Does Vitamin D affect your baby's sleep?

nursedebs
3 days ago
2 min read

If your baby isn’t sleeping well, it’s completely normal to start looking for the reasons behind it.... and this week, a Dad asked me if giving Vitamin D drops would help their baby stop waking 14 times a night (exhausting!) . My honest answer was... I don't actually know! But, I was curious to find out what the latest research said.

*In New Zealand it's recommended that ALL babies who are partially or fully breastfeed, are supplemented with Vitamin D drops up until their first birthday (your GP can prescribe these, it's free). This is because breast milk does not provide enough vitamin D.

" Vitamin D drops are important to support healthy bone growth, help absorb calcium and support your baby's immune system "

When exploring how common it is for parents to give their baby Vitamin D drops here, an audit found that New Zealand typically has low dispensing rates, so I'm hoping this post helps highlight that they are recommended and available to babies in New Zealand.

"But to answer the question... will giving Vitamin D drops alter how your baby sleeps? After a thorough investigation of evidence-based literature, the current research suggests supplementation is not something that will impact how well your baby does (or doesn't) sleep... If only it were that easy!

I did find a small study that included school age children though. In 2020 there was a research project that included 39 children with an average age of 6.5yrs old, and 20 of these children were found to have low Vitamin D levels. These 20 children were found to have later bedtimes, less sleep overall, and had poorer sleep quality. Further studies were recommended to see if there is a relationship between circadian rhythms and Vitamin D, because as we know, a correlation does not translate into causation.

There is lots that we can do to improve a baby's sleep, and visiting newborns in their home is something I love to do (any chance to sneak in some newborn snuggles!). If you are a tired parent in / around the Christchurch area, I'd welcome the opportunity to help guide you towards feeling more confident in supporting both your's and your baby's needs Newborn Home Consultation | Little Sleep Coach

* Further information

For parents:

Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne Kids Health Info : Vitamin D

For health professionals:

A very informative read of Vitamin D in pregnancy and infancy in New Zealand, that is directed towards Health Practitioners involved in antenatal and post partum care of infants in New Zealand Microsoft Word - Companion Statement on Vitamin D and Sun Exposure in Pregnancy and Infancy 2024