Get it from chickpeas and salmon.
THE SCIENCE
Researchers wanted to know if taking vitamin B6 could induce lucid dreams. Instead, they found that when people took 240 milligrams of the nutrient before bed for five days, their dream recall improved by 64 percent. The study was published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills.
EXPERT INSIGHT
Vitamin B6 may cause deeper sleep during the first few hours of the night, which can lead to more intense dreams during rapid eye movement sleep, says study author Denholm Aspy, Ph.D., a visiting research fellow at the University of Adelaide in Australia. They don’t know exactly how the vitamin helps people remember their dreams.
THE BOTTOM LINE
“You shouldn’t take 240 milligrams of vitamin B6 every night,” says Aspy. Taking the recommended dietary allowance of 100 milligrams before bed (through supplements or foods like chickpeas and salmon) has similar effects on dream recall, he says. Bonus: the nutrient gives you extra energy and keeps your skin healthy.