- Articles
Sleep, Stress & Mood / Sleep & Rest
Full Moon, Insomnia and Magnesium!
Did you catch the item on the news the other day about the full moon and disrupted sleep? I heard it on BBC 4 and found it intriguing. Researchers at Basel University in Switzerland were carrying out some sleep studies and by chance discovered that more disrupted sleep patterns in volunteers coincided with periods of full moon.
No it’s not psychobabble or a werewolf story! And of course the first reaction of researchers was that it was due to increased light at times of full moon – problem was their research was carried out in conditions where this would not have been applicable.
“Findings revealed that around the full Moon, brain activity related to deep sleep dropped by nearly a third. Melatonin levels also dipped. The volunteers also took five minutes longer to fall asleep and slept for 20 minutes less when there was a full Moon.” (BBC News, link below)
It has been suggested that the likely reason was simply human evolution – thousands of years where cycles of the full moon had greater relevance to our ancestors for reasons perhaps such as hunting, being hunted and celebrations and ceremonies. So this innate awareness is still in use and we are simply more restless when the moon is full.
And the story got me thinking about the nutritional deficiencies that may commonly affect sleep. The mineral magnesium is certainly the most talked about nutrient linked to poor sleep. Magnesium is an essential mineral most commonly associated with bone health as nearly 70% of the body’s supply is located in the bones. And one of many approved scientific health claims from EFSA the European Food Safety Authority for Magnesium is “Magnesium can contribute to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue”.
Magnesium is a relaxer of smooth muscles and a shortage of magnesium gives rise to muscle twitching and disrupted nerve signalling. Calcium contracts muscles whilst magnesium relaxes and relaxation is a precursor to peaceful sleep. By virtue of the fact that suitable magnesium levels help with efficient muscle and energy use (optimum entropy) and therefore the likely quality of sleep this should help reduce tiredness and fatigue and promote restful sleep. Magnesium is used in many enzyme systems in the body and if it is not present in sufficient quantities for their optimum function these systems do not work efficiently and further drain compensatory resources.
Low magnesium levels may be a factor in restless leg syndrome (RLS), agitation, anxiety and sleep disorder. It is most unlikely that a high dietary intake of magnesium would increase your levels to a point where it caused health problems. This is due to the availability and levels of magnesium in foods today. However you could take too much magnesium in a supplement form and this would of course not be a good idea. And there have been reported instances where people consider magnesium supplementation has worsened their sleep making them ‘stimulated’.
It is probable that too much magnesium causes insomnia – and the reason is because it starts the body ‘detoxing’ and this causes all sorts of aches and pains and stops the body resting and sleeping. We would suggest that 200mg elemental magnesium (I stress ‘elemental’ here) is great for promoting sleep and relaxation, whilst the sort of supplemental level that generally tips the balance is 300mg+ (elemental) which will start the body detoxification and this will give rise to symptoms that appear to have the opposite effect (to relaxation) in the short term.
We would always stress that everybody seeks suitable and qualified advice when looking at purchasing a food supplement – the right advice is very much based on each individual. And as an example you may already be taking a multivitamins and mineral with magnesium in it.
Good natural sources of magnesium are fresh, green vegetables, raw un-milled wheat germ, soya beans, milk, whole grains, seafoods, figs, corn, apples and oil-rich seeds and nuts, especially almonds. Fish, garlic, tofu, peaches, apricots and lima beans are also good sources.
Magnesium Citrate is the best of the non-food form forms of magnesium and also available as a food supplement. As a citrate it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream via the citric acid cycle. The current approved ‘scientific health claims (from EFSA the European Food Safety Authority) for Magnesium are:
- Magnesium can contribute to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue;
- Contributes to normal psychological functions;
- Contributes to electrolyte balance;
- Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bone/teeth;
- Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism;
- Contributes to normal muscle function including the heart muscle;
- Contributes to normal nerve function;
- Contributes to normal protein synthesis;
- Magnesium contributes to normal cell division
Amanda Williams
Cytoplan
amanda@cytoplan.co.uk
01684 310099
66 comment(s)
I am delighted it has helped you. I confess that I also take magnesium in the evening and it does seem to help promote restful sleep, and I notice if I forget to take it!
