A health guru has issued a stark warning for anyone frequently waking in the early hours, specifically between 2-3am, suggesting it’s time to see a doctor as this could be an ominous sign of underlying health issues.
Dr Eric Berg DC, who commands an impressive following of 13million subscribers on his YouTube channel, raised the alarm in his latest video, aptly titled: “This Was DESTROYING My Life”. Dr Berg, a leading figure in the realms of healthy ketosis and intermittent fasting, penned the popular tome ‘The Healthy Keto Plan’ and steers Dr Berg Nutritionals. Though he’s retired from clinical practice, he dedicates himself to doling out health wisdom via social media platforms.
In his proclamation, the wellness authority explains that cortisol, a stress-triggered hormone, should be hitting its daily nadir at around 2am. However, when it spikes instead, it can be responsible for nocturnal awakenings and subsequent sleep disturbances that might wreak havoc on your routine.
To balance wayward cortisol levels that stir up stress, he points to magnesium as a possible ally. Urging viewers to get professional medical advice if magnesium is found lacking, since a shortage could spell trouble for both cortisol and sleep patterns, Dr Berg divulges his personal struggles with shuteye woes.
He said: “How do you go back to sleep if for some reason you wake up between 2-3am in the middle of the night? I would consider myself an expert in insomnia because I had this for over a decade and it was destroying my life. It was not just getting up at 2-3am in the morning, sometimes I wouldn’t even sleep for one minute the entire night, I would lay there. It was basically torture,” reports Surrey Live.
“What’s unique about 2am is something called the circadian rhythm with cortisol. Cortisol should be at the lowest point in this rhythm at 2am and the highest point at 8am. For me everything was backwards I was very awake at 2am, but I was extremely tired at 8am in the morning. I tried everything, I even tried prescription medications, it didn’t work. In fact what I didn’t know at the time was those medications actually worsen and raise your cortisol.”
Poor sleep has been linked with serious health risks like heart problems, dementia, and diabetes. Shedding light on a potential fix, Dr Berg asserts: “One big one is magnesium. Magnesium has the ability to lower cortisol and your cortisol can actually go up if you’re deficient in magnesium.”
Research backs the claims that magnesium may play a role in reducing cortisol levels. Not getting enough magnesium could indeed send your cortisol levels sky-high; the stress hormone could soar when there’s a lack of it. In scenarios chock-full of stress, an insufficient amount of magnesium might just make handling pressure all the more challenging.
Furthermore, muscle relaxation—which can be disturbed by elevated cortisol—is another area where magnesium steps in. It’s also involved in nervous system regulation, potentially leading to a more zen reaction to stress, although digging deeper into the research shows mixed opinions, highlighting a need for further studies to truly grasp how it all comes together.
Here’s what you need to remember about magnesium and cortisol: Stress can severely zap away magnesium from your body, making dealing with stress that bit harder. For easing muscles and keeping them from tensing due to high cortisol, magnesium is essential. And for steering the ship of your nervous system towards calmer waters when faced with stress, magnesium is key.
Research indicates that low magnesium levels can lead to increased cortisol levels, potentially causing symptoms such as anxiety and irritability. Dr Berg said: “If you’re watching right now and you have any tightness in your muscles – your upper back, lower back or if you point your toe and it cramps – that’s a sure sign that you are deficient in magnesium. The type of magnesium that I would recommend taking is something called magnesium glycinate. It can help relax your muscles and reduce cortisol.”
“You want to take it at night before you go to bed. Towards the later part of the morning, right around 6am, is when you have the least amount of magnesium in your tissues, this is also probably why a lot of health problems occur in the early morning – like heart attacks, stroke restless leg syndrome, because a lot of these things are influenced by magnesium.”
He added: “One last indication of magnesium deficiency is twitching, so if you’re getting this twitch underneath your eye or your arm that’s a sure sign that you are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium controls calcium and when you don’t have enough magnesium you get more calcium and the calcium just causes cramping in different areas of the body.”
So, what exactly is magnesium?
Magnesium is a vital mineral that aids in metabolism, energy utilisation, muscle function, and protein usage. Although it’s rare to be deficient in magnesium, it can occur in individuals who struggle to absorb the mineral due to factors such as surgery, severe burns, malabsorption issues, certain medications, or low calcium levels in the blood.
Foods rich in magnesium include: Low magnesium levels can result in sleep problems, including insomnia and various sleep disruptions. This essential mineral plays a significant role in managing the body’s biochemical processes and circadian rhythms, helping you fall asleep and maintain a restful slumber.
Magnesium promotes relaxation by suppressing certain neurotransmitters that stimulate the body while enhancing those that induce calmness. Those with digestive diseases, diabetes, alcohol dependence, and older adults are most susceptible to magnesium deficiency.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can range from low mood, fatigue, headaches, constipation, heart palpitations, numbness, anxiety, irritability, nausea, weakness, twitching, cramping, to cardiac arrhythmia. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s advisable to consult your doctor.
Magnesium supplements could potentially aid in improving symptoms of insomnia. Magnesium glycinate might assist with anxiety, insomnia, and stress, while magnesium chloride could help calm the nervous system.
Studies suggest that taking magnesium supplements could enhance sleep quality, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and alleviate symptoms of insomnia, especially in older individuals with low magnesium levels. If you’ve been diagnosed with a magnesium deficiency, it’s advisable to consult your doctor about the possibility of taking magnesium supplements.
If you frequently experience poor sleep, inform your GP promptly to rule out any other potential medical conditions. What else could be causing poor sleep?
Dr Berg stated: “Low blood sugar can increase cortisol and cause you to wake up at night. If your diet is high in carbs, your blood sugar may decrease while sleeping, and your body will increase cortisol levels to normalise your blood sugar.
“If you’re waking up at 2am, consider what you ate the day before. Refined starches, MSG, alcohol, snacking, and eating late can disrupt sleep. Cravings for salt could indicate a sodium deficiency. Sodium helps reduce cortisol, so if you’re craving salt, add more sea salt to your meals throughout the day.”
Here are some additional sleep tips to help improve your sleep quality at night:.
The health guru shared some insights, noting: “The liver detoxifies the body between 1am and 3am. Night waking during this time frame could signify a problem with the liver. Milk thistle before bed can help.”
They also mentioned, “Restless legs syndrome can be related to a B1 or magnesium deficiency. Lower your carb intake and increase your consumption of these nutrients. A high pulse rate could signify a potassium deficiency, which can also interfere with sleep. Apple cider vinegar before bed can help stabilise blood sugar for better sleep, but make sure it’s diluted.”
