it it really helped with sleeping. For the folks suggesting Benadryl, are you suggesting this thinking that it will help OP fall asleep or stay asleep? He has no trouble falling asleep, and I would be curious how effective Benadryl is at PREVENTING sleep disruptions that would have OP wake up. ---
**Author:** ![pirnie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/pirnie/32/1396_2.png) [@pirnie](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/pirnie)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/41 "2020-01-27T15:47:36Z")
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin meaning its absorption is highly dependent on it being taken with food. If you take it on its own it won’t absorb much at all. ---
**Author:** ![TRusername](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@TRusername](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/TRusername)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/43 "2020-01-27T18:21:07Z")
I take 8,000 IU of Carlson’s vitamin d soft-gel capsules first thing in the morning. I do fast in the morning so I don’t take the capsules with any food, but the capsules are supposed to be more readily taken up by the body than pills. ---
**Author:** ![TG333](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/tg333/32/19333_2.png) [@TG333](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/TG333)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/44 "2020-01-27T18:40:20Z")
How much stress are you exposed to apart from training? On the rare occasion that I wake up at night it is usually work related stuff that gets in the way of my good 8 hours. Stuff at work I need to figure out or life decisions that require some incubation. This might not relate to your issues at all, but if you feel that it could have something to do with your brain chewing on stuff try getting up and writing your thoughts down. Once it is stored on paper or your phone your brain might be able to relax. Another things to consider is how much do you stress out because of this? Do you go to bed, already anticipating waking up later? Does it upset you? The in his excellent book “The Sleep Solution” Dr Winter mentions how being stressed out about not sleeping can become the root source of not sleeping. I recommend that either way, it is a good read no matter what. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![G650](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/g650/32/3746_2.png) [@G650](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/G650)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/45 "2020-01-27T18:59:05Z")
> [@TG333](#): > > On the rare occasion that I wake up at night it is usually work related stuff that gets in the way of my good 8 hours. This is my life, unfortunately not rare though! ---
**Author:** ![AsaBear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@AsaBear](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/AsaBear)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546/46 "2020-01-27T20:14:19Z")
Ha…do the same (need to get back to that guitar again). Clean up, finish laundry, read, watch some YouTube…read some more. Cleaning fixes my OCD as well and I do sleep better. [Previous page](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546.md?page=1) [Next page](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/vitamin-d-and-sleep-during-the-winter-months/28546.md?page=3)