What to do before bed to get a better night's sleep
No one doesn't aspire to get quality sleep every day, but the reality is that many people suffer from insomnia or poor sleep quality, and in addition to doing a good job of sleep hygiene, choosing some supplements may also help improve your sleep.
In addition to supporting melatonin synthesis, magnesium also helps regulate stress hormones, making it a great option if melatonin doesn't seem to be working for you.
Magnesium can help reduce cortisol, a stress hormone that spikes during the night.
In a healthy cortisol cycle, this hormone rises in the morning and slowly decreases throughout the day.
But if you wake up in the middle of the night feeling restless and anxious, then you may be thankful that the cortisol cycle is disrupted.
Optimizing magnesium intake at night can downregulate cortisol production.
This mineral can also regulate other hormones.
Magnesium and calcium contribute to the metabolism of estrogen, which may help with hormone-related sleep disorders, which are hallmarks of perimenopause and menopause.
Magnesium is also needed for relaxation, and it can help prevent migraines, menstrual cramps, muscle contractions, and these things alone are enough to wake you up in the middle of the night.
It also stimulates the brain's GABA receptors, which are calming neurotransmitters.
A small randomized clinical trial in 2012 found that daily magnesium supplementation helped relieve insomnia in older subjects;Participants also experienced improvements in melatonin and cortisol levels.
Another study in animals found that a magnesium-deficient diet was associated with shallow, restless sleep.
Whole Food**:
Due to the deterioration of soil health, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain magnesium from it.
As a traditional agricultural practice, it is disappearing from our food system.
Still, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, black beans, brown rice, and edamame are all good for magnesium if the soil is rich in nutrients.
Supplements: As far as sleep magnesium supplements are concerned, the Cleveland Clinic recommends choosing magnesium glycinate (200 mg) or magnesium citrate (200 mg) about 30 minutes before bedtime.
Avoid magnesium oxide, which is primarily a stool softener.