For years I’ve had trouble sleeping, going to bed between 10 and 11 and waking between 1 and 2, unable to get back to sleep. Two years ago, I went to the sleep clinic at the University of Washington after two months of only an hour or two of sleep each night. The doctor recommended a sleep study; I suggested bloodwork to check for deficiencies or abnormal hormone levels. The doctor agreed to a thyroid test but it came back normal, no other bloodwork was done.
Lately I’ve found that when I take a magnesium supplement, I sleep well. The following article discusses a variety of nutritional deficiencies that can cause insomnia:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_249/ai_114820705
November 2008 Update: Earlier this week, I began acupuncture treatments for insomnia. While it’s only been three nights since treatment began, I have noticed that I am sleeping longer and that when I am awake, I’m not WIDE AWAKE. I’ll report again as treatments progress.
I recently read something suggesting that insomnia and cancers involving the immune system may somehow be linked, and the more people with lymphoma that I meet, the more I think it may somehow be true. I have terrible insomnia even now. Strange to think.
Carrie,
Two months ago I went on magnesium supplements. After decades of sleep deprivation and 5 years of Ambien taken twice at night I am sleeping like a baby. Went off both Ambien and Xanax cold turkey. A bonus – my hyper acusis cured. All within two weeks of starting the supplement.
Also have had both breast and ovarian cancer in the last 4 years despite no risk factors and and extremely healthy life style. Saw that low magnesium signficantly increases risks of all cancer, especially breast cancer.
I’m a believer and this is the first time I feel safe in a long time.
Sue
there are a lot more connections of symptoms to Mg defeicency.