- If you can’t sleep, then chances are you’ve racked your brains numerous times
- Consuming too much caffeine in the evening and stress are the usual culprits
- But an array of recent trials have pointed the blame at a magnesium deficiency
- Studies have shown magnesium supplements can actually increase sleep time
- And new research suggests applying the mineral directly to the skin works best
If you can’t sleep, then chances are you’ve racked your brains and probably raked Google more than a few times, for what may be behind it.
Consuming too much caffeine after 3 pm, not enough exercise or an overload of stress hormones are most often the culprits of insomnia.
But an array of recent trials have pointed the blame at a magnesium deficiency for thousands of people who toss and turn at night, Healthista reports.
Studies have shown magnesium supplements can increases sleep time, efficiency and natural melatonin levels – a hormone critical for the regulation of normal sleep.
Now, new research has found magnesium applied directly to the skin can deliver the mineral to the body quicker and more efficiently than ingested supplements – and help improve sleep quality in 92 percent of deficient people.
If you can’t sleep, then chances are you’ve racked your brains and probably raked Google more than a few times, for what may be behind it
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a huge global problem, affecting around a third of men and women in their 30s and 40s and nearly half of the women over 65.
There are two types, Type 1 insomnia where you can’t get to sleep and Type 2, where you can get to sleep okay, but tend to wake at least once during the night.
And if you have either type, the chances are you have heard a million and one remedies: get blackout blinds, eat some peanut butter before bed, get a sleep mantra, take a Valium. Actually, don’t. The latter is addictive and the formers, well, they’re hit and miss at best.
Magnesium: The facts
Indeed, waking in the small hours is often associated with stress, anxiety or depression and these are conditions that can be exacerbated by magnesium deficiency, said nutrition expert Greg Weatherhead. But there are many more.
‘Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and all our cells rely on adequate levels being maintained,’ said Mr.Weatherhead.
‘It’s responsible for over 300 biochemical functions in the body and sufficient amounts allow us to be more flexible, develop stronger bones, produce energy more efficiently and be better able to resist disease.’
While magnesium is predominantly found in nuts, wholegrain seeds and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, decreasing levels in our Western diets have long been reported and amounts in our most common foods have declined by about 20 percent since the 1950s, Mr.Weatherhead added.
In fact, the most recent government-funded UK Diet and Nutrition Report updated in March this year, showed more and more of us have below optimal intakes of magnesium, with teenage girls and the over 60’s being at particular risk of deficiency.
Moreover, diets that include an excess of processed foods and bad fats such as those found in takeaways, donuts and commercial vegetable oils, as well as refined sugars, can all decrease our magnesium levels.
Magnesium is predominantly found in nuts, wholegrain seeds and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.
How does magnesium help sleep?
So, how can supplementing with a drug-free mineral help people sleep, when so many other sleep remedies rarely make the cut?
‘Magnesium is critical to many physiological and psychological processes that are essential for staying asleep,’ Mr.Weatherhead said. These include calming the mind and also helping muscles relax.
Along with helping to reduce levels of cortisol and adrenaline that could be waking us during sleep or causing erratic slumber, magnesium also works on a lesser-known hormone essential to sleep.
‘It helps improve sleep quality through its interaction with a neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid),’ Mr.Weatherhead said.
‘GABA is an amino acid responsible for reducing anxiety, promoting relaxation and preparing our bodies for sleep.’
Magnesium sensitizes GABA receptors in the brain, increasing the positive effect of this molecule.
Why is magnesium on the skin better for insomnia than tablets?
‘Unfortunately, our intake of magnesium has declined dramatically due to intensified farming methods, food processing and negative interactions with an increasing number of prescribable mediations,’ said Mr.Weatherhead.
‘Magnesium is a mineral we evolved to have little and often and our digestive systems are not well equipped to absorb large single doses of magnesium such as those found in tablets and capsules.
‘Either, much of the dose is simply not broken down and absorbed or it is lost through a loosening of the bowels, a common effect seen with a high intake of ingested magnesium tablets.’
There are a number of clinical studies published showing that magnesium delivered via the skin is an effective alternative to traditional tablet supplementation, said Mr.Weatherhead.
In 2017, a study published in PLOS One, found that magnesium absorbed through skin significantly boosted magnesium levels in the blood.
A pilot study published in 2010 showed that BetterYou Magnesium could elevate cellular magnesium levels faster than traditional tablets or capsules.
Topical magnesium specialists BetterYou have worked with the Cardiff University academics on absorption testing for magnesium.
They are now in the final stages of the world’s first clinical study with St Mark’s Hospital London, investigating how magnesium applied to the skin can replace intravenous drips and subcutaneous injections for patients with severe bowel and digestive disorders.
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