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Effects of Pyridoxine on Dreaming: A Preliminary Study
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Abstract
The effect of pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6) on dreaming was investigated in a placebo, double-blind study to examine various claims that Vitamin B-6 increases dream vividness or the ability to recall dreams. 12 college students participated in all three treatment conditions, each of which involved ingesting either 100 mg B-6, 250 mg B-6, or a placebo prior to bedtime for a period of five consecutive days. The treatment conditions were completely counterbalanced and a two-day wash-out period occurred between the three five-day treatment blocks. Morning self-reports indicated a significant difference in dream-salience scores (this is a composite score containing measures on vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color) between the 250-mg condition and placebo over the first three days of each treatment. The data for dream salience suggests that Vitamin B-6 may act by increasing cortical arousal during periods of rapid eve movement (REM) sleep. An hypothesis is presented involving the role of B-6 in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. However, this first study needs to be replicated using the same procedures and also demonstrated in a sleep laboratory before the results can be considered certain.
... Anecdotal evidence indicates that supplementation with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) before bed can enhance dream vividness and recall. In a single pilot study, Ebben, Lequerica, and Spielman (2002) found that vitamin B6 had a dose-dependent effect of increasing scores on a composite measure of dream vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color. The present research replicated this study using a larger and more diverse sample of 100 participants from across Australia. ...
... Vitamin B6 occurs naturally in various foods, including whole grain cereals, legumes, fruits (such as banana and avocado), vegetables (such as spinach and potato), milk, cheese, eggs, red meat, liver, and fish (Natural Medicines, 2015). Anecdotal evidence indicates that moderate to high doses of vitamin B6 can enhance dreaming (Ebben et al., 2002;Fredericks, 1983;Pfeiffer, 1975). For example, the Natural Medicines (2015) database lists improving dream recall as one of the reasons people supplement diets with vitamin B6, and it has been suggested that poor dream recall may be a sign of vitamin B6 deficiency (Pfeiffer, 1975). ...
... To date, only one study has investigated the specific effects of vitamin B6 (in the form of pyridoxine hydrochloride) on dreaming. In a small double-blind, withinsubjects experiment, Ebben et al. (2002) had 12 participants ingest capsules containing an inactive placebo, or either 100 mg or 250 mg of pyridoxine hydrochloride five minutes before going to bed. The three conditions were fully counterbalanced, lasted for five days each, and had a 2-day washout period between them. ...
Anecdotal evidence indicates that supplementation with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) before bed can enhance dream vividness and recall. In a single pilot study, Ebben, Lequerica, and Spielman (2002) found that vitamin B6 had a dose-dependent effect of increasing scores on a composite measure of dream vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color. The present research replicated this study using a larger and more diverse sample of 100 participants from across Australia. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects on dreaming and sleep of ingesting 240 mg vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) before bed for five consecutive days. We also included an exploratory condition involving a B complex preparation containing a range of B vitamins. We found that vitamin B6 significantly increased the amount of dream content participants recalled but did not significantly affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or color, nor did it significantly affect other sleep-related variables. In contrast, participants in the B complex group showed significantly lower self-rated sleep quality and significantly higher tiredness on waking. We discuss the potential for using vitamin B6 in research on lucid dreaming.
Editor's Note
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health (as promulgated by PubMed), very high doses of vitamin B6 of 1000 mg/day have been associated with neuropathy, and there have been occasional reports of toxicity at 100-300 mg/day. B6 dosages obtained naturally through foods are needed and beneficial, and this study's use of a pyridoxine hydrochloride dose of 240 mg translates to a typical B6 dose of less than 200 mg/ day and was limited to five days. Use of a B6 supplement at any higher level or on a more prolonged basis is not recommended outside of an approved research study or without close physician oversight.
... The study by Peters et al. also showed that dietary intake of vitamin B6 correlated significantly with insomnia and sleep quality [15]. Pyridoxine's action as a coenzyme in tryptophan metabolism suggests an increase in brain serotonin levels which has been known to suppress REM sleep [16]. Also vitamin B6 appears to have strong influence on night awakenings reduction [17]. ...
Background and objective
Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders. There are contradicting data about the effectiveness of magnesium and vitamin B6 in alleviating the symptoms of this condition. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of magnesium and vitamin B6 in alleviating the symptoms of RLS/WED.