I am also concerned about potassium levels too and ensuring the balance is correct.
I wholly agree that it is all about balance and correct ratio of calcium to magnesium. But as there is widespread fortification of foods with calcium and not with magnesium, plus a greater need for magnesium in the stressful lives most people lead today, magnesium shortfall is quite widespread. I dont think it is just from excessive calcium intake but more from genuine increased needs for magnesium.
Agree potassium is also very important.But if people are eating a good level of vegetables, which are naturally high in potassium, and not adding sodium chloride to food, this should not be a problem or concern.
I'm interested in this as I have CFS, I notice that taking magnesium has improved several symptoms, however I take magnesium glycinate (having read several articles regarding CFS and magnesium supplements) because I found that other magnesium sources seems to cause stomach upsets. Is citrate similar in that way?
Thanks
Luke
Thank you for the comment; I am pleased that magnesium has helped with some of your symptoms. Magnesium citrate is a gentle form of magnesium that is rapidly absorbed and utilised as it is transported via the pyruvate cycle. Our Biofood Magnesium is similarly gentle and effective. So long as they are taken at no higher than the recommended dose of 2/day you will not have any gastric side effects. Magnesium citrate should be taken with food. If you would like a sample of either free of charge to try please let me know.
Best wishes
Amanda
Amanda@cytoplan.co.uk
I do not wish to take sleeping pills and have noted that magnesium citrate is suggested on various other web sites as a possible help.
How much would you suggest is taken for this problem 400 - 500mg is suggested on the sites I have looked at, also at what time of day?
Thank you very much for your question. I would take 2 x 500mg Magnesium citrate (80mg elemental) about 3 hours before bedtime. You could also benefit from pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) – 1 50mg tablet twice a day; one in the morning, one in the afternoon.
Make sure you avoid caffeinated drinks after noon, and don’t eat large protein-rich evening meals later than 6pm.
But please email me and I will send you the relevant supplements to try. My email is amanda@cytoplan.co.uk.
Best wishes, Amanda
Can you suggest anything that may help him please ?
Also, he does have to take a multivitamin every day, but mostly doesn't as they taste bad, can you suggest an alternative ?
Many thanks.
Thank you so much for the comment. Cytobiotic active might help him plus eating a light evening meal several hours before bedtime. Yes magnesium could also be very useful. I would probably need to understand things a little better to be more prescriptive for the sleep problem, but the aforementioned would be a safe and hopefully effective solution.. Our wholefood multi would be a good multivit/min which is in capsules and does not have any taste to it. Would you like some free to try? If you want more detailed help I can send you a health questionnaire for this purpose. The service is free of charge and the questionnaire collects enough information to enable me to give you safe and effective advice.
To please contact me if you would like to - 01684 310099 / Amanda@cytoplan.co.uk
Best wishes
Amanda
Yes. It is interesting that both melatonin and serotonin can sometimes aid sleep and sometimes have the reverse effect. Magnesium is well worth a try – take 2 magnesium citrate about 2 hours before bed. If you are an anxious person then the addition of 2x50mg pantothenic acid might also augment the beneficial effect you are seeking. Do come back to me if you need more help - amanda@cytoplan.co.uk.
Thank you for your comment and interest in our blog.
Best Wishes, Amanda
My wife takes 1Tegratol 200mg tablet, 1 Amlodipine 5mg tablet and 1 Citalopram 10mg tablet a day......can she take the Magnesium and B vitamin supplements?
Thanks
Tony
Many thanks for your question. Yes, both Magnesium and the B vitamin supplements are fine for your wife with her current medication. Just be sure this is at no more than the normal recommended dose levels respectively. If you are still unsure or would like further details please contact me - similarly if you would like a sample pot of our Magnesium to get started with. Best wishes to you both, Amanda
2) Probably the vegan algae oil is best inthis instance and fish like sardines and shell fish are high in purines.
