Key Takeaways. Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for many bodily functions, including muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, and bone health. Magnesium can help improve sleep quality and reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea by relaxing muscles, reducing inflammation, and regulating melatonin.
Their findings showed that anyone with OSA is at risk for having low levels of magnesium and improving those levels may help in the treatment of both OSA and magnesium deficiency. More research is, of course, needed to be sure, but it's safe to say magnesium helps OSA.
Vitamins C, D, E, B6 and B12 all play a significant role in health and each of these has been shown to be very effective in combating sleep apnea and helping ensure good health.
In general, magnesium seems to have minimal side effects, and taking low doses is unlikely to cause much harm. According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy adults can safely take up to 350 milligrams of supplemental magnesium daily. Anything at or below that level is unlikely to cause any adverse health effects.
Magnesium glycinate is considered to be the most effective type of magnesium for bettering sleep, as it may help relax both the nervous system and your muscles. This product doesn't include any other added ingredients and is suitable for those seeking a supplement for both sleep and general use.
Now, researchers have shown a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and a higher rate of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Researchers in Dublin, Ireland reported the higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with OSA.
A breathing device, such as a CPAP machine, is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. A CPAP machine provides constant air pressure in your throat to keep the airway open when you breathe in. Breathing devices work best when you also make healthy lifestyle changes.
According to a collective study by the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, the medications that exacerbate sleep apnea symptoms (and should be avoided if you have the condition) include: Benzodiazepines, including Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan. Opiates, including OxyContin, Vicodin, and morphine.
Patients are sometimes treated with a machine that blows air into the patient's airway through a face mask, but no drug treatments exist. In an advance that may change that, MIT researchers have discovered that a dietary supplement called yohimbine reverses the root cause of obstructive sleep apnea in an animal model.
Magnesium sulfate is a bronchodilator. It relaxes the bronchial muscles and expands the airways, allowing more air to flow in and out of the lungs. This can relieve symptoms of asthma, such as shortness of breath.
Magnesium may help stop an asthma attack by: Relaxing and opening your airways. Calming inflammation in your airways. Blocking chemicals that cause muscle spasms.
Congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are some of the conditions that may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, prior stroke and chronic lung diseases such as asthma also can increase risk.
Heart damage and heart failure. Sleep apnea causes an increase in pressure in the blood vessels around your heart and on some of the chambers of your heart itself. That pressure increase puts a strain on your heart, ultimately causing damage to the heart muscle itself.
OSA is a chronic disease that involves repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep. These breathing pauses can prevent your body from supplying enough oxygen to the brain. In severe cases this lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage. Signs of this damage include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and moodiness.
Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that untreated OSA accelerates the biological aging process and that just one year of CPAP treatment can slow or possibly reverse the trend.
Even though the symptoms can be treated, usually with the help of oral appliances, CPAP machines, or other forms of sleep apnea therapy, the condition itself is chronic and cannot be cured entirely. This means that your best bet is mitigating the symptoms and making lifestyle changes to lessen its effect on you.
Sleep Apnea FAQs
The life expectancy of a patient with sleep apnea who is under 50 years old is between 8 and 18 years. If patients receive the treatment they are likely to live longer, with fewer excess health complications than those who do not receive treatment.
In most cases, magnesium starts working within a week, since it's a fast-acting nutrient. You need to take it consistently to reduce anxiety and help you relax.
How long does it take for magnesium to work for sleep? The benefits of magnesium are often associated with long-term use, so it's important to take your supplement consistently. We recommend daily use for at least three months to see the full effects on sleep.
Taking magnesium supplements can bring a range of side effects, such as drowsiness or fatigue during the day, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, skin flushing or diarrhea, Gurubhagavatula said. Some risks are even more serious.