Want to remember your dreams next morning? Take this vitamin before bed

Taking this particular vitamin supplements before going to sleep can help you remember your dreams in the morning, according to a new study.

It's disappointing when you wake up in the morning and can't recall any dreams that you had overnight. There are some research-backed possible explanations for dreams that cannot be remembered. One possible reason is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation as vivid dreams are associated with this unique phase of sleep. Certain medications, in particular, antidepressants may suppress REM sleep. Alcohol may also delay the onset or reducing the amount of REM sleep. So, what can you do to improve your dream recall?

Taking Vitamin B6 supplements before going to sleep can help you remember your dreams in the morning, according to a new study.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out by the University of Adelaide in Australia. The participants (100 people volunteered for the study) took 240 mg of vitamin B6 supplement immediately before bed for five consecutive days. Those taking vitamin B6 reported an improvement in their ability to recall the dream. The intake of the supplement did not affect the participant's vividness and bizarreness of their dream or other aspects of their sleep patterns, the researchers noted.

However, they couldn't understand how this nutrient helped in recalling the dream and thus called for more research to know the mystery behind this.

Vitamin B6: All you need to know about this essential nutrient

Vitamin B6 is one of the eight vitamins in the B complex group. Also known as pyridoxine, this water-soluble vitamin plays several roles that are important to maintaining a healthy body and developing a healthy brain. Vitamin B6, along with the other B vitamins, helps the body to process protein, carbs and fat from the food diet. This vitamin is also important for the function of the nervous system and immune health.

As our body doesn't produce Vitamin B6, we need to obtain it from different sources. The fact that vitamin B6 is water-soluble means that it is not stored in the body to any major extent, making our body to easily run out of it.

Some of the best sources of B6 include beans, poultry, fish, fortified cereals, dark leafy greens, papaya, orange and cantaloupe, banana, avocado, spinach, potato, milk, cheese, eggs, red meat, liver, and fish.

While a cup of cooked kidney beans contains 0.2 mg of vitamin B6, a large orange has about 0.1 mg.

Signs that you have low levels of vitamin B6

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin B6 is 1.3 milligrams daily for adult men and women up to the age of 50. It is 1.7 mg for men over 50 years, while women over 50 need 1.5 mg of this nutrient daily, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).

A slight deficiency in vitamin B6 is common, but a major deficiency is rare. Vitamin B6 deficiency is often seen in children, the elderly, and those who take certain medications that can cause low levels of B6.

Those with kidney disease, alcoholism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel diseases such as celiac disease, or Crohn's disease can develop a deficiency of vitamin B6. This is because they have trouble absorbing vitamin B6 from food or dietary supplements.

Below are a few warning signs that indicate you have low levels of vitamin B6. These include a weak immune system, anemia, itchy rashes, scaly skin on the lips, cracks at the corners of the mouth and a swollen tongue. A very low vitamin B6 levels may cause depression and confusion.

Vitamin B6 can cause interactions with some medications. So, always discuss with your doctor before taking a pyridoxine supplement.