Thank you so much for your question. Please can you contact me directly amanda@cytoplan.co.uk. I need to understand the actual level of magnesium you are taking as 250mg might be the complex of magnesium oxide or it might be the elemental amount and this makes a difference as to the effect it will have. Also magnesium oxide is not a bio-effective form of magnesium. So if I can better understand things, including the sequence of events I will be able to help you better resolve the problems you are experiencing. Thank you so much, Amanda x
It was recorded during a recent study of 36 people that during a 'Full Moon' subjects:
• took longer to fall asleep
• spent less time in deep sleep
• slept for less time
• reported having poorer sleep
One apparently obvious explanation to this is that moonlight shining into the rooms disrupts sleep – but this doesn't seem to hold up. Conditions in the sleep laboratory used during the study were tightly controlled to ensure that the amount of light was the same every single night.
However it is considered that the patterns of moonlight the volunteers experienced in the months running up to the sleep laboratory nights could still be having an effect on their body’s sleep rhythms. These results suggest that as well as our body clocks having a natural response to the time of day, when it comes to sleep, it may also have a response to the cycle of the moon. This is where Magnesium is important because it aids relaxation of smooth muscle so to a degree it will help modify the body's response to the cycle of the moon.
Please do get in touch if you would like a free pot of Magnesium to try. I would be more than happy to send this out to you. My e-mail address is amanda@cytoplan.co.uk.
All the best,
Amanda
First question is... I am discontinuing the magnesium for now to see if sleep returns. Do you know how long this could take to get out of my system? It seems to have built up as I only took 100 mg yesterday and I was hyperstimulated.
Second question... Do you think it's the magnesium or the glycine that is causing my insomnia? Both are supposed to be calming. I have read many others say magnesium causes their insomnia, but have not found any evidence of glycine causing it.
It's a shame, because it really helped relax my muscles and calm my anxiety.
My husband is wide awake and can't sleep unless he has a little alcohol, and with that only sleeps like an hour. It's quite concerning. How long did it take for you to get back to normal and sleep?
Thank you for your query about sleep and magnesium. As you know, magnesium is often used to support sleep as it is a cofactor for melatonin production (melatonin is made from the happy hormone serotonin). I usually recommend that it is taken on its own at bedtime, rather than with calcium. High levels of magnesium can promote a detox reaction, but usually at levels higher than 300 mg. Other cofactors are also needed for melatonin synthesis eg B6 and tryptophan (an amino acid) so it could be that you have a need for these. Tryptophan is not used in supplement form – good food sources are bananas, nuts, seeds and turkey. As a supplement 5-HTP is used (which is a precursor, please note this should not be taken with antidepressant medication). We do have a supplement called 5-HTP plus that contains 5-HTP, B6 and magnesium (50 mg per capsule) that is taken at bedtime.
There can be other reasons for middle of the night waking eg high cortisol due to ongoing stress (so worth evaluating possible sources of stress in your life and have there been any recent changes which could be causing stress?). Also GABA is a brain neurotransmitter that is calming and it may be that you are not producing enough, low levels can be associated with anxiety. B6 is also important for GABA production and there are other supplements that are used to support this pathway. We do offer a <a href="https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/nutrition-advice/educational-literature/health-questionnaire" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">free health questionnaire service</a> that may be of interest to you – if you complete and return a health questionnaire we will send you some diet and supplement recommendations.
All the best,
Clare
I am not sure why you might have experienced this effect. Is there anything else that happened around this time that would explain your disturbed sleep? There are two brain neurotransmitters that are important for sleep - serotonin (which is then converted to melatonin, the sleep hormone) and GABA (a calming brain chemical). Magnesium is important for both of these pathways and is often used successfully to support sleep but there are also a number of cofactor nutrients.
If the problem is with falling asleep then you could try our <a href="https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/cyto-night?sqr=cytoni&" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Cyto Night</a> product that contains Montmorency cherry (a natural source of melatonin) along with glycine, magnesium citrate and hops. Alternatively if waking in the middle of the night is the problem then I would suggest <a href="https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/biofood-magnesium?sqr=biofood%20ma&" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Biofood Magnesium</a> (100 mg magnesium citrate per tablet, 2 at bedtime), plus you could take 5-HTP Plus (5-HTP, magnesium and vitamin B6). 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin.
An amino acid called L-theanine supports GABA production and increases alpha brain waves associated with relaxation and sleep. This can be taken at bedtime or in the middle of the night on waking.
You might also be interested in our free <a href="https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/nutrition-advice/educational-literature/health-questionnaire" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">health questionnaire</a> service. If you complete and return a health questionnaire we will send you some written diet and supplement recommendations.
