TOP 3 REASONS WHY MAGNESIUM CAN HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
Sleep is crucial for overall health and brain function. Specifically, during sleep the body regenerate itself, repairing and growing new cells, storing new information in the brain, reorganising neurons while also getting rid of waste. When we don’t sleep well, we might experience short-term symptoms like poor memory, concentration and decision making, tiredness, increased appetite (due to the increase of ghrelin, the appetite hormone), and you are also more prone to infections.
Long term repercussions of poor sleep can promote anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, obesity, gut dysbiosis and poor immunity.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED GOOD SLEEP?
The NHS (National Health Service) recommend between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night for adults, but many of us are not getting it and seems that only 10% of Brits are completely satisfied with their sleep. Among the things that can damage it, there are too much noise/light, difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night and sleep apnoea.
HOW TO IMPROVE SLEEP
Thankfully, there are several strategies that can improve the quality and quantity of our sleep, from having a relaxing bedtime routine, journalling and switching off electronic devices, to taking a bath and going to bed at the same time each day. Another strategy to take into consideration is to improve our magnesium intake.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, and on top of supporting sleep, is also crucial for energy production, hence if you experience tiredness this is something you should look at. Foods rich in Magnesium are dark leafy green vegetables like kale, chard, spinach and turnip greens; whole grains, legumes, dark chocolate, tofu, nuts and seeds, banana and avocado. You could also increase your magnesium intake with nutritional supplements but is important to speak to a qualified healthcare professional to choose a type, dosage and timing best suitable for your personal needs, while taking into consideration that magnesium supplementation can interact with certain medication.
Now let’s understand why magnesium is so important for sleep:
1.Magnesium helps to activate the parasympathetic system, which is our rest and digest mode. When we are stressed (so in sympathetic mode) we are more likely to struggle with poor sleep as our brain goes into overdrive, creating a spiral of endless thoughts. During this stage, the body uses more magnesium to counteract the negative effects of stress by reducing cortisol, the main stress hormone that is produced in the adrenal glands, hence is smart to increase our intake of magnesium rich foods during stressful times.
2.Magnesium is a cofactor in melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland in response to darkness and helps to regulate our circadian rhythm, that is the sleep-wake cycle, but also regulates eating patterns, body temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose and certain hormones. Low melatonin can be responsible, amongst many other things, for poor sleep. We can support its production via lifestyle adjustments and with magnesium. Melatonin is created from the neurotransmitter serotonin, thanks to several enzymatic reactions that need the presence of magnesium to take place.
3.Magnesium has an important role in modulating certain neurotransmitters that calm the brain. It increases GABA, the calming neurotransmitter, and decrease NMDA, a neurotransmitter receptor that promote alertness and activity. The receptor is important during the daytime, for us to learn and be active, but should be turned down in the evening, and magnesium help us to do so.
CONCLUSION
If you are experiencing poor sleep quality and/or quantity, start by implementing lifestyle adjustments such as a relaxing bedtime routine, taking a bath before bed, taking a break from electronic devices 1 hour before bed. The second step is to increase magnesium consumption either via foods like whole grains, legumes, dark leafy green vegetables, dark chocolate, tofu, avocado, banana, nuts and seeds; or with nutritional supplements. When choosing the latter, speak to your healthcare practitioner to establish dosage, type and timing in a safe way.
REFERENCES
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Lok, R. van Koningsveld, M.J. Gordijn, M.C.M. Et al. (2019). Daytime melatonin and light independently affect human alertness and body temperature. Journal of Pineal Research, 67(1):e12583. doi: 10.1111/jpi.12583. Epub 2019 May 9. PMID: 31033013; PMCID: PMC6767594.
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