Hours and hours with your eyes open, turning around in the blankets, or walking up and down the house waiting for sleep to arrive. In this situation, many people resort to pharmacological solutions – explains Dr. Vincenzo Tullo, neurologist and headache clinic manager at Humanitas – but do not consider the existence of a valuable natural ally capable of making us sleep better: magnesium. It is a mineral salt that promotes the adaptation of cells to the day-night rhythm, stimulating the body to better synchronize with the time predisposed to rest at night. Magnesium is easily found in many foods, including dried fruit (almonds, walnuts, pistachios), legumes, sardines, octopus, spinach and courgettes. Alternatively, magnesium can be taken with supplements, but it is always better to avoid do-it-yourself therapy and consult a specialist before taking them. To further promote the night’s rest, some simple strategies can be combined with magnesium intake, such as, for example, avoiding activities that excite the nervous system, doing physical activity after dinner, watching television, staying for a long time in front of the computer or playing video games, working or studying until late. These “exciting” activities can be replaced with other activities that relax the nervous system, predisposing us to rest. The choice of activities to do may vary from person to person, but a hot bath, reading a novel, a little meditation or listening to relaxing music are strategies that generally give excellent results against temporary insomnia.
