The Natural Sleep Aid I Recommend To Anyone Who Can’t Fall Asleep

As a functional medicine doctor, I talk a lot about how unchecked stress is one of the main contributors to poor sleep quality and insomnia. Even if we feel that we can't control the situation around us, it is crucial to double down on stress management if you are having sleep issues.

When we are stressed by different things going on in our lives, our hypothalamus in our brain signals to our pituitary gland that there is a threat around. Our pituitary then signals to our adrenal gland to release adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol.

These stress-induced hormones act on our organs to activate us into a fight-or-flight state causing symptoms like increased heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. None of these are conducive to sleep, and in fact, will prevent sleep or disturb it throughout the night.

When we're stressed, we also use up our body's store of magnesium—a necessary mineral involved in more than 300 biochemical pathways in the body, including ones that promote relaxation. This is one reason why I've been experimenting with taking magnesium for better, more restful sleep for years.

Magnesium assists calcium and potassium in muscle relaxation,* which you need for deep sleep. In addition, it inhibits the release of certain stress hormones like adrenaline and can help regulate your cortisol response.* It's also crucial in maintaining healthy serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain,* which are both needed for mood and a clear mind during the day. 

Yet one of the most impactful roles of magnesium when it comes to sleep is its relationship with GABA, an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in a brain, calming it down and reducing anxiousness.

When we have good levels of GABA in the brain, not only do we fall asleep faster, but we also reach deep stages of sleep more readily. Magnesium activates GABA receptors in the brain to help this process.*

Over the years, I've experimented with countless brands and types of magnesium. When I found out that mindbodygreen was developing magnesium+ with Thorne, I had to try it.

Thorne is a trusted manufacturer of nutritional supplements that I've personally been using for years because of their rigorous purity standards and commitment to quality. 

This particular magnesium formulation is gluten-free, vegan, and tested for more than 700 contaminants like heavy metals by an outside lab. It's made with highly absorbable magnesium bisglycinate, which won't upset your stomach or give you GI symptoms like other magnesium supplements might.*

But what makes magnesium+ so uniquely different from other magnesium supplements is that it contains two other incredible ingredients that help you fall asleep and wake up with a clear mind and no grogginess.*

First, PharmaGABA, the only supplemental GABA extensively studied and shown to activate GABA receptors.* This is what causes increased relaxation and deeper sleep.* Second, magnesium+ also features jujube, a natural fruit extract with calming and relaxing properties.*

When I included magnesium+ as part of my bedtime routine, I saw an immediate improvement in my sleep quality and how I felt in the morning.* 

Generally, my nighttime routine calls for some herbal tea, some essential oils in my diffuser, my nighttime supplements, and a good book. What I found after starting magnesium+ was that my tendency to wake up in the middle of the night became less frequent, and I felt better rested in the morning.* My body felt really relaxed, but my mind was clear and ready to tackle the day.*  

I often track my sleep with a wearable device and noticed that my deep sleep percentage rose after starting magnesium+. This is super important to memory formation and storage, so I was excited to see this effect.

I've been using magnesium+ now for several months in my nightly routine, and I can't wait to share it with my patients. Knowing that this is an exceptionally pure, high-quality product that is tested beyond industry standards makes me confident in recommending it wholeheartedly not only to my patients, but to family and friends.

Source: mindbodygreen