Magnesium and Sleep

So it’s interesting, something that has been popping up for me is MAGNESIUM. 

Magnesium supplements are one of the first vitamins I recommend when someone is having trouble staying asleep. But I just recently heard about magnesium oil. I saw a recommendation to rub magnesium oil on your skin before bed and it claims to help you fall asleep and stay sleeping through the night! 

I also attended a webinar on the benefits of magnesium and learned quite a bit. The following information is from a class on Rupahealth.com, given by Dr. James Greenblatt, a functional psychiatrist. (If you are not into functional health ((yet)), it is fascinating. This was actually from a functional psychiatrist, which IMHO is even more fascinating than functional medicine).

Here’s the scoop:

Magnesium is tightly linked to many very relevant parts of our mental health - stress, anxiety, sleep (yes, sleep is linked to our stress and anxiety and you know it!), ADHD, and depression. Individuals who suffer from any of the above are almost always magnesium deficient. Magnesium supplements have been proven to help with sleep disorders and reduce the magnitude of insomnia.

Some key points:

• Magnesium is the most prevalent mineral in our bodies. Every cell needs magnesium to function.

• 75% of Americans are magnesium deficient. 

• Magnesium is tightly linked to our stress response. If cortisol - the stress hormone - goes up, magnesium goes down. More stress = less magnesium = less sleep.

• Magnesium is an important link to produce serotonin - the precursor to melatonin, the sleep hormone.

• Why are people so magnesium deficient? A few reasons - stress (see above), stimulant medications (i.e. Ritalin), and processed ingredients in soda and soft drinks.

• There is a large amount of research linking increased magnesium intake to less insomnia, faster sleep onset, and increased melatonin production

If you’d like to begin taking magnesium supplements, start with magnesium glycinate, 240 mg twice daily*. 

Have a wonderful week and an excellent night’s sleep!

Esti Terris, Integrative Sleep Coach

*This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health.