Methods
A single-blind study was conducted on individuals with this illness for at least three months. Randomly, 75 patients were assigned into three groups: magnesium, vitamin B6, and placebo. The experimental group received daily doses of 40 mg vitamin B6 or 250 mg magnesium oxide. While others in the control group merely received a placebo. Patients’ disease severity and sleep quality were evaluated three times using standard questionnaires (at the beginning of the study, one and two months after therapy). Utilizing SPSS22 software and the ANOVA, t-test, and repeated measure tests, statistical analysis was conducted.
Results
The mean and standard deviation of sleep quality and disease severity at the beginning of the trial and throughout the first month following the intervention did not differ statistically between the three groups. In the second month following the intervention, the mean and standard deviation of sleep quality and disease severity were significantly different ( P = 0.001).
Conclusion
Taking magnesium and vitamin B6 supplements can reduce the severity of symptoms of RLS/WED patients and improve their sleep quality.
... The emotional quality of dreams also differs from person to person, as well as from night to night. The processes affecting these phenomena remain obscure; nevertheless, several agents have been proposed to influence dream recall and affect [3][4][5]. ...
The effect of cortisol on dreams has been scarcely studied. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the possible effect of cortisol levels on dream recall/affect, considering, in female subjects, their menstrual cycle phase. Fifteen men and fifteen women were recruited. Saliva samples were used for the detection of cortisol levels. Participants were instructed to provide four saliva samples, during three consecutive days. After awakening, on the second and third day, they were asked whether they could recall the previous night’s dreams and whether these were pleasant or unpleasant. Female subjects followed this procedure twice: firstly, during the luteal phase and, secondly, during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Subjects with higher evening or higher morning cortisol levels tended to show increased dream recall; a non-statistically significant association between morning cortisol levels and positive dream affect was also found. This association acquired statistical significance for salivary morning cortisol levels exceeding the upper normal level of 19.1 nmol/L (OR: 4.444, 95% CI: 1.108–17.830, p-value: 0.039). No connection between menstrual cycle stages and dream recall/affect was detected. In conclusion, cortisol may be a crucial neuromodulator, affecting dream recall and content. Therefore, its effects on sleep and dreams should be further studied.
... Thus, VitB6 has been often used as a sleep medication ingredient and reported to influence sleep. Preliminary results from a clinical study showed that VitB6 supplements enhance dream recall capacity, influencing the dream perception as a more vivid and colorful experience [8]. ...
Backgroud/objectives:
Data regarding the effects of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) on sleep status are limited. This study aimed to test whether γ-PGA and vitamin B6 (VitB6) supplements improve sleep duration and quality.
Subjects/methods:
A factorial randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study included 47 adults (25 men and 22 women) who were free of chronic disease. Stratified randomized allocation considered age and gender for three interventions, group A (supplementation with γ-PGA 600 mg; n = 16), group B (supplementation with VitB6 100 mg; n = 14), and group C (dual supplementation of both γ-PGA 600 mg and VitB6 100 mg; n = 17). Participants underwent a 1-mon intervention period, followed by a 1-mon washout period, and then a second 1-mon intervention period. Differences (mean ± SD) in nighttime sleep status before and after supplementation were compared between the placebo and intervention groups using nonparametric tests.
Results:
Significant changes in sleep duration (0.27 ± 0.98 h, P < 0.05) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score (-0.52 ± 1.58, P < 0.05) indicating improved sleep status were observed in the intervention compared with the placebo of group C while no significant changes were observed in groups A and B. No statistical significance was detected between the intervention and the placebo; however, there was a greater increase in the group C intervention (4.59 ± 38.5 ng/mL) in serum serotonin concentrations than the groups A and B interventions. No side effects were observed.
Conclusions:
On the basis of these findings, the dual supplementation of γ-PGA and VitB6 may be effective as functional food components to improve nighttime sleep status.
Trial registration:
Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0005083.
... Thus, it may be possible to increase the effectiveness of cognitive lucid dream induction techniques using drugs and supplements that enhance dream recall. In a small pilot study by Ebben et al. (2002), ingestion of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) prior to sleep was found to significantly enhance dream recall compared to placebo. In a larger replication study (Aspy et al., 2018), participants recalled 64.1% more dream content when they took 240 mg of vitamin B6 directly before bed compared to placebo. ...
