Lately, more and more patients have been coming to me for help because of their sleep problems. Unfortunately, the truth is that getting quality sleep is getting harder and harder these days.
When working with these patients, I try to minimize the administration of sleeping pills whenever possible. Instead, I analyze their lifestyle and refer them for certain adjustments. In this way, by changing certain aspects of life, it is possible to achieve good results in terms of sleep quality. But changing lifestyle is not a quick and easy process. And yet, the patient still needs to be able to sleep…. In this case, when a little extra help is needed, I turn to the support of a natural mineral that can help safely and without harm.
It is about Magnesium. This mineral facilitates falling asleep by relaxing the body and suppressing the arousal centers. In this way, it prepares the body and brain for sleep.
Studies show that magnesium supplementation can solve sleep problems from several angles:
Falling asleep becomes easier: Many people are familiar with the feeling of wanting to sleep and not being able to fall asleep – everything is in the way. The reason for this is muscular, nervous and emotional overstrain.
Sleep becomes deeper: During sleep, the stages of slow and REM sleep alternate. In REM sleep, brain activity is comparable to that of the organ during wakefulness. With Mg deficiency, people sleep "superficially", i.e. they wake up at any rustle and do not get enough sleep.
Sleep duration increases: In addition to its calming role, magnesium may not only improve sleep quality in general, but also increase the duration of slow-wave sleep, a stage of deep sleep important for memory consolidation and muscle recovery.
Well, I think it's clear by now that magnesium plays an important role in sleep regulation, but here's exactly how it can help my patients:
- It increases the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone responsible for sleep quality and duration;
- It promotes muscle relaxation, which reduces the likelihood of cramps and can even alleviate restless leg syndrome;
- It relieves depression, reduces anxiety, and calms down, which helps promote faster falling asleep;
- It improves cardiovascular function, helps to prevent irregular heartbeats, arrhythmias, and reduces blood pressure;
- It prevents overexcitation of nerve cells due to stress…
So, for a good night's sleep, it is important to help the body accumulate this trace element. This can be done in several ways: eating foods rich in this mineral, taking medications, and preventive and therapeutic magnesium baths.
As you know, I'm not a pharma enthusiast, so I would focus more on magnesium-rich foods. I usually recommend that my patients with sleep problems supplement their diet with the following foods: kelp, pumpkin seeds, sprouted wheat, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, soybeans, buckwheat, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, oatmeal, seaweed, dark chocolate, caviar, coconut, rice, spinach, rye bread, beans, avocado, cheddar cheese, parsley, eggs, dried fruit (figs, apricots, dates), bananas…
Taking baths with magnesium salt is another way to provide your body with the necessary dose of this nutrient. Well, these baths have several priorities over administering pharmaceutical medications.