My friends call me a “medical nerd.” I spend hours with my nose stuck in medical journals and books, keeping up with the latest research.

Sometimes, however, the answers I’m looking for can’t be found in the pages of a book or journal. And this is one of those times—so I’m turning to you to help me “crowd-source” the answer.

Here’s the back story.  I frequently prescribe supplemental vitamin D3 for my patients, and I believe that everyone should get their vitamin D levels checked. It’s critical to get enough of this nutrient because it plays so many roles in health. For instance, vitamin D benefits include:

·        It helps protect against anxiety and depression.

·        It may lower your risk of breast cancer.

·        It reduces your risk of certain autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.

·        It builds strong bones.

·        It helps keep your thyroid healthy.

·        It can help prevent cavities.

·        It may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

·        It protects against diabetes.

·        It can fight obesity.

These days, more and more people are deficient in vitamin D because they’re “sun-phobic” (thanks to over-alarmist doctors), and they’re also spending more time indoors in front of computers. As a result, those of us in the field of clinical nutrition are prescribing a lot more vitamin D than we used to.

And all this brings me to my call for help.

Recently, a friend of mine who’s taking vitamin D to correct a deficiency asked me, “What’s the best time of day to take it?” She’d read on some sites that you shouldn’t take it late in the day, because it can alter your melatonin levels and make it hard for you to sleep. On other sites, however, people said that a night-time dose of vitamin D helped them snooze more soundly. Since my friend has trouble with insomnia, she wants to make sure she’s doing the right thing.

I’m scouring the medical literature to see if there’s any formal research on this question, but so far I’m coming up dry. So I’m calling on my real-life experts: you all!

I’d love to hear about your experiences if you’re taking supplemental vitamin D. Do you take it in the morning or in the evening? And if you’ve taken it around bedtime, did it seem to make you sleep more soundly or toss and turn?

I’m looking forward to seeing your answers. Thank you for helping me out… and for helping my friend get a good night’s sleep!

Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!