Magnesium Nutrition and Sleep Behavior in Older Adults

Magnesium Nutrition and Sleep Behavior in Older Adults

Insomnia is not a natural part of aging but is higher in older adults because of a variety of factors common in later life. One of these factors may be a deficient magnesium status. This study will look at whether or not magnesium supplementation will improve sleep.

Insomnia affects approximately one-third of older Americans. More than half of all people aged 65 and older experience sleep problems. The prevalence of insomnia and other sleep disorders is not a natural part of aging but is high in older adults because of a variety of factors common in late life. One of those factors may be a deficient magnesium status. There is a close association between sleep architecture, especially slow wave sleep, and activity in the glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system. Because magnesium is a natural N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)antagonist and GABA agonist, magnesium apparently plays a key role in the regulation of sleep. Such a role is supported by supplementation, correlation, and animal studies showing that magnesium intake or status affects sleep organization.

Inclusion Criteria:

• have sleep complaints
• Score greater than 5 on Pittsburgh Global Sleep Quality Index

Exclusion Criteria:

• taking medications that affect sleep
• taking 100 milligrams or more of magnesium
• body mass index of 40 or higher
• abnormal breathing conditions