Restless Leg Syndrome and Insomnia Linked to Magnesium Deficiency

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a form of insomnia characterized by an overwhelming

urge to move the legs when they are at rest. Recent research has found that people
with RLS are deficient in magnesium.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a form of insomnia characterized by an overwhelming

urge to move the legs when they are at rest, especially during sleep. RLS affects about
10% of the people in the U.S. It runs in families and may have a genetic component.
Recent research has found that people with restless leg syndrome are deficient in the
mineral magnesium.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, almost six out of ten Americans report
having insomnia and sleep problems at least a few nights a week. Other types of
insomnia include sleep apnea, which involves interrupted breathing and snoring during
the night; narcolepsy - which causes people to fall asleep throughout the daytime;
insomnia from hormone fluctuations such as with menstruation or menopause; and
insomnia from the use of medications, caffeine or alcohol.

Those who have restless leg syndrome experience unpleasant sensations in the legs
described as creeping, crawling, tingling, pulling, or painful. These sensations usually
occur in the calf area but may be felt anywhere from the thigh to the ankle. People with
RLS often experience chronic insomnia and sleeplessness due to the strong urge to
walk or do other activities to relieve the sensations in their legs.

In one study from the Romanian Journal of Neurology, researchers conducted

biochemical and neurological tests in 10 cases of restless leg syndrome. The
investigators reported important disorders of sleep organization. They found agitated
sleep with frequent periods of nocturnal awakenings and a decrease of the duration and
percentage of the deeper rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – also found in other forms
of insomnia caused by magnesium deficiency. (1)

According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in North
Dakota, “Magnesium plays a key role in the body's chemistry that regulates sleep. This
may be why persons with long-term lack of sleep, or abnormal brain waves during deep
sleep, often have low magnesium in their blood….Magnesium treatment increased deep
sleep and improved brain waves during sleep in 12 elderly subjects. Magnesium
treatment also decreased time to fall asleep and improved sleep quality of 11 alcoholic
patients who often have a low magnesium status.”

Regarding the use of nutritional insomnia remedies containing magnesium for relief of
restless leg syndrome and other sleep problems, certain formulas are more effective
than others. The combination of minerals included and the presence of cofactors in the
product are key. Formulas should contain a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. The
original research on this recommended ratio appeared in 1935 in the Journal of
Physiological Reviews (2) and is made on the basis of long-term metabolic studies in
men and women.

One insomnia remedy showing good results is Sleep Minerals II, made by Nutrition
Breakthroughs in Glendale, CA. This natural sleep remedy contains six types of
calcium, three forms of magnesium, boron, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and horsetail herb - all
combined in a softgel with carrier oils. Oils such as evening primrose have been shown
to increase mineral absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and increase bone density.

Sleep Minerals II has had beneficial results with relieving restless leg syndrome. Ali M.
of Istanbul Turkey says: “I have been a pharmacist in Istanbul Turkey for almost 40
years and I also work as a consultant in food supplements. I suffer from restless leg
syndrome at night. I recently tried your Sleep Minerals II and it had an astonishing
beneficial result. My youngest brother, who is also a pharmacist, also suffers from
restless leg syndrome. He tried the Sleep Minerals II with the same result. My mother
aged 92 was complaining of sleep problems and seeking insomnia remedies. She also
tried it and the result was again successful. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I would
have found it hard to believe."

Many people suffer from restless leg syndrome and some sources have called it an
incurable disease. Regular use of the right kind of mineral supplement just might
provide the needed relief.

For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/

References:

1: Clinical, EEG, electromyographic and polysomnographic studies in restless legs

syndrome caused by magnesium deficiency. Rom J Neurol Psychiatry.1993 Jan-Mar;
31(1):55-61. PubMed PMID: 8363978.

2. Schmidt C.L.A., Greenberg D.M., Physiol Rev, 15: 297.