Ever wake up knowing you had the best dream, but are unable to recall the details? Research is now showing that Vitamin B-6 could help us recall those images, sights, and sounds.
Vitamin B-6 occurs naturally in foods such as poultry, fish, starchy vegetables, and fruits. It is, of course, also available in supplement form. And while we all know that Vitamin B-6 is key to a healthy metabolism and brain function, here’s a rare chance to offer your customers something outside of the box!
The Study
The National Sleep Foundation defines ‘dreams’ as “subconscious imaginings that contain sounds, images, and other sensations while you sleep” (medicalnewstoday). It’s estimated that we dream around four to six times every single night, but often cannot recall them in detail. To test the effects of Vitamin B-6 supplementation on dream recall, a team at the University of Adelaide recruited 100 people, half of who took 240 mg of the vitamin for five consecutive days, while the other half took a placebo. Participants reported that their dreams were “clearer and easier to remember” and they did not “lose fragments as the day went on.” One person actually said “My dreams were more real, I couldn’t wait to go to bed and dream!” (medicalnewstoday).
The study’s author, Denholm Aspy from The University of Adelaide’s School of Psychology claimed “Vitamin B-6 did not affect the vividness, bizarreness or color of their dreams, and did not affect other aspects of their sleep patterns” (businessinsider).
Why Can’t We Remember?
According to an article in Scientific American, dreams are difficult to recollect because the processes that allow us to create long-term memories do not occur while we are asleep. The neurotransmitter norepinephrine, for example, is at very low levels while we sleep. This neurotransmitter plays a large role in remembering.
We are more likely to remember a dream that is more logically or emotionally charged. Vivid, emotional dreams (which includes nightmares) mean that the brain and body are more stimulated, which means the individual is more likely to wake up. And waking straight from a dream increases the chances of recalling dreams (businessinsider).
Why Remembering Matters
Get this! The average person spends approximately 6 YEARS of their life dreaming. This means if we can work to control them, we could use them more productively. Aspy said “lucid dreaming, where you know that you are dreaming while the dream is still happening has more potential benefits.” (medicalnewstoday). We could use dream recall to overcome nightmares, to refinemotor skills, treat phobias, and even rehabilitate from physical trauma (medicalnewstoday). Crazy, right? Vitamins are now emerging as agents in improving more than just physical health, and the potential is endless.
Advice
Here are some techniques to help improve dream recall:
- Remind yourself before falling asleep that you want to remember your dreams.
- Keep a notepad and pen handy so you can jot down the details you do recall immediately after waking up.
- Take a moment to think back to the night before. You may surprise yourself by how much you can remember!
Let Makers Nutrition B Your Vitamin Manufacturer
Ready to get started on your Vitamin B-6 product? We are too! Vitamin manufacturing is our expertise, it’s what we do! Just dial 1-844-625-3771 to speak with a specialist about all the details!
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