Low magnesium can cause various health problems (stock image) (Image: Getty )
A medical expert is cautioning that anyone who regularly wakes up between 2-3am should schedule a GP appointment, as it may signify an underlying health issue. Dr Eric Berg, DC, imparted the advice on his YouTube channel, which boasts over 14 million subscribers, in a video titled: “This Was DESTROYING My Life”.
Dr Berg has a specialism in healthy ketosis and intermittent fasting. He penned the bestselling book The Healthy Keto Plan and serves as the director of Dr Berg Nutritionals. Although he’s now withdrawn from clinical practice, he continues to commit himself to health education via social media platforms.
According to the medical professional, cortisol – the body’s stress hormone – should reach its lowest level around 2am, yet for some, it peaks instead. This can trigger late-night waking and various sleep disturbances, seriously disrupting daily functioning.
Magnesium plays a pivotal role in managing cortisol levels, a hormone the body produces during periods of stress, reports the Mirror. Dr Berg advises seeking medical attention if they suspect low magnesium levels, as a deficiency can disrupt cortisol regulation and sleep quality.
Opening up about his personal battle with disrupted sleep, he said: “How do you go back to sleep if for some reason you wake up between 2-3am in the middle of the night?”
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“I would consider myself an expert in insomnia because I had this for over a decade and it was destroying my life. It was not just getting up at 2-3am in the morning, sometimes I wouldn’t even sleep for one minute the entire night, I would lay there. It was basically torture.
“What’s unique about 2am is something called the circadian rhythm with cortisol. Cortisol should be at the lowest point in this rhythm at 2am and the highest point at 8am. For me everything was backwards I was very awake at 2am, but I was extremely tired at 8am in the morning.
“I tried everything, I even tried prescription medications, it didn’t work. In fact what I didn’t know at the time was those medications actually worsen and raise your cortisol.”
Poor sleep has been linked to severe health problems, including heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. Speaking about ways to lower cortisol, Dr Berg said: “One big one is magnesium. Magnesium has the ability to lower cortisol and your cortisol can actually go up if you’re deficient in magnesium.”
Scientific research indicates that magnesium may assist in lowering cortisol levels. A magnesium shortage can result in heightened cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone.
Without adequate magnesium, your body’s stress response can become intensified, though research outcomes on this topic remain somewhat mixed, and further study is needed to fully understand its impact.
Key facts about magnesium and cortisol:
Dr Berg continued: “If you’re watching right now and you have any tightness in your muscles – your upper back, lower back or if you point your toe and it cramps – that’s a sure sign that you are deficient in magnesium. The type of magnesium that I would recommend taking is something called magnesium glycinate. It can help relax your muscles and reduce cortisol.
“You want to take it at night before you go to bed. Towards the later part of the morning, right around 6am, is when you have the least amount of magnesium in your tissues, this is also probably why a lot of health problems occur in the early morning – like heart attacks, stroke restless leg syndrome, because a lot of these things are influenced by magnesium.
“One last indication of magnesium deficiency is twitching, so if you’re getting this twitch underneath your eye or your arm that’s a sure sign that you are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium controls calcium and when you don’t have enough magnesium you get more calcium and the calcium just causes cramping in different areas of the body.”
Eating certain foods a few hours before bed could help (Image: Getty)
Magnesium-rich foods include:
- Soy products (milk, flour, tofu)
- Legumes and seeds
- Nuts (almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts)
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- Whole grain breads and cereals (brown rice, millet)
- Fruit (bananas, dried apricots, etc.)
- Vegetables, particularly dark green, leafy vegetables (artichokes, chard, beet greens, avocados)
- Dried beans (lima, black-eyed peas, navy)
What is magnesium?
Magnesium performs a crucial role in our bodies, aiding metabolism, energy utilisation, muscle function, and protein utilisation. Whilst magnesium deficiency is comparatively uncommon, it can develop in people who struggle to absorb magnesium due to factors such as surgery, severe burns, malabsorption, certain medications, or inadequate calcium levels in the bloodstream.
Insufficient magnesium levels can lead to sleep issues, including insomnia and various sleep disturbances. This crucial mineral plays a key role in regulating the body’s biochemical processes and circadian rhythms, helping you fall asleep and maintain high-quality sleep.
Magnesium promotes relaxation by inhibiting certain neurotransmitters that stimulate the body, whilst boosting those that create a calming effect.
Those with digestive disorders, diabetes, alcohol dependency, and the elderly are at the greatest risk of magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency may include low mood, fatigue, headaches, constipation, heart palpitations, numbness, anxiety, irritability, nausea, weakness, twitching, cramping, or cardiac arrhythmia.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s recommended to seek advice from your GP. Magnesium supplements might help alleviate symptoms of insomnia.
Magnesium glycinate could assist with anxiety, insomnia, and stress, whilst magnesium chloride may help relax the nervous system. Research suggests that magnesium supplements might reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, improve sleep quality, and alleviate symptoms of insomnia – particularly among older adults with insufficient magnesium levels.
If you’re diagnosed with a magnesium deficiency, it’s wise to discuss with your doctor whether magnesium supplements are appropriate for you. If persistent sleep problems are affecting you, inform your GP promptly to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
What other factors contribute to poor sleep?
Dr Berg clarified: “Low blood sugar can increase cortisol and cause you to wake up at night. If your diet is high in carbs, your blood sugar may decrease while sleeping, and your body will increase cortisol levels to normalize your blood sugar.
“If you’re waking up at 2am, evaluate what you ate the day before. Refined starches, MSG, alcohol, snacking, and eating late can disturb sleep. Salt cravings can signify a sodium deficiency. Sodium helps lower cortisol, so add more sea salt to your meals throughout the day if you’re having salt cravings.”
Sleep recommendations that could help you:
- Avoid suspense and action movies before bed
- Avoid blue light before bed
- Get plenty of sunlight during the day
- Go for long walks
- Exercise to release excess energy
The health expert also stated: “The liver detoxifies the body between 1am and 3am. Night waking during this time frame could signify a problem with the liver. Milk thistle before bed can help.
“Restless legs syndrome can be related to a B1 or magnesium deficiency. Lower your carb intake and increase your consumption of these nutrients. A high pulse rate could signify a potassium deficiency, which can also interfere with sleep. Apple cider vinegar before bed can help stabilise blood sugar for better sleep, but make sure it’s diluted.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
