Since our kidneys 🫘 effectively conserve magnesium, deficiencies are relatively uncommon and can usually* be resolved with a well-balanced diet incorporating foods such as spinach, almonds, beans, lentils, and salmon 🐟. However, the growing prevalence of processed foods in our diet has contributed to a rise 📈 in deficiencies 😫. Processed foods often lack sufficient magnesium due to the manufacturing process, highlighting the importance of prioritising whole foods in our diet 🥰🤞🏻
How does this affect sleep? 😴
Increased magnesium levels are associated with improved sleep quality, prolonged duration of sleep, and reduced daytime fatigue 👏🏻 Therefore, diets that are high 📈 in sugar, salt, and saturated fat, but low 📉 in protein, and vitamin D, combined with limited sunlight ☀️ exposure, are more susceptible to magnesium deficiencies 🆘⚠️.
Additional factors that can contribute to reduced magnesium levels include gastrointestinal problems (such as diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, food allergies, or intolerances ⚠️), medication use (including antibiotics or corticosteroids often prescribed for asthma, allergies, or eczema ⚠️), chronic health conditions (such as celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, or diabetes ⚠️), stress (whether experienced at daycare, kinder, or school ⚠️), illness, and increased perspiration from physical activity or warm weather 🥵.
The recommended daily magnesium intake varies with age, naturally increasing from infancy through adulthood:
0-6 months: 30mg
7-12 months: 75mg
1-3 years: 80mg
4-8 years: 130mg
As an example, 75mg of magnesium can look like:
30g cashews 🥜
½ cup of boiled spinach 🥬, or
20g chia seeds (easily added into a smoothie) 🥰
If despite these changes your baby continues to wake frequently and you need support in consolidating their sleep, please book a consultation or download our Sleep Essentials Guide via www.settletosleep.com.au to restore sleep for you and your family 💫🩷🌸
📖 References
Health Direct. (2023). Foods high in magnesium. www.healthdirect.gov.au/foods-high-in-magnesium
Health Direct. (2023). Magnesium and your health. www.healthdirect.gov.au/magnesium
National Institutes of Health. (2022). Magnesium. ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Magnesium%20is%20a%20cofactor%20in,%2C%20oxidative%20phosphorylation%2C%20and%20glycolysis.