This is a clear signal to take seriously, according to this sleep doctor.
Few people manage to make a full night without waking up overnight. Even less as aging. According to a survey by the National Institute for Sleep and Vigilance (INSV), more than 7 out of 10 French people declare that they wake up at night, twice on average. Women aged 50 to 65 are the most affected by this problem. “”When these alarm clocks happen recurrently, at a specific time, it is a clear signal“warns Dr. Eric Berg, former health and health educator on his YouTube channel with more than 13 million subscribers.
Faced with this problem for years, the doctor shares his experience: “For more than 10 years, everything was upside down at home: I was very awake at 2 am, but extremely tired at 8 am. It destroyed my life. It was not only a question of getting up at 2 or 3 am, sometimes I did not even sleep a minute of all night, I was lying there. It was a real torture.“He explains in the Surreylive media.
Night awakenings that occur between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. are not trivial. Normally, the cortisol level – a hormone that the body releases in the event of stress – is at its lowest level around 2 am, which means that mechanically, we are supposed to be perfectly relaxed and sleep deep at this hour. This is called “the circadian rhythm”. But in some people, cortisol is at its highest level in the middle of the night, which causes a night awakening and an impossibility of sleeping. According to Dr. Berg, this cortisol disruption would be due to a lack of magnesium: “Magnesium is an essential element that has the capacity to reduce cortisol. It can also increase it in the event of a deficiency.” Lack of magnesium amplifies stress, alters muscle relaxation and distinguishes the nervous system from which these insomnia which, in the long term, can cause heart and cognitive problems.
“”If you feel a tension in your muscles – the upper back, the lower back, if you point your toe and have cramps or if you have an eyelid – it is a certain sign that you lack magnesium“continues the expert. According to him”Anyone who wakes up regularly between 2 and 3 am must make an appointment with a doctor“. He may, if necessary, prescribe Magnesium powder or tablets to take during the evening meal to promote sleep, avoid cortisol peaks at night and night awakenings.