The International Lucid Dream Induction Study (ILDIS) investigated and compared the effectiveness of five different combinations of lucid dream induction techniques including reality testing (RT), Wake Back to Bed (WBTB), the Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) technique, the Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD) technique, and a hybrid technique combining elements of both MILD and SSILD. Participants with an interest in lucid dreaming (N = 355) completed a pre-test questionnaire and then a baseline sleep and dream recall logbook for 1 week before practicing the lucid dream induction techniques for another week. Results indicated that the MILD technique and the SSILD technique were similarly effective for inducing lucid dreams. The hybrid technique showed no advantage over MILD or SSILD. Predictors of successful lucid dream induction included superior general dream recall and the ability to fall asleep within 10 min of completing the lucid dream induction techniques. Successful lucid dream induction had no adverse effect on sleep quality. Findings indicated that the techniques were effective regardless of baseline lucid dreaming frequency or prior experience with lucid dreaming techniques. Recommendations for further research on lucid dream induction techniques are provided.
... In addition, vitamin B 12 also contributes to the release of melatonin. Varying doses of vitamin B 12 supplementation have beneficial effects on sleeping rhythms and delayed sleep phase syndrome among healthy subjects [78]. No clear benefit of it has been reported on the sleep duration [79]. ...
Sleep duration and quality are associated with many diseases. Evaluating the relationship between nutrient intake and sleep quality is important, because dietary factors play an important role in sleep quality. Short sleep duration which is associated with both metabolic disorders, obesity and, an irregular sleep pattern are thought to be related to an unhealthy diet. The recent literature has been reviewed using EMBASE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases. The effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on sleep parameters have been demonstrated. Carbohydrates and fats can regulate sleep quality by affecting the duration of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. For proteins, tryptophan is the most promising amino acid for sleep-promoting food, since it is the precursor of melatonin and serotonin playing a role in improving sleep quality of humans. It is a common finding that those who have short sleep duration take in more energy from fat and carbohydrate. However, to what extent diet can affect sleep still remains unclear. This present review discusses the potential role of nutrition in regulating sleep quality and offers suggestions for feasible future studies. Some macro and micronutrients of the diet were found correlated with sleep duration and quality. Mechanisms mediating the relationship between sleep duration and dietary intake are multi-factorial. Therefore, future studies will benefit from assessing sleep duration/quality and dietary intake.
... Long-term supplementation with very high doses of pyridoxine can lead to neurological symptoms known as sensory neuropathy such as pain and numbness of the extremities and in severe cases, difficulty walking (Bender, 1999). It was reported that acute administration of vitamin B 6 can increase serotonin synthesis in the primate brain (Hartvig et al., 1995), whilst, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study in humans, the higher of two single doses of vitamin B 6 (100, 250 mg) also engendered an increase in dream salience (vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color) (Ebben et al., 2002;Kennedy, 2016). ...
... negative feedback on kynurenine pathway) (Peuhkuri et al., 2012). In a double-blind placebo-controlled study on 12 college students, B 6 is found to increase dream vividness and bizarreness, which is speculated to be via increased cortical arousal during REM (Ebben et al., 2002). Generally, B6 mainly contribute to the synthesis of 5-HTP, and further serotonin, from tryptophan, which may explain their influence on dreams. ...
The phenomenon of lucid dreaming, in which an individual has the ability to be conscious and in control of his dreams, has attracted the public attention, especially in the era of internet and social media platforms. With its huge popularity, lucid dreaming triggered passionate individuals, particularly lucid dreamers, to spread their thoughts and experiences in lucid dreaming and provide a number of tips and techniques to induce lucidity in dreams. Scientific research in the field of sleep and dreams has verified the phenomenon of lucid dreaming for decades. Nevertheless, various aspects regarding lucid dreaming are not fully understood. Many hypotheses and claims about lucid dreaming induction are yet to be validated and at present lucid dreaming still lacks efficient and reliable induction methods. Understanding the molecular basis, brain physiology and underlying mechanisms involved in lucid dreaming can aid in developing novel and more target-specific induction methods. This review will focus on the currently available scientific findings regarding neurotransmitters' behavior in sleep, drugs observed to affect dreams and the proposed supplements for lucid dreaming, in order to discuss the possibility of inducing lucid dreams from a pharmacological point of view.
