Zoe Ball has revealed that she used to “really struggle” with an exhausting health condition, but discovered a solution that “really helped”. During a recent episode of the Dig IT podcast, Zoe Ball and co-host Jo Whiley addressed a question from a listener named Alison, who wondered if they woke up during the night or experienced insomnia. She confessed she tuned into the podcast at 3am.
Alison revealed that her sleep had “deteriorated” as she has grown older. Despite attempting everything from medication to sleeping separately, as well as maintaining good sleep hygiene and using meditation apps, she’s experienced no relief from her nocturnal troubles. She concluded her enquiry by asking Zoe and Jo if they had any advice to assist her.
Zoe responded: “Alison, darling girl, I feel your pain; that is so frustrating. I used to really struggle to sleep, and yeah, I used to take a lot of sleeping tablets. And again, you shouldn’t really take those for a long period of time because, you know, they can add to your risk of dementia, but then, the worry of not being able to sleep makes you not be able to sleep.”
She went on: “So, Alison, from me, something which you possibly have tried because it does sound like you might have exhausted all the avenues, once I started taking magnesium at night, I found that really helped.”
Zoe also mentioned that she’d been advised to take baths in magnesium salts, although she confessed that she was unsure how the mineral aids sleep, but it “definitely has made a difference” to her.
Insomnia is a condition characterised by regular sleep issues, with symptoms not only including difficulty falling asleep, but also waking up during the night, lying awake, waking early and struggling to fall back asleep, and finding it hard to nap during the day despite feeling tired, according to the NHS.
The NHS also highlights that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, unlike children, toddlers and babies who require more. Some of the causes of insomnia include depression, anxiety or stress, shift work, temperatures, nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, but it also emphasises that improving your sleeping habits can alleviate the condition.
Some of the suggestions included maintaining the same routine when heading to bed and rising in the morning, attempting to unwind approximately one hour before bedtime (recommending reading or having a bath), regular physical activity and ensuring your bedroom remains both dark and quiet.
Healthline states that magnesium might tackle our sleep difficulties by reducing anxiety and depression whilst assisting people in calming down. It explains that magnesium is a common mineral that proves essential for our health.
Indeed, it plays a role in more than 600 “cellular reactions” in the human body , and amongst its health benefits, supports bone health and the function of the brain, heart and muscles.
Regarding sleep, magnesium might assist your brain and body in relaxing, it adds.
One way it may achieve this is through “activating the parasympathetic nervous system”, which the publication explains is responsible for making you relaxed.
Magnesium also regulates melatonin (a naturally occurring hormone that has a role in the sleep-wake cycle) – in fact, people with insomnia sometimes take a synthetic version of melatonin to aid sleep. It could also help in quieting down the nervous system.
Meanwhile, lacking adequate magnesium could lead to issues with sleep, with research indicating that both excessive and insufficient levels could create sleep issues .
In other news, Zoe has reportedly welcomed a mystery man into her home, discussing the matter on another instalment of her and Jo’s podcast. Zoe, who split from her former partner, Michael Reed, two years ago, revealed this while discussing a product she purchased online that she uses to “whack” her legs and underarms.
She claimed that it helps with circulation, noting that it’s “quite good” for lymphatic drainage, and apparently, the mystery man, whom she refers to as “the lodger”, spotted her using it.
She recalled: “I remember the first time the lodger walked in and saw me doing it, and just sort of turned on his heels.”
Jo then asked the BBC Radio 2 icon if he was “still around”, to which Zoe confirmed that he indeed was. She cryptically mentioned that he was still there at present and “still lodging”, but she did not disclose his identity.
You can learn about insomnia on the NHS website.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
