Mineral Supplement Helps Her Sleep

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.
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.
We discuss sleeping pills and many non-drug approaches to insomnia in our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. I-70, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.