Could Magnesium and TikTok’s ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’ Actually Help You Sleep?

The “drowsiness in drowsiness alcocktail” is exactly what it looks like – a sparkling cherry concoction intended to fall asleep. This homemade Tipple has taken up Tiktok (and the Tea Sleepytime spot on numerous night paintings). The question of whether it really works remains for scientific debate, however. Many sleep experts argue that all the advantages that people can feel likely come from a placebo effect.

This drink is not a “miracle medication”, explains Thomas Kilkenny, director of the Institute of Sleep Medicine of Staten Island University Hospital. Although the tangy cherry juice of the mixture can contain a trace of natural melatonin, Kilkenny says that its inclusion probably has more to do with taste than sleep. The recipe also generally calls for sparkling water, which provides nothing beyond a pleasant Fizz. But the cocktail star ingredient – and the probable source for any real improvement in sleep quality – is an essential common mineral: magnesium.

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Social media health influencers have recently brought magnesium under the spotlight with supplements in the form of capsules, “mood stimulation” powdered drinks, sleep gums and now drowsiness. And while Tiktok has brought a range of dubious health advice, there is a scientific merit to increase your magnesium levels. Nutrient, in appropriate quantities, is vital for human health – from energy production to bone force to regulate blood pressure.

How does magnesium help the body?

If there was a mineral jack-of-trades, many researchers would give honor to magnesium. It is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health.

One of the most important roles in magnesium is to relax the muscles. He came for the same bonding sites on muscle cells as calcium, the molecule that signals the muscles to contact. When magnesium exceeds calcium, it triggers a cell chain reaction which promotes muscle relaxation instead. In people with healthy magnesium levels, muscle cells at rest contain about 10,000 times more magnesium than calcium. People with magnesium deficiency tend to have more trouble loosening muscles, which can cause cramps and spasms.

Magnesium is also vital in the brain, where it helps neurons talk to each other by relaying chemical messages. In addition, as the brain is constantly active, magnesium helps prevent nerve cells from becoming uplestimulated. It serves a similar lens when the body feels too anxious. The brain cells involved in emotional treatment are quickly triggered, triggering the adrenal glands in the kidneys to release the stress cortisol hormone. Magnesium calms the brain by increasing the neurotransmitter inhibitor of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which acts as “brain brakes”, explains Michael Breus, clinical psychologist at The Sleep Wellness Company Doctor. This slows the nerve signaling, giving the brain a temporary break in panic mode. Although magnesium can temporarily calm the brain, supplements should not be used to replace professional care or approved drugs – more research is necessary to fully understand the efficiency of magnesium for anxiety treatments. Persons with clinically diagnosed anxiety should consult health professionals for appropriate treatment options.

How does magnesium help sleep?

The functions of magnesium in the body are the key to its effects on sleep. Muscle stiffness – whether anxious thoughts or a long stressful day at work – can make installation more difficult and have fun. Magnesium can help relax these stressed muscles, and increased Gaba activity also puts your body in a calm state, which can help stabilize mood and anxiety.

In addition, there is more and more evidence that magnesium can reduce certain types of pain. The dull mineral The sensory neurons that signal the brain when there is a wound somewhere in the body and triggers the feeling of pain. “If you don’t sleep particularly well because of [certain kinds of] Pain, magnesium can be very useful, ”explains Breus.

There is currently no student research the effect of magnesium on the individual sleep stages, but Kilkenny issued the hypothesis that someone who takes a magnesium supplement can obtain a few additional minutes of sleep per night, increasing total time at rest. This, in turn, could possibly allow deeper and restful sleep. However, not all magnesium supplements are created equal.

In your local pharmacy, you will probably find several options. Magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate are the active ingredients of most sleeping pills. Between the two, Rifkin recommends taking a magnesium glycinate supplement to help fall asleep more quickly because the intestine tends to absorb it well. Although the magnesium citrate induces a calming effect, it is also a laxative and can irritate the stomach or cause diarrhea.

If you decide to try to use a supplement – or a sleepy girl, for sleep, Kilkenny recommends taking 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed to allow the effects of magnesium. “There is no reason not to try it,” says Kilkenny. “You could feel a little advantages, but don’t expect miracle treatment.”

How many magnesium do people need?

The human body cannot produce magnesium, which means that people must consume enough to respond to the recommended quantities: between 300 and 420 milligrams per day for adults. Supplements are a practical source, although Claire Rifkin, a nutritionist dietitian at Claire Rifkin Nutrition, advises that a person does not take more than 350 milligrams of magnesium supplement per day. Consuming more than this increases the risk of diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea.

The preferred method of magnesium supply is through the diet, say Rifkin and Breus. Many foods, such as black beans, bananas and salmon, are rich in this mineral. Rifkin says that eating regular green leafy vegetables can nourish your body with many other essential vitamins and minerals. “Many Americans do not eat plant-based foods,” she notes, “so that they do not eat foods rich in magnesium to start.”

Breus also says that a significant number of people do not really meet food requirements. Studies have reported that around 10 to 30% of the populations of developed countries are deficient in magnesium – and experts say that real percentages can be much higher because low magnesium diets are so common and that there have been inconsistent measurements of magnesium intake in studies. Magnesium deficiency has been associated with a range of health problems, including chronic insomnia, depression and heart disease, says Kilkenny.

Being more aware of your magnesium intake could be the key to your general health, as well as your sleep. As Breus says, “magnesium is one of the most important minerals you can have.”