Kendall Platt was a crime scene forensic investigator for almost ten years; she found the work to be both extremely stressful and fulfilling.
The 40-year-old mother of two claims that the awful pictures she had seen that day would frequently keep her up at night. Naturally, she had trouble sleeping. “I would wake up sweating and have bad dreams most nights,” recalls Kendall from Reading. “And I would find it difficult to fall back asleep after that.”
Kendall anticipated better sleep when she changed careers last year and became a professional gardener, providing women with what she refers to as horticultural therapy.
In addition, Kendall reduced her sugar intake and stopped using her phone in the hour before bed because she was yearning for a better night’s sleep.
She claims, “I was still waking up at 3am and lying awake for hours,” but these adjustments did not have the desired impact. “I was getting very little sleep because the kids would wake up at six in the morning and I would be up again.”
Kendall then claims to have discovered a remedy: taking 10 cents of the nutrient magnesium every day.
Magnesium is one of the most vital elements our systems require, according to experts, but almost one in five Americans do not get enough of it.
Kendall Platt was a crime scene forensic investigator for almost ten years. She found her profession to be both rewarding and extremely stressful.
Additionally, magnesium tablets have been marketed as a supplement that improves sleep, which has caused their popularity to soar. Social media is the main source of this growing interest.
However, because to what they consider to be mounting evidence that the supplement has a significant impact on rest and energy levels, many physicians now also advise patients with sleep issues to take magnesium.
Kendall claims that social media is how she first discovered the advantages of magnesium for sleep. She therefore made the decision to try it two months ago and purchased effervescent magnesium tablets from her neighborhood grocery store. The type of magnesium glycinate found in the pills is regarded to be the most efficient at enhancing the quality of sleep.
An hour before bed, Kendall would put one of the tablets in water and consume it.
The impact was felt right away. She recalls, “I started waking up refreshed.” For the past two months, I have consistently had good sleep.
“I do occasionally wake up during the night, but I can fall back asleep more readily than I used to. In the morning, when I’m preparing the kids for school, I have more energy. I also have a lot more energy at work.
But not everyone believes that magnesium is the solution to restless nights.
In fact, some specialists think the pill is completely ineffective.
Do magnesium supplements actually enhance sleep, and if so, should you take one?
It’s obvious that more sleep aids are needed. According to studies, about one-third of Britons have insomnia, or trouble falling asleep. Regardless of how much sleep they receive, 25% of people report feeling exhausted most of the time.
Experts claim that the rising demand for magnesium is a result of this energy level crisis.
Leafy green vegetables, cashew nuts, legumes, and wholemeal bread are good sources of magnesium. It is essential for blood sugar levels, bone strength, muscles, and the immunological system.
Magnesium is one of the most vital elements our systems require, according to experts, but almost one in five Americans do not get enough of it.
The effects of magnesium were instantaneous. Kendall remarks, “I started waking up refreshed.”For the past two months, I have consistently had good sleep.
Patients with greater blood levels of magnesium had a little tendency to sleep longer and have more energy, according to a comprehensive assessment of dozens of magnesium sleep research conducted in 2021.
According to Dr. Oliver Bernath, a consultant neurologist at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital and the Reborne Longevity clinic in London, magnesium has a significant impact on sleep because it increases gamma-aminobutyric acid levels, which have a soothing effect on the brain.
He claims, “I’ve seen the really positive effect that magnesium can have for my patients with sleeping issues.”
Not every scientist is in agreement. “Your body can only hold so much magnesium,” according to Dr. John O’Neill, a scientist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Only people with noticeably low levels of the mineral are likely to benefit from taking supplements. “If a patient takes a supplement and their levels are normal, the excess magnesium will simply be eliminated through urination.”
Rather, according to Dr. O’Neill, patients who report better sleep after taking magnesium are more likely to be experiencing the placebo effect, in which they think their symptoms have improved even when the medication has no effect.
He claims that rather than vitamin deficiencies, the majority of sleep problems are caused by life’s stressors and anxieties. “A placebo is frequently a very effective treatment.” There are few risks associated with using magnesium because it is also inexpensive and extremely safe.
“The effect is clear to me – it works and other steps haven’t,” says Kendall, who doesn’t care if her magnesium pills are a placebo. “It’s worth it, in my opinion.”
