Magnesium emerges as a popular sleep supplement
The aid is safe when taken in small amounts, says UCI Health expert
December 21, 2023
Dr. Rami Khayat is the medical director of UCI Health Sleep Medicine
Services.
Credit: Steve Zylius/UCI.
IN THE NEWS: While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suggested that adults between 18 and 64 receive seven to nine hours of sleep every day, more than one-third of adults in the U.S. report receiving less than seven hours of sleep.
It’s little wonder then that sleep supplements are on the rise.
One of the most popular is magnesium, which has been heralded for its calming effects and helping facilitate restful sleep.
Dr. Rami N. Khayat, the medical director of the UCI Health Sleep Medicine Services, shares with Women’s Health what he tells his patients about the supplement.
"I recommend that patients decide what benefit they're trying to get from the supplement, and then take it semi-regularly for two to three weeks. If it's not working, they can either abandon it completely or try a different brand or preparation. If it works, they can take it regularly — it's not harmful if it remains in a limited dose."
Khayat is a professor at the UCI School of Medicine. He is a board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist who is a nationally recognized expert in sleep-disordered breathing.
He is the author or co-author of many peer-reviewed publications and has received several grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and medical device companies. He has frequently served on review panels for the NIH, the Department of Veterans Affairs and industry. He is currently a leader for an NIH-funded multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the impact of low-flow oxygen on patients with heart failure and central sleep apnea.
Read more
