Did you know that 75% of people in the United States have a magnesium deficiency? When you consider how many people in this county have trouble sleeping, the puzzle pieces come together. Magnesium is a crucial mineral for promoting restful sleep.
As well as taking magnesium supplements, you may want to consider using magnesium oil. You apply this topically to the skin.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential mineral for the functioning of the human body. It carries out many important functions, such as muscle and nerve support. It also plays a part in energy production.
Taking an oral magnesium supplement will help you sleep. But there’s no need to stop there. Some people find that also applying magnesium topically (to their skin) will boost these effects. Magnesium oil is the form of magnesium you should apply to your skin.
While sleep is one of the areas where magnesium is most apparently helpful, it’s also useful for many other bodily functions. It is key to muscle and nerve function, bone health, metabolism, and the regulation of blood sugar.
What is Magnesium Oil?
Magnesium oil is a topical magnesium preparation that you apply to the skin. While many people use this for cramps and muscle pain, it may also help you sleep. That is because even when applied topically, magnesium will reach into tissues in targeted areas of your body.
When you put on magnesium oil, this is called transdermal administration. This means application to the skin. While a regular magnesium supplement will help you sleep, boost its potential by applying magnesium oil topically to whichever parts of your body you prefer.
A study published in 2015 by the Journal of Integrative Medicine indicates that skin quickly absorbs magnesium. This will boost magnesium in the area of the body where the magnesium oil is applied. It may also help increase your general magnesium level.
Maybe you’ve heard of people with joint and muscle soreness using magnesium oil. While it’s effective for those issues, you should also think about trying it if you just have trouble sleeping. Magnesium has a calming effect on your nerves.
Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?
Yes, magnesium does help you sleep. It is essential for the production of the hormone melatonin, and melatonin is necessary for sleep regulation. The fact that magnesium also promotes what you probably know as the happy hormone, serotonin, is helpful. After all, when you’re in a positive frame of mind, sleep comes more easily.
Additionally, magnesium promotes the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This is a neurotransmitter. It is key to stopping the feeling of wakefulness. Magnesium’s sleep-promoting power even goes further than that. It plays a part in transforming protein into special chemicals that promote sleep.
As well as helping prevent insomnia, magnesium will give you better sleep quality. Remember to ask your doctor about magnesium and whether there could be any negative interaction with your prescriptions.
Where to Put Magnesium Oil for Sleep
You can put magnesium oil whenever you’d like on your body to help promote sleep. If you have cramps or muscle aches in a specific area, this is an especially good place to put it. After all, aches and pains are likely to keep you awake.
Some of the most popular places to put magnesium oil for sleep are on the arms, legs, and torso. Like with magnesium spray, the magnesium will dry down on your skin. This will create a residue of the mineral. Just wash this off after about 20 minutes, if you want to.
How to Use Magnesium Spray for Sleep
If you don’t want to deal with any kind of mess, magnesium spray is a great choice for you. With magnesium spray, you just spray it on your skin and massage it in. A spray bottle makes wastage or spilling out too much much less likely.
Do you love essential oils? Some magnesium spray varieties include essential oils, to add an aromatherapy dimension. Many people respond well to aromatherapy for promoting sleep. For example, the scent of lavender promotes deep relaxation. Combined with magnesium, this is a potent sleep-promoting tool.
Set aside time each night for using your magnesium spray. As you spray it on whatever parts of the body you want, watch how crystals that look a bit like salt appear. Massage the spray into your body. Leave it on your skin for a minimum of 20 minutes.
After a while, you will probably want to wash away the hard layer that forms. Add some moisturizer to your skin afterward, for the ultimate self-care experience.
Magnesium for Sleep and Anxiety
Magnesium helps with anxiety as well as sleep. In fact, its mineral’s ability to soothe the nerves plays a part in how it helps you sleep.
A low magnesium level can lead to high stress and even depression. It may also lead to insomnia. Magnesium helps with anxiety in two ways:
- This mineral is key to counteracting cortisol, a stress hormone. It has a regulating effect on how much of this hormone can be released. Cortisol creates a strain on your body.
- Magnesium attaches itself to receptors in the brain that promote calm emotions. It also counteracts the kinds of neurotransmitters that make you nervous.
Best Time to Take Magnesium for Sleep
You should take a magnesium supplement every day, about half an hour before you plan to go to bed. When it comes to external (transdermal) application of magnesium oil and/or spray, though, do this as you wind down from the day. You want to do this in the evening, as you start thinking about going to bed.
When it comes to your oral supplement, read the instructions on the bottle. Never try to take more than what they recommend. If you do, you could end up with an upset stomach.
Wrapping Up
If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider applying magnesium oil to your skin and massaging it in. Taking a magnesium supplement will also help.
