One of the things I struggled with most while breastfeeding my first child was falling back asleep after he nursed in the middle of the night. My husband would wake up first, change him, put him back in his jammies, then hand our son to me.

But even still I would wake up just enough while breastfeeding that it took forever to fall back asleep. During those earlier first weeks, I swear I would stay away between feedings and never fall back asleep.

While I was pregnant with my second, I had a mom friend who shared a suggestion that changed my sleep habits forever.

Magnesium for Sleeping



She suggested I take a magnesium supplement every night before bed, specifically Calm. Magnesium regulates sleep through high levels of renin and melatonin. Before bed, I would put one scoop of my preferred citrus in a small glass of water and enjoy its effervescent flavor.

I’m not sure if it was strictly a placebo, but the first night it worked like a charm. After I nursed the baby and put her back down, I was out like a light, almost immediately!

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential for good health. It’s an important electrolyte for proper muscle, nerve, and enzyme function.

On average, women should be getting 320 mg of magnesium a day, and men should get 420 mg. Half of the American population isn’t getting the daily recommended amount.

A review from 2010 found magnesium could be a natural treatment for anxiety, and in 2017 review of 18 different studies found it did reduce anxiety.

Foods High in Magnesium

Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

Magnesium Boosting Smoothie

Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Most supplements are bound to other substances in order to make it easier for absorption.

Magnesium glycinate

Magnesium oxide

Magnesium citrate

Magnesium chloride

Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)

Magnesium lactation

Natural Calm is a blend of magnesium carbonate and citric acid. When you add water, a chemical reaction binds the two together to create ionic magnesium citrate.

Footnotes

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11717/why-women-need-to-get-enough-magnesium.html

Rude RK. Magnesium. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, Cragg GM, Levine M, Moss J, White JD, eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Informa Healthcare; 2010:527-37.

Fine KD, Santa Ana CA, Porter JL, Fordtran JS. Intestinal absorption of magnesium from food and supplements. J Clin Invest 1991;88:396-402.