... Most recently, participants in a survey of 19 lucid dreaming enthusiasts who used Galantamine for inducing lucid dreams reported that their Galantamine-induced lucid dreams were significantly longer and more vivid than their other lucid dreams and contained significantly less fear, threatening dream characters, violence, and darkness, with no increase in sleep paralysis (Sparrow et al., 2016). Another potential dream-enhancing substance with less risk of adverse side effects is vitamin B6. Ebben, Lequerica, and Spielman (2002) found that 240 mg of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) increased the vividness, emotionality, bizarreness, and color of dreams when consumed before bed. However, this was only a small pilot study, and effects on lucid dreaming were not reported. ...
Lucid dreaming is a learnable skill and has a wide range of potential applications. However, research in this area has been limited by a lack of effective and reliable lucid dream induction techniques. The present study provides a thorough investigation into 3 of the most promising cognitive lucid dream induction techniques-reality testing, wake back to bed (WBTB), and the mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD) technique. A sample of 169 Australian participants completed a pretest questionnaire, provided baseline logbook data in Week 1, and practiced lucid dream induction techniques in Week 2. Results showed that the combination of reality testing, WBTB and the MILD technique was effective at inducing lucid dreams. Several factors that influenced the effectiveness of the MILD technique were identified, including general dream recall and the amount of time taken to fall asleep after finishing the technique. Recommendations for future research on lucid dream induction are provided.
... Traditionally, nutritional research has been conducted by analyzing the effects of micro-and macro-nutrients, as well as whole foods, respectively. Micro-nutrients that have been investigated in conjunction with sleep include tryptophan [17], vitamin B6 [18], vitamin B12 [19], vitamin D [20,21], iron [22], and magnesium [23]. While this approach is useful for understanding the mechanism of action of single nutrients, its real-world application is often somewhat limited as these supplements have to be extracted from other food sources or produced in the laboratory. ...
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. Although treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy have been shown to be effective, there are limitations in terms of effects, accessibility, and cost. It is thus of interest to supplement treatment with more accessible means to increase treatment effects. Little research exists concerning the effects of nutrition on sleep. Kiwi fruit contains rich levels of nutrients, such as antioxidants, flavonoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins, folate, and melatonin, all of which could possibly facilitate sleep. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether kiwi had beneficial effects on sleep compared to a control fruit chosen on the basis of differences in relevant nutritional content. In this randomized controlled trial, 74 students suffering from chronic insomnia symptoms were instructed to ingest either 130 g of kiwi or pear, the latter comprising the control condition, 1 h before bedtime every day for 4 weeks following 1 week of baseline assessment. Outcome measures consisted of sleep diaries and actigraphy. In addition, we administered the Bergen Insomnia Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Index. Results showed that on a total of two out of 12 outcome variables (sleep quality and daytime functioning as reported using sleep diary), there was a statistically significant group × time interaction effect favoring the kiwi condition compared to pear. Although there were no such effects using objective measures, the results suggest that kiwi may possess some sleep improving properties. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed.
This study evaluates the effects of vitamin B-6 supplementation (20 mg pyridoxine HCL daily for 3 months) on mood and performance in 38 self-supporting healthy men, aged between 70-79 years. Effects were compared with 38 controls who received placebo and were matched for age, plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) concentration and intelligence score. Before and after drug intervention vitamin B-6 status was determined, and mood and performance were measured by means of a computerized testing system. In addition, the phasic pupil response was measured in order to assess mental effort. Positive effects of vitamin B-6 supplementation were only found with respect to memory, especially concerning long-term memory. In view of the finding that mental performance improvement and delta PLP values were most strongly correlated within an intermediate range of delta PLP, it is suggested that cognitive effects are primarily associated with a certain range of vitamin B-6 status increment. The general conclusion is that vitamin B-6 supplementation improves storage of information modestly but significantly.