Best wishes, Clare
Did you find a solution ,am also having the same problem
Thank you for your comment. <a href="https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/5-htp-plus" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">5-HTP Plus</a> is a combination product providing 5-HTP alongside vitamin B6 and magnesium - nutrients which are necessary for the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin.
Many thanks,
Kate
Have taken magnesium for muscle twitches and tightness but have had terrible sleep since upping the dose. I literally have spent 3 nights with zero sleep.
It's like my brain is wired in the on position and won't switch off.
Am I taking too much 600-700 elemental citrate daily
Thank you for your comment.
If you are taking 600mg to 700mg of elemental magnesium per day then yes, this is a high dose. If this is the dose of magnesium citrate then it would not be such a high dose (for example 500mg of magnesium citrate provides 80mg of elemental magnesium).
Sometimes doses around 600mg of elemental magnesium are used under supervision of a nutritional therapy or other healthcare practitioner in the short term, but at that dose you may be stimulating detoxification pathways significantly.
I would have a break from it for a week or two and then perhaps reintroduce it at a much lower dose. I am not sure which product you are taking – but start with a dose of around 100mg and then you could increase to 200mg. Please do get back in touch again if you need to. My email is clare@cytoplan.co.uk and if you give me a little more background on what else you are taking and your specific health concerns, I will see if there is further advice I can give you.
Best wishes,
Clare
Thanks for your comment. As you know, magnesium is a co-factor for the synthesis of melatonin (the sleep hormone) and also for GABA (a calming brain neurotransmitter); it is also a muscle relaxant and so is often used by people who find it difficult to sleep. On the other hand, magnesium can also promote detoxification pathways (usually at high doses) and so this could be the reason that in some people it has the opposite effect – increased activity of the liver for example can increase body temperature and this could be a reason for waking.
The detoxification effect of magnesium can be reduced by taking it alongside calcium, so this would be a possible option to try. Usually the ratio would be 2:1 or 1:1 calcium to magnesium. You could also perhaps try taking it in the morning rather than at bedtime.
If you are having problems sleeping and would like some advice, we do offer <a href="https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/nutrition-advice/educational-literature/health-questionnaire" rel="nofollow ugc">a free health questionnaire service</a>. If you complete and return a health questionnaire we will send you some diet and supplement recommendations.
Thanks,
Clare
It might be best for you to contact me directly - amanda@cytoplan.co.uk - and I will be very happy to help you. I do need a little more information to really help and I am conscious not to share your personal information publicly. Certainly there is a fine balance with supplements such as melatonin and magnesium of the level that will enable sleep and the level that will disrupt it. Both are usually very effective at (low) physiological levels but have the opposite affect at higher levels.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Amanda
Seriously, this statement shows a complete lack of understanding of both what the citric acid cycle actually is, as well as how molecules are absorbed.
I wouldn't listen to anything on this website. Pseudoscience galore.
For insomnia we would recommend our Biofood Magnesium. This is a food form of magnesium, so extremely bioeffective. For frequent waking we recommend it is taken half an hour before bed on an empty stomach – start with 1 tablet then increase to 2 if required.
Another supplement that might be very supportive is our L-Theanine. You can read more about it in this blog: <a href="https://blog.cytoplan.co.uk/l-theanine-the-meditation-compound/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">L-theanine – the meditation compound - Cytoplan</a>
There have been times when I've been without sleep for several days and I'm not the least bit tired on magnesium. Wired and anxious, but not tired. So yes, IT IS the magnesium, no question. I really wish someone would really look into this phenomenon and quit suggesting it is something else or that I need to take something with magnesium to help with sleep. L-theanine, glycine, B5, tryptophan, inositol, 5htp, ashwagana, valerian, lemon balm, skullcap, melatonin.. none of those work to help sleep while on magnesium. The magnesium over rides everything. So I eat lots of almonds, pumpkin seeds and other magnesium rich foods and I am fine and hopefully getting enough. But seriously, this a real issue for many people and many people probably don't realize it and are having sleep issues unnecessarily.
I am so sorry to hear you are struggling. I have sent your details on to one of our Nutritional therapists who will contact you to hopefully help you.