5 Best Supplements for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious condition that causes you to stop breathing temporarily during sleep. Breathing disturbances caused by sleep apnea may occur five or more times an hour, leading to sleep interruptions, poor quality sleep, and daytime drowsiness. While it’s essential to seek medical treatment for sleep apnea, supplements that help improve sleep quality and manage energy can be integrated into your plan for sleep apnea management. Alongside traditional sleep apnea management techniques such as wedge pillows and CPAP machines, these five best supplements for sleep apnea can help. 

Sleep Apnea Causes

Sleep apnea can be caused by a number of factors including body weight, airway size, and hereditary risk factors. In the most common type of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the airway is narrowed or compressed, resulting in difficulty breathing and sleep disturbances. 

The most common risk factor for sleep apnea is excess weight. According to the American Diabetes Association, roughly 60%-90% of adults with sleep apnea are overweight; however, it’s unclear whether excess weight causes sleep apnea or is a symptom of the disorder. It’s believed that excess fat stored in the neck (also called pharyngeal fat) compresses the airway while the neck is relaxed during sleep, leading to breathing obstruction. 

Other risk factors of sleep apnea include: 

• History of smoking 
• Airway congestion due to frequent illness, infection, or allergies
• Large tonsils
• Small airways in the mouth, nose, throat
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Acromegaly
• Family history of sleep apnea
• Use of sedatives for sleeping

Common sleep apnea symptoms

Concerned about sleep apnea? You might want to check in with your doctor if you experience the following on a regular basis: 

• Chronic snoring
• Sleep disturbances
• Sensation of choking or gasping throughout the night
• Daytime drowsiness or fatigue
• Morning headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Irritability or mood swings
• Dry throat upon awakening 

Supplements for Sleep Apnea

We recommend using the best supplements for sleep apnea as part of comprehensive sleep apnea treatment and lifestyle changes under the guidance of a medical professional. The best vitamins for sleep apnea will depend, in part, on your individual nutritional needs and intake. The top vitamins for sleep apnea are: 

5. Vitamin E

Oxidative stress has been proposed as a driving mechanism behind obstructive sleep apnea. When oxidative stress and inflammation build up and begin to damage cells, the body uses antioxidants like Vitamin E to neutralize harmful free radicals and protect various tissues. 

According to a 2009 sleep study, supplementing Vitamin E, in combination with Vitamin C, can help improve sleep quality and nighttime breathing in individuals with sleep apnea. It’s often believed that individuals with sleep apnea also frequently suffer from Vitamin E deficiency. 

Additionally, Vitamin E can help alleviate the cognitive and memory-related problems that can result from poor sleep. 

Where to buy Vitamin E for Sleep Apnea

We recommend Standard Process E-Manganese as a rich source of Vitamin E and trace element Manganese. Both Vitamin E and Manganese are antioxidants that help soothe inflammation, especially in the brain.

Vitamin E in particular has shown an ability to target inflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus, where it can negatively impact memory consolidation as a result of sleep apnea and related sleep disorders. 

4. Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the most important elements in the human body, acting as an essential coenzyme in over 300 physical processes. Several of these processes involve the pathways responsible for sleep. Magnesium has been shown to improve sleep duration and quality, especially in individuals who suffer from sleep disorders. 

Sleep apnea can also deplete magnesium levels, as chronic sleep deprivation can drain our nutritional resources as our body works overtime to stay functioning. 

For sleep apnea sufferers who struggle to fall asleep, magnesium can also serve as a healthy replacement for melatonin and other sedatives, which may worsen sleep apnea symptoms. 

Where to buy Magnesium for Sleep Apnea

We recommend Standard Process E-Z Mg ™  Organic as an optimal magnesium supplement for individuals with sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders such as insomnia. E-Z Mg ™ is specially formulated to support longer, deeper sleep, as well as restore magnesium levels depleted by stress and chronic exhaustion. With a higher absorption rate than synthetic magnesium supplements, E-Z Mg ™ Organic is more effective and easier to digest. 

3. Vitamin D

While it’s unclear whether sleep apnea causes Vitamin D deficiency or vice versa, several studies indicate that individuals suffering from OSA are more likely to suffer from low levels of Vitamin D. 

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a central role in calcium absorption, muscle function, and immune response, among other critical processes. While the body generates most of its Vitamin D in response to sun exposure, we can also absorb this critical vitamin from the foods we eat–especially fish and dairy products. 

Vitamin D also plays a critical role in sleep. For sleep apnea sufferers in particular, Vitamin D supplementation is linked to decreased sleep disturbances, improved sleep duration and quality, and a reduction in daytime fatigue. Part of this is due to Vitamin D’s ability to regulate serotonin and the body’s circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle. 

Where to buy Vitamin D for Sleep Apnea

With a lot of options on the market, it can be difficult to know which Vitamin D supplement to choose. Our top pick is Standard Process Cataplex D. Because Vitamin D is only found in small amounts in most foods, it can be difficult to boost intake through diet alone. Standard Process Cataplex D makes getting enough Vitamin D easy with 200% DV of the “sunshine vitamin” in each two tablet serving.

2. Vitamin C 

Like Vitamin E, Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help the body overcome the inflammation caused by oxidative stress and possibly help reduce the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. 

Not only is Vitamin C important for the production of collagen and proper immune functioning, it can help improve sleep quality and duration. On the other hand, low Vitamin C intake and Vitamin C deficiency are linked to more nightly sleep disturbances and a greater incidence of sleep disorders. 

Where to buy Vitamin C for Sleep Apnea

Vitamin C is one of the most common vitamin supplements available. However, taking a high-quality supplement made from organic, whole food ingredients (rather than synthetic, lab-made alternatives) ensures that your body is able to properly absorb and use the supplement’s nutrients. 

For that reason, we recommend Standard Process Cataplex C. Sourced from all-natural, organic ingredients such as buckwheat, alfalfa, and echinacea, Cataplex C offers top-quality Vitamin C in the way your body is used to absorbing it.   

1. B Vitamins

The B Vitamins–especially B6 and B12–are essential to the production of melatonin and serotonin, two neurotransmitters that regulate the sleep/wake cycle. Both B6 and B12 can improve sleep quality and sleep duration for a more restful night. Additionally, B6 and B12 supplementation can help balance out the mood swings, depression, and anxiety caused by poor sleep and sleep apnea. 

Another B Vitamin to keep in mind when it comes to sleep apnea is Vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause difficulty breathing, especially while lying down, and may cause, or worsen, sleep apnea. 

Where to buy B Vitamins for Sleep Apnea

Because B Vitamins are several related vitamins grouped together (in fact, there are eight in total), it can be difficult to know which specific B Vitamin to supplement. That’s why we recommend taking a complete B Vitamin complex like Standard Process B Vitality with CoQ10. 

Standard Process B Vitality with CoQ10 not only includes all eight B Vitamins for better sleep support, but it also includes CoQ10, a powerful antioxidant that can help relieve the inflammation and oxidative stress associated with sleep apnea.