People worldwide are searching for the best ways to ensure optimal rest, and several have stumbled upon the benefits of magnesium. As a mineral, magnesium is touted as one of the most essential nutrients for restful sleep. It not only helps with sleep, but it also has a whole collection of health benefits that make this sleep supplement a great addition to your health regimen.
In this article, we'll explore magnesium, how it affects the body, how it impacts sleep, and how the lack of this mineral is even tied to sleep disorders. We will also look at practical ways that you can use magnesium to help you improve your sleep over time.
Magnesium and Its Effects on the Body
Magnesium, commonly found in nuts, leafy green vegetables, dairy products, soy products, and whole grains, is essential for optimal health. When you have enough magnesium in your body, you will feel less tired, get a better quality of sleep, and often sleep for long enough, too.
Because magnesium is essential to the human body, it helps with various necessary processes and functions within our bones, organs, and even our muscles. More specifically, magnesium helps with nerve and muscle function, blood sugar control, bone development, and even heart rhythm consistency. It can even help with brain health, as it interacts with a variety of chemicals, including melatonin, renin, cortisol, GABA, and NMDA.
Without this crucial mineral, it is nearly impossible for the human body to be in optimal health. However, we haven't even touched upon the way that magnesium impacts sleep because it has an immense effect on our quality of rest.
How Magnesium Affects Sleep
Magnesium not only helps with brain and bone health but also helps with sleep. If you don't have enough magnesium in your body, you'll feel tired and struggle to get enough quality sleep. Having enough magnesium in the body can help you reduce the effects of insomnia and also restless legs syndrome. Some people have even taken this supplement or increased their intake of magnesium-rich foods to stop horrible leg cramps that can happen when you sleep.
In fact, one study showed that those who take magnesium before bed or have enough magnesium in their daily diets enjoy longer, more restful sleep over time (Source: PubMed). So, whether you add more spinach and nuts to your diet or choose to take an extra magnesium supplement, there are obvious benefits that can help you get ample rest when you lie down at night or take a quick afternoon nap.
But what happens when you do not have enough magnesium in your system? It’s easy to assume that your sleep would suffer, but several studies show it is even more important for us to get enough magnesium in our diets. Let's look at what the research says about magnesium and sleep disorders.
Lack of Magnesium Connected to Sleep Disorders
Several studies have shown that a lack of magnesium in the body or a magnesium deficiency leads to sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are common among the elderly and those who have magnesium deficiencies, showing just how important it is for all of us to get enough magnesium in our daily diets (Source: Nutrients).
It is all the more reason for us to continue to find more ways to eat magnesium-rich foods, but you may be surprised to find out that magnesium has actually been used as a form of treatment for specific sleep disorders as well. Because magnesium affects sleep, it has been used as a treatment for insomnia.
Several studies show that older adults in their 60s struggled with fewer insomnia symptoms when they took magnesium supplementation before they went to sleep. This helps with insomnia because magnesium specifically increases melatonin within the body, a hormone that helps induce sleep. It can also work with two essential chemicals in the brain to ensure restful sleep: NMDA and GABA.
With magnesium as a form of successful treatment for insomnia, there are many ways that you can use magnesium in your life to ensure that you get optimal rest and recovery every night.
How Do I Use Magnesium for Sleep?
If you struggle with getting optimal sleep, magnesium can be a powerful supplement to help you get on the right track. One of the best ways to do this, and the most natural, is to ensure that you get enough magnesium throughout the day. This can come in the form of leafy green vegetables, enough whole grains, or even adding a few snacks of your favorite nuts to your daily routine. If you're looking for protein sources that have magnesium, you can also implement meals with salmon and halibut, both of which are high in magnesium.
When it comes to supplementation, people find that supplements between 400 to 420 milligrams for adult men and 310 to 360 milligrams for adult nonpregnant women are optimal not only for great sleep but also for all the other benefits that we have described. However, even with these recommendations, it's important to check in with your doctor and ensure that this is the best path for your health and longevity. After all, every person has different nutritional needs, and it's important to supplement as needed and as directed by a medical professional.
Regardless of which path you take, whether you add more magnesium-rich foods or choose to supplement, you're guaranteed to have better sleep and more rest, ensuring that you continue to improve your overall health.
Improve Your Sleep and Enjoy Restful Nights
Now that you understand how powerful magnesium is, you can improve your sleep and enjoy restful nights. We hope this information helped you learn more about sleep health and how you can continue to create optimal sleep to support your daily routine. For more articles related to sleep health, visit Pillow today to read more so you can ensure you get the best rest possible.
