Vitamin D Deficiency, Restless Leg Syndrome and Sleep Quality

By Amber Tovey, Vitamin D Council

A recent study found that restless legs syndrome is more frequent and severe in vitamin D deficient individuals. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency was associated with poor sleep quality.

Restless legs syndrome is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move one’s legs, usually due to leg discomfort. Moving temporarily relieves the discomfort. RLS often disrupts sleep; about 20 percent of patients with RLS have sleep disorders.

The cause of RLS is typically unknown. However, researchers believe an imbalance of dopamine likely plays a role. Dopamine is a brain chemical that sends messages to control muscle movement. The most commonly used treatment for RLS is dopamine agonists, which are chemicals that bind to receptors and elicit the production of dopamine.

Research has shown that vitamin D increases the levels of dopamine in the brain and protects the brain from toxins that can cause an imbalance of dopamine levels. This led researchers to suspect that vitamin D may help treat RLS. One pilot found that vitamin D supplementation improved the severity of RLS. However, this study only included 12 people.

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