An NHS doctor has shared how a simple, inexpensive supplement may assist people in falling asleep faster, potentially helping those struggling to improve their sleep patterns. Dr. Karan Rajan, also known as Dr. Raj on social media, revealed that he began taking magnesium supplements, which cost as little as 9p per pill, to reset his sleep schedule after experiencing travel-induced insomnia.
Getting between seven and nine hours of sleep each night is crucial for adults to maintain overall health and well-being. Yet, achieving this amount of sleep is often challenging due to various factors such as stress, lifestyle habits, and environmental disruptions. While there are numerous strategies to improve sleep, including regular exercise and maintaining a quiet, dark environment, sometimes these methods are insufficient, as reported by Bristol Live.
Dr. Raj, who frequently shares health advice on TikTok, decided to experiment with magnesium supplementation after struggling to fall asleep while traveling. “I started taking magnesium about three weeks ago during a period of travel when my sleep was messed up,” he explained. “For a few nights, it was taking me more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.” Magnesium is known to have a relaxing effect on muscles and may help lower cortisol levels while regulating neurotransmitters such as GABA, which can promote relaxation and sleep, according to the Mirror.
Dr. Raj noted that magnesium deficiencies can result from factors like poor diet, increased physical demands, reduced absorption in the gut, or fluctuating hormone levels. As he tracked his sleep, he noticed a significant improvement. “In two weeks of taking nightly magnesium, I noticed that my sleep latency, the time it takes to fall asleep, dropped,” he reported. Initially taking up to 38 minutes to fall asleep, he was able to reduce this to just nine minutes after using magnesium.
After achieving better sleep, Dr. Raj stopped taking the supplement, saying, “Maybe coincidence, maybe placebo, maybe just better sleeping habits, but I’ve since stopped because my sleep habits are back on track.” He also referenced a 2021 meta-analysis in the BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies journal, which found that magnesium supplementation reduced sleep onset latency by over 17 minutes in older adults with insomnia. However, Dr. Raj pointed out that more research is needed to fully understand magnesium’s effect on sleep.
Despite these uncertainties, Dr. Raj believes magnesium could be an affordable option for those seeking to improve their sleep, especially considering its relatively low cost and minimal side effects. “Magnesium could be a low-cost experiment in someone’s sleep journey,” he said. However, he stressed that fundamental sleep practices, like consistent bedtimes and reducing blue light exposure, should still be prioritized.
He also cautioned that high doses of magnesium could cause diarrhea, and advised using magnesium glycinate for better absorption in the gut. Currently, a bottle of 120 magnesium glycinate tablets can be purchased for £10.95, which works out to just over 9p per tablet. An NHS doctor has shared how a simple, inexpensive supplement may assist people in falling asleep faster, potentially helping those struggling to improve their sleep patterns. Dr. Karan Rajan, also known as Dr. Raj on social media, revealed that he began taking magnesium supplements, which cost as little as 9p per pill, to reset his sleep schedule after experiencing travel-induced insomnia.
Getting between seven and nine hours of sleep each night is crucial for adults to maintain overall health and well-being. Yet, achieving this amount of sleep is often challenging due to various factors such as stress, lifestyle habits, and environmental disruptions. While there are numerous strategies to improve sleep, including regular exercise and maintaining a quiet, dark environment, sometimes these methods are insufficient.
Dr. Raj, who frequently shares health advice on TikTok, decided to experiment with magnesium supplementation after struggling to fall asleep while traveling. “I started taking magnesium about three weeks ago during a period of travel when my sleep was messed up,” he explained. “For a few nights, it was taking me more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.” Magnesium is known to have a relaxing effect on muscles and may help lower cortisol levels while regulating neurotransmitters such as GABA, which can promote relaxation and sleep.
Dr. Raj noted that magnesium deficiencies can result from factors like poor diet, increased physical demands, reduced absorption in the gut, or fluctuating hormone levels. As he tracked his sleep, he noticed a significant improvement. “In two weeks of taking nightly magnesium, I noticed that my sleep latency, the time it takes to fall asleep, dropped,” he reported. Initially taking up to 38 minutes to fall asleep, he was able to reduce this to just nine minutes after using magnesium.
After achieving better sleep, Dr. Raj stopped taking the supplement, saying, “Maybe coincidence, maybe placebo, maybe just better sleeping habits, but I’ve since stopped because my sleep habits are back on track.” He also referenced a 2021 meta-analysis in the BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies journal, which found that magnesium supplementation reduced sleep onset latency by over 17 minutes in older adults with insomnia. However, Dr. Raj pointed out that more research is needed to fully understand magnesium’s effect on sleep.
Despite these uncertainties, Dr. Raj believes magnesium could be an affordable option for those seeking to improve their sleep, especially considering its relatively low cost and minimal side effects. “Magnesium could be a low-cost experiment in someone’s sleep journey,” he said. However, he stressed that fundamental sleep practices, like consistent bedtimes and reducing blue light exposure, should still be prioritized.
He also cautioned that high doses of magnesium could cause diarrhea, and advised using magnesium glycinate for better absorption in the gut. Currently, a bottle of 120 magnesium glycinate tablets can be purchased for £10.95, which works out to just over 9p per tablet.
