Each year post-40 can tend to hit a little different, right? Maybe you don’t recuperate as easily as you used to, Your body can start to feel  a little more achy. And you may start to experience sleep disturbances. Then there is the added stress of being the sandwich generation -caring for aging parents and children, all while working and balancing a career.  

I think one of the biggest complaints I hear from women in perimenopause and menopause is sleep issues. Not just the occasional restless night but what could qualify as insomnia.

Over 70 million Americans suffer from insomnia or poor sleep quality. If you’re one of them, the key to improving your sleep wellness might be magnesium.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps the body perform vital activities in the brain, heart, muscles, and digestive system. It aids in over 600 cellular functions—yet studies show that 50% of Americans don’t consume enough magnesium.

Your body already contains the mineral magnesium, which helps muscle and nerve functions, but you can also apply it topically and enjoy a soothing effect to achieve the body balance you’re looking for. By integrating pure magnesium into your daily routine, you may seek multiple benefits.

Research shows that magnesium helps to regulate neurotransmitters, or the chemical messengers, in your brain. Magnesium may also help with better sleep through its interaction with your nervous system. Magnesium can also play a large role in relaxation, helping to reach a deeper level of quality sleep.

Who is magnesium right for?

The short answer: all of us can benefit from Magnesium. magnesium plays a critical role in how our bodies function, and, therefore, how we feel.

The most accurate way to tell if you’re magnesium deficient is by taking a blood test at your doctor’s office. Symptoms of Magnesium deficiency include appetite loss, nausea, fatigue, and muscle spasms. Additionally, if you suffer from chronic insomnia, or insomnia that has lasted longer than a month, magnesium might help. Long-lasting insomnia could indicate that your body is not absorbing enough magnesium in your diet to regulate sleep and rest properly.

Benefits of using topical magnesium

Science has shown the benefits of taking magnesium before bed can help you fall asleep faster, sleep more efficiently, and wake up more refreshed.

but sig topical magnesium does much more and can help by:

• Relaxing your muscles
• Calming your nervous system
• Improving your sleep quality
• Helping you fall asleep faster
• Decreasing stress
• Promoting natural melatonin production

How magnesium works to aid stress and sleep

Magnesium can help regulate neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers) in the brain that activate calming mechanisms in both the nervous system and muscles.

Let’s take a look at how this works:

• Magnesium balances neurotransmitters – GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the primary neurotransmitter in the brain that brings you down from an excited or stressed state to a calm and relaxed one. Magnesium helps regulate natural levels of GABA, as well as the regulation of the “excitable” neurotransmitter, glutamate, to help you feel calm before bed and more awake during the day.
• Magnesium regulates the nervous system – Your nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic part activates the brain, while the parasympathetic helps you wind down, especially in times of stress. Magnesium regulates both of these parts of the nervous system, which can help ease a racing mind or tense muscles before falling asleep.
• Magnesium promotes melatonin production – Melatonin is a hormone your body produces to help you fall asleep and regulate your sleep cycle. Sometimes, environmental factors or health issues inhibit natural melatonin production, which can cause insomnia or poor sleep quality. Magnesium encourages your body to regulate melatonin levels, which can further aid in falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer.

If you’re looking for a natural sleep aid that can also benefit other parts of your health and wellbeing, Magnesium is it.

A new bedtime routine to improve sleep wellness and soreness

Ready to update your bedtime routine? Try using magnesium one to two hours before your head hits the pillow.

My favorite way to relax prefer bed is taking a relaxing bath with magnesium salts, followed by using a magnesium cream to sink deeply into my skin. As our skin is our largest organ, Magnesium can penetrate deeply into your skin. I love this one from Life-Flo because it has a lovely vanilla scent too that is coming and soothing before bed.

When I started following this routine before bed, my sleep improved exponentially.

Where does Life-flo Magnesium come from? 

Our pure magnesium chloride is mined from the Netherland’s ancient Zechstein Seabed. This location is considered one of the world’s finest sources for pure magnesium. Found 1,600 to 2,000 meters beneath the earth’s surface, the seabed offers pristine, high quality magnesium far from modern pollution and enriched with trace elements from ancient seawater.

Taking a magnesium bath

Life-flo Pure Magnesium Flakes are highly concentrated. Add one to three cups of our flakes to a warm bath, then soak as needed to soothe and refresh overused muscles, hydrate skin all over and promote a calm, relaxed state of mind. Or try it as a warming foot soak for optimal relaxation when you’ve been on your feet too long. It hydrates your skin, while bringing balance to your body and mind. 

How do I use magnesium lotion? 

This is the ultimate relaxation lotion at the end of a long day. Designed to soothe and refresh overused muscles and joints while also hydrating dry skin, take time to massage into your skin for a self-care moment. If you wake up feeling sore from a poor night’s sleep, smooth on some magnesium lotion to wake up your muscles and start your day feeling refreshed. Keep some in your car or at your desk for little hand massages throughout the day. Then wind down by luxuriating in a soothing massage before you hit the pillow. Using magnesium helps keep your mind and body balanced no matter what your to-do list says. 

The Pure Magnesium Oil Spray is great too [for reaching places like] your back on your own.

Then there is the TikTok viral Magnesium Sport Roll-On. I love to roll it on my feet before bed.

Magnesium is a powerful nutrient that can promote better sleep, relax you day or night, and provide essential functionality to the entire body. Adding a proper amount of Magnesium to your daily intake may help to turn sleepless nights into natural, meditative calm.

Shop the entire line of Life-flo products here.