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About a month ago I started taking a vitamin D supplement, specifically cholecalciferol which is the form of the vitamin your body would make if you applied sunlight to the raw materials. In other words, taking this particular form of vitamin D provides me with the product of the sunlight step without having access to sunlight. It's a little more complicated than that but since this is not a true science blog, I won't get into it in any more detail than that.

I have been aware for some time of the general medical consensus that many adults are deficient in vitamin D (although there are plenty of experts who say that even if this is true, vitamin D supplementation is unnecessary). My diet contains foods such as salmon and eggs (I eat a lot of eggs) that contain vitamin D, but it is hard to get enough solely through diet.

Vitamin D is a hormone with a critical role in a number of metabolic pathways. It is involved in some immune system activities, for example. It also modulates calcium pathways associated with bone health. It has been used to treat mood disorders (that may also be related to calcium regulation since calcium is important in nerve signaling). This is just the tip of the iceberg for vitamin D.

I just learned today that people who take vitamin D supplements often report increased energy levels. I didn't experience an energy boost, but within two days of starting the supplement, I noticed that my sleep cycles were more stable. I have suffered with severe insomnia for decades. Like many insomniacs, I obsess over this problem, which of course makes it worse. But it also means that I am sensitive to very small changes in my sleep patterns.

I have no problem falling asleep but struggle to remain asleep after the first couple of hours. It doesn't help that I am a very light sleeper. After I started the supplement, I noticed that I was sleeping more soundly for longer periods, and that when (not if) I did wake up, I was able to go back to sleep relatively quickly (I still sometimes lie awake for a couple of hours but those events are becoming less common). I also noticed that I don't feel drowsy during the day. That suggests two things, not exclusive: that the sleep that I am getting is more effective, and that I may in fact be getting a slight energy boost from it.

Please take note that I report my experience only as an anecdote. An anecdote does not prove anything. JimBob's Big Website o' Factoids is stuffed full of far more entertaining stories than mine. That still doesn't make them true.

Therefore I encourage you to learn more by googling sets of terms such as "vitamin D metabolic pathways" and "vitamin D supplementation". There you can find reasonably accessible, peer-reviewed, properly conducted scientific studies on the effects and value of taking additional vitamin D.

But while I have your attention, I'll still make a plug. Since vitamin D is one of the molecules that your body sheds if you consume or manufacture it in excess, it won't hurt you to give it a try. It isn't an expensive supplement. Your bones, brain, and immune system will very likely thank you.