Anyone who wakes up between 2 and 3am urged to see doctor for important reason

A health expert has sounded the alarm for anyone frequently waking up during the witching hours, specifically between 2-3am, indicating it might be time to consult a doctor as this could flag potential underlying health problems.

Dr Eric Berg DC, boasting an impressive 13 million followers on YouTube, highlighted the concern in his most recent upload, pointedly named: "This Was DESTROYING My Life". Dr Berg, known for his expertise in healthy ketosis and intermittent fasting, authored the well-received 'The Healthy Keto Plan' and has a line of nutritional products.

Though no longer practicing clinically, he remains devoted to sharing health tips across social media channels.

In his warning, the health specialist mentions that cortisol levels should naturally be at their lowest around 2am, yet a surge during this period may cause middle-of-the-night wakefulness and disrupt sleep, potentially messing up your daily routine.

To counteract rogue cortisol surges linked with stress, Dr Berg suggests magnesium could be a beneficial countermeasure. He recommends getting medical advice if you're deficient in magnesium, as this shortfall can interfere with both cortisol balance and sleep patterns, sharing his own experiences with sleep issues, reports the Mirror.

He explained: "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.

"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."

Highlighting the serious health risks associated with poor sleep, such as heart problems, dementia, and diabetes, Dr Berg suggests a potential remedy: "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 supports the idea that magnesium may help reduce cortisol levels. A lack of magnesium could potentially cause your cortisol levels to skyrocket, making it more difficult to manage stress in high-pressure situations.

Additionally, magnesium plays a role in muscle relaxation, which can be disrupted by high cortisol levels. It's also involved in regulating the nervous system, possibly leading to a calmer response to stress. However, further research is needed as there are mixed opinions on this matter.

It's important to remember that stress can significantly deplete your body's magnesium levels, making it harder to cope with stress. Magnesium is crucial for relaxing muscles and preventing them