Battling to get a good night’s sleep? Why Magnesium is one of the keys to a better quality rest
When it comes to a good night’s sleep, one crucial factor often overlooked is the role of magnesium. Found in green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, magnesium is involved in over 300 processes and reactions in the body, and some research indicates that it also plays a role in regulating sleep patterns and ensuring the quality of rest. 1,2,3
Magnesium can help you feel calm and relaxed
- Magnesium is involved in the synthesis of substances like serotonin and melatonin – brain chemicals that are critical for a healthy sleep cycle.3
- Magnesium also helps regulate gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which helps to calm the nervous system, helping you unwind and get better rest.3
- Additionally, magnesium deficiency has been linked chronic inflammatory stress, increased wakefulness and less slow-wave sleep, the most restorative phase of the sleep cycle.4 Correcting magnesium deficiency may therefore improve sleep quality.
- There is also a known link between stress and magnesium depletion. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake can support resilience to stress, which in turn may reduce all the negative side-effects, including the wakeful nights. 5
3 reasons to try Vital MagRestore
Vital MagRestore supports your resilience and recovery from daily mental and physical stress.
- Bioavalable Magnesium:
Vital MagRestore contains magnesium citrate which is an organic magnesium salt and one of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium. This form of magnesium is bound with citric acid, which allows for it to be better absorbed in the human body.
- Optimal Gut Absorption:
The delayed release vegan capsules are gentle on the stomach and facilitate absorption of magnesium in the small intestine.
- High Potency Formulation:
Each capsule contains 75mg of elemental magnesium – and for very stressful periods you can take up to 3 capsules per day.
Getting a good night’s rest is worth the effort
When we sleep, our bodies are not just resting. Our system is building, cleaning and resetting all night long. A good night’s sleep is important for cognition, memory consolidation, improved cardiovascular health, mental health, immunity, reproductive health, and hormone regulation.6,7 Some studies have even shown that short sleep duration is linked to diseases such as obesity or type 2 diabetes.8
What is a good night’s sleep and how to make it happen
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommends that adults sleep for at least 7 hours per day and not more than 9 hours. As important as the quantity of sleep is, so is the quality of sleep. Experts recommend maintaining a consistent sleep-wake schedule, a regular bedtime routine and engaging in regular exercise. Sleep hygiene practices can also promote better quality of sleep.9,10
Here are some suggestions:
- Wind down before going to bed (avoid work, gaming cleaning etc. before bed)
- Manage your emotional state (stress, anger, fear) – try mindfulness meditations and other calming modalities
- Get into bed at the same time and get out of bed at the same time every day
- Exercise during the day
- Make sure there is good ventilation in your room
- Start to dim the lights about an hour before bed and try to sleep in darkness
- Keep your room temperature cool – studies suggest somewhere around 18oC
- Control noise
- Get appropriate light exposure during daylight hours
Finally, it is essential to consider your magnesium intake. If you suspect that you are not getting enough magnesium from your diet, you can boost your daily magnesium intake with a highly bioavailable magnesium supplement like Vital MagRestore.
references
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals. Accessed 5 September 2024. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
- Wacker WE, Parisi AF (1968) Magnesium metabolism. N Engl J Med 278(13):712–717
- Peuhkuri K, Sihvola N, Korpela R. Diet promotes sleep duration and quality. Nutr Res. 2012;32(5):309-319.
- Arab A, Rafe N, Amani R, Shirani F. The role of magnesium in sleep health: a systematic review of available literature. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022;200(1):163-179
- Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, Bienkowski P, Yaltsewa N, Amessou M et al. Magnesium status and stress: The vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients2020 Nov 28;12(12):3672.
- Baranwal N, Yu PK, Siegel NS. Sleep physiology, pathophysiology, and sleep hygiene. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2023 Mar-Apr; 77:59-69.
- Garbarino S, Lanteri P, Bragazzi NL, Magnavita N, Scoditti E. Role of sleep deprivation in immune-related disease risk and outcomes. Commun Biol. 2021 Nov 18;4:1304.
- Antza C, Kostopoulos G, Mostafa S, Nirantharakumar K, Tahrani A. The links between sleep duration, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Endocrinol. 2021 Dec 13;252(2):125-41.
- Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, Dinges DF, Gangwisch J, Grandner MA, Kushida C, Malhotra RK, Martin JL, Patel SR, Quan SF, Tasali E. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843-4.
- De Pasquale C, El Kazzi M, Sutherland K, Shriane AE, Vincent GE, Cistulli PA, Bin YS. Sleep hygiene – what do we mean? A bibliographic review. Sleep Med Rev. 2024 Jun;75:101930.