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Studies warn that 50% of adults are disrupting their sleep if they take this common supplement in the evening

AnyFans 2025-09-12

By Frances Daniels

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While the best way to get this vitamin is through a diet rich in food such as eggs, fatty fish like salmon and getting enough sunshine, over-the-counter multivitamin supplements can help increase your intake.
Multivitamins contain vitamin D, vitamin C (which research shows can help prevent some of the effects of sleep deprivation) and B vitamins — but that’s where it gets complicated.

Vitamin B12 can increase your sensitivity to light, which causes sleep disruptions. (Image credit: Getty Images)
B vitamins are essential for producing sleep hormones. “B vitamins support nervous system relaxation,” psychologist and sleep expert Dr. Leah Kaylor recently told us.
“Stable energy and mood throughout the day lead to better sleep continuity at night.”
B vitamins include vitamin B6 (important for brain health) and B12 (primarily found in animal-based products such as meat, fish and dairy).
B vitamins from protein like B-12 are involved in the production of melatonin (the sleep-inducing hormone), Alex Ruani, Chief Science Educator at The Health Sciences Academy, and Anna Mapson, Registered Nutritional Therapist from Goodness Me, recently told Mattress Online.

Vitamin B12 can increase light sensitivity, while B6 can trigger nightmares. (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, while these B vitamins are found in multivitamins and essential for overall sleep health, there’s a good reason why you shouldn’t take them before bed.
One study showed that high levels of Vitamin B12 are linked to insomnia. Elsewhere, research into of the relationship between sleep and B12, has suggested that it can increase your sensitivity to light and disrupt your circadian rhythm.
Another study found that B6 can have a significant impact on dreams, triggering emotional, bizarre and vivid dreams.
When is the best time to take multivitamins?

Take your multivitamins with food, (Image credit: Getty Images)
As B vitamins are still important for overall health (which in itself leads to better sleep), you shouldn’t necessarily ditch your daily multivitamin altogether.
While it’s worth taking into account the research about the impact of multivitamins on sleep, if you do want to continue, simply change the time you take it (and therefore your B vitamins).
The best time to take your multivitamin is in the morning with food to avoid disrupting your sleep.
What supplements can you take in the evening for better sleep?
These three supplements are best taken in the evening, and some can even aid sleep. Before adding any supplements to your diet, remember to consult your doctor, particularly if you have any pre-existing health conditions or concerns.
1. Magnesium

(Image credit: Getty Images/ Grace Carey)
Getting enough magnesium is important for your sleep as it helps you to relax, regulates melatonin production and helps prevent sleep-disrupting hormones from interfering with your rest. Research has even shown this mineral may alleviate insomnia
Taking a magnesium supplement for better sleep is best done in the evening, between one and two hours before bedtime. .
2. Melatonin

(Image credit: Getty Images)
In recent years, melatonin gummies have become one of the most popular ways to fall asleep fast and conquer sleep issues such as jet lag.
Melatonin is one of the hormones that helps us feel tired at night, with melatonin levels usually rising two hours before bed. According to the National Health Service (NHS), the best time to take melatonin is one to two hours before bedtime.
3. Calcium

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Calcium aids the production of melatonin, contributing to a healthy circadian rhythm, so taking a calcium supplement before bed may help promote sleep. Calcium is best taken after a meal for better absorption, so it’s ideal for taking with your evening meal.
Plus, caffeine can also reduce calcium absorption, so it’s best take a calcium supplement in the evening if you can’t do without your morning coffee.

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Frances Daniels

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Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Frances Daniels is a PPA-accredited journalist and Sleep Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide with an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. Her role includes covering mattress and sleep news and writing sleep product reviews and buyer’s guides, including our Best Hybrid Mattress 2025 guide. She is hugely interested in the relationship between good sleep and overall health, interviewing a wide array of mattress and sleep experts to create well-informed articles about important topics such as nutrition, sleep disorders (from sleep apnea to night terrors), lucid dreaming, sleep hygiene, and mattress care. She is also our specialist on mattress toppers — producing mattress topper reviews and taking care of our Best Mattress Toppers 2025 guide — and takes the lead on all content related to fiberglass-free mattresses for a clean, non-toxic sleep. Outside of Tom’s Guide, she has written for Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, and Marie Claire.

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