Magnesium deficiency
Millions of people suffer with insomnia, in fact 1 in 10 people have chronic insomnia, and millions more suffer with occasional insomnia.
Magnesium deficiency has been linked to many diseases including,
- Insomnia
- Diabetes
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
Just to name a few.
Magnesium is a vitally important mineral and electrolyte that is essential for human and cellular health. Magnesium is used in over 600 cellular reactions and 300 different biochemical reactions through out the body. In fact, every cell and organ need this mineral to function properly. It contributes to bone health, as well as proper brain, heart and muscle function.
Magnesium supplements have been linked to a number of benefits, including fighting inflammation, relieving constipation and lowering blood pressure. Magnesium has also shown to help treat sleep problems and is used in many sleep aid drugs.
Magnesium Helps Your Body and Brain Relax
In order to fall asleep and stay asleep, your body and brain need to relax On a chemical level, magnesium aids this process by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for getting you calm and relaxed.
First, magnesium regulates neurotransmitters, which send signals throughout the nervous system and brain. It also regulates the hormone melatonin, which guides sleep-wake cycles in your body. Second, this mineral binds to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. GABA is the neurotransmitter responsible for quieting down nerve activity. It is the same neurotransmitter used by sleep drugs like Zolpidem (Ambien) and benzodiazepine drugs.
Benzodiazepines (also called ?benzos?) are a class of agents that work in the central nervous system and are used for a variety of medical conditions. They act on specific receptors in the brain, called gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA-A) receptors. Benzodiazepines attach to these receptors and make the nerves in the brain less sensitive to stimulation, which has a calming effect There are dozens of different Benzodiazepines You can find a list of the most common HERE
By helping to quiet the nervous system, magnesium helps prepare your body and mind for sleep. Not having enough magnesium in your system can cause troubled sleep and even insomnia.
There are many different types of magnesium, not all are good to use as a sleep aid. Some are not easily absorbed into the body others work best for relieving constipation. I recommend you do your own research and talk to your doctor about using magnesium supplements.
Helps to Regulate Sleep Quality
Magnesium helps you get to sleep, but it plays a part in helping you achieve deep and restful sleep as well. In a study of older adults, they were given 500 mg of magnesium or a placebo. Overall, the magnesium group had better quality of sleep, also exhibited higher levels of renin and melatonin, two hormones that help regulate sleep
These results were bolstered by another study that gave elderly adults with insomnia a supplement containing 225 mg magnesium, 5 mg melatonin and 11.25 mg zinc. The participants of this second study also had better sleep compared to the placebo group, although it?s hard to attribute the effect to magnesium since the supplement additionally contained zinc and melatonin.
After tons of research my personal choice is Ultra Magnesium Complex by LiveGood, It is a combination of magnesium glycinate and gluconate. Both are easily absorbed by the body and are often used in supplements to replenish magnesium in the body. It is NON GMO, vegan, third party tested, GMP certified (Good Manufacturing Practice) and cruelty free. I initially started taking it in the morning, it had little to no effect on my sleep, after a little more research I found it is best to take 20 to 30 minutes before bed.
From the very first night I took it just before bed I had an amazingly restful sleep, even after having to visit the restroom in the middle of the night. Without oversleeping or feeling tired and dragging the next day like many of the sleep medications cause the next morning. It is one of the highest quality and least expensive magnesium supplements on the market