Examines evidence for 3 hypotheses of dream recall in studies of variables characteristic of presleep, sleep, and postsleep periods. Neither correlational nor experimental data show consistent support for the hypothesis that repression affects dream recall. Salience and interference concepts are strongly supported and if taken together with cognitive and motivational variables, suggest a promising model for dream recall based on interactions among situational, organismic, and individual difference factors. (117 ref)
Tested the hypothesis that dream salience (subjective impact of the generated dream) would be greater for frequent than infrequent dream recallers. Dream recall data from 8 frequent and 8 infrequent recallers (male undergraduates) were obtained under 2 conditions: tape-recorded verbal reports given to the E after interruption of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and written diary reports after awakening by alarm clock in the absence of the E. Analysis of the verbal reports confirmed the hypothesis. The relatively greater difference between the 2 groups in mean percentage of dream diary recall for Stage 2 (non rapid eye movement; NREM) than for REM awakenings suggests that salience differences between the 2 groups may be greater following NREM than REM awakenings. Although salience may be affected by dream recall as well as dream generation processes (imagery ability seems related to both), the higher frequency of temporal references to past and future in the dreams of frequent recallers appears to relate to the generation process alone.
127 dream reports of 24 Ss were assessed on 20 psychological characteristics. Nearly all characteristics were assessed by 2 raters, and some by S as well, creating a total of 43 variables. These were subjected to principal component analysis and analytic orthogonal rotation. About 63% of the total variance is accounted for by 8 dimensions: vivid fantasy, active control, pleasantness, verbal aggression, physical aggression, heterosexuality, perception (vs. conception), and reference to past experience. In a resulting condensed scale, each dimension is indexed by a single characteristic. These 8 characteristics are essentially uncorrelated. The last 2 are assessed by S alone; rater agreement in assessing the 1st 6 is .63, .71, .62, .74, .44, and .66.
There are a number of reports suggesting an association between profusion of eye movements and active dreaming. It has however been suggested that this relationship might only be evident in comparisons across the night and would not be evident in comparisons within one REM period. Data from 20 subjects taking placebo, amylobarbitone, and nitrazepam were used to test this. Dream reports were collected from REM awakenings and rated blind as visually active or passive. Eye movement profusion (number of 2 sec epochs) was assessed for each REM period.
Correlation between dream content and eye movement was low but significant in comparisons including the whole night, and including data from drug, withdrawal, and placebo conditions. A significant correlation was not consistently obtained, however, when data from each REMP were considered separately. Correlations based on data from non-drug nights only were also small and could have been due to chance effects alone. The low correlations were not explicable solely by poor reliability of content ratings. It is concluded that the relationship between visually active dreaming and eye movement is slight, and may not hold when time of night is adequately controlled.
Five healthy volunteers given L-tryptophan for ten consecutive nights had an increase in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (non-R.E.M.) and delta wave sleep while they manifested a decrease in R.E.M. sleep. Seven patients with insomnia receiving L-tryptophan for either 5 or 10 consecutive nights had increases in total sleep and non-R.E.M. sleep when compared with placebo control periods. Since reducing brain serotonin by synthesis inhibition reduces R.E.M. sleep and increasing brain serotonin by 5-hydroxytryptophan administration increases R.E.M. sleep, it seems likely that L-tryptophan produces its sleep effects through a non-serotonin mechanism. Further evidence for this hypothesis derives from the finding that L-tryptophan produced significant increases in non-R.E.M. and decreases in R.E.M. sleep when given in the presence of p-chlorophenylalanine, a drug which blocks the metabolism of tryptophan to serotonin.
Ocular activity during the REM stage of sleep was studied for the purpose of determining what effect previous sleep and waking would have on the intensity of that activity. Eleven Ss slept to satiation during a 54-hr session and then, after a day of waking, slept for another night. REM density (i.e., number of eye mvts per min of REM period) rose progressively during the first night and morning, and then remained at a high level for the remainder of the 54 hrs; the mean REM density for Night 2 and also for Night 3 was about double the REM density of Night 1. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the amount of prior sleep was positively correlated with REM density whereas the amount of waking was negatively correlated. Peak REM density occurred after a mean of 9.88 hrs of sleep. Thereafter, periods of waking alternated with periods of sleep while the REM density oscillated at its peak level. It was concluded that REM density reflects the output of a sleep-waking negative feedback circuit.