Sleep challenges can be a huge issue in perimenopause and menopause. You may have already experienced them, since you have tuned into this article, and you may be wondering what you can do to get the restorative rest you and your body desperately need and deserve. 

Granted, there are lots of natural sleep aids out there: some of them work great for some women while others do not. What helps your best friend who is going through the menopause experience with you may not help you at all or only modestly. Herbal teas and supplements have benefits for some users, and listening to white or green noise may be a lullaby to certain menopausal ears. Bedtime meditation or visualization can also work wonders. 

Read about menopause and sleep problems

But sometimes women in perimenopause and menopause need something more to help them get the sleep they need. Perhaps it’s time to add something new to your sleep efforts.

Magnesium: the sleep mineral

Quite simply, it may be time to try magnesium. This common, safe mineral is known for its participation in hundreds of processes in the body and more than 300 involving metabolism alone. Among its many virtues is its ability to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, reduce awakenings during the night, and provide restful sleep overall. 

We all need magnesium for cardiovascular health and scores of other everyday bodily functions and processes, yet many of us don’t get enough through diet. Experts tell us that “most cases of magnesium deficiency are undiagnosed,” and that’s because measuring serum magnesium doesn’t reflect the 99 percent of total magnesium in the body. Magnesium levels have also declined in our food crops, and eating processed foods doesn’t contribute to our need for this mineral. 

The need for magnesium can be greater in various times of our lives, including menopause, and it has been found to be especially helpful for alleviating related symptoms, including sleep issues.  

Read about what to expect when taking supplements

What you should know about magnesium for sleep

First of all, including magnesium-rich foods in your diet is a must. Focus on organic choices since they are more likely to contain greater levels of the mineral. Among the foods providing magnesium are dark green leafy veggies, lentils, beans, cashews, almonds, seeds (e.g., pumpkin, chia, sesame), and amaranth. Women in perimenopause and menopause should get 320 to 400 mg of magnesium daily. 

Supplementing with a high-quality magnesium supplement to aid sleep is your next step. Sleepus, our proprietary sleep supplement, provides a superior form of magnesium—magnesium bisglycinate chelate—that promotes relaxation, improves the quality of sleep, and increases heart rate variability. A higher heart rate variability has been tied to greater overall quality of sleep. 

This supplement also contains a few other natural ingredients that support sleep:

• Lactium, which helps regulate levels of the stress hormone cortisol so you can achieve restful sleep. Did you know stress and anxiety are the main reasons why you wake up in the middle of the night, usually around 2 to 4 AM?
• L-theanine, an amino acid that aids relaxation and helps you fall asleep faster 
• Melatonin (micronized and sustained release), which is a highly absorbable form of melatonin that is released slowly over six hours to aid longer lasting sleep

Research on magnesium and sleep

Numerous studies have shown that magnesium supplementation can improve total sleep time, time it takes to fall asleep, and sleep quality. In a study of 151 older adults, for example, magnesium supplementation (500 mg daily for eight weeks) improved the time it took to fall asleep and total length of sleep as well as reduced the number of time the participants woke up during the night and increased melatonin levels. Some researchers suggest that magnesium may relax the central nervous system and participate in chemical processes that increase sleepiness. 

Bottom line

If you are struggling with sleep issues and haven’t tried magnesium, you may be pleasantly surprised once you try Sleepus. Sleepus offers a superior blend of the mineral along with several other natural ingredients that support and promote sleep and relaxation and without side effects. Allow a few weeks or more to experience results.