Q. I suffered from insomnia for three miserable years during menopause. My doctor prescribed Sonata but could not guarantee more than four hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly. I decided not to spend money on a prescription for so little benefit.
Over the counter sleeping pills didn’t agree with me. Then I read in a book on natural health that calcium and magnesium might help.
I started taking Citracal Plus with Magnesium. Ever since, I’ve been sleeping like a baby (a lazy one, mind you, not the colicky kind). These pills can be taken at bedtime on an empty stomach.
A. Thanks for the tip. European researchers have found some evidence suggesting that magnesium, in particular, may be helpful for sleep and sleep-related disorders such as night-time leg cramps, chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia.
Another visitor to this website offered this:
“I have been taking “Slow Mag” magnesium at bedtime with some warm milk and it has worked wonders in helping me to fall asleep quickly and get a good night’s rest. It was recommended to me by a pharmacist years ago to help prevent leg cramps so I’m getting two benefits from it. I take Citracal daily as my calcium supplement…. all of the above works well for me… so no sleeping pills in my medicine cabinet!!”
Keep in mind, though, that too much magnesium can cause diarrhea. It is found in antacids and is the active ingredient in Milk of Magnesia.
Other possible uses for magnesium include:
• Preventing nighttime leg cramps (visit this link)
• Constipation (visit this link)
• Irregular heart rhythms (visit this link)
• Blood sugar control (visit this link)
We discuss sleeping pills and many non-drug approaches to insomnia in our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. You may also find useful information about magnesium in our book Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy.
Of course it is important not to overdose on any particular mineral. Do have your mineral levels checked periodically by a physician to make sure you are not too high OR too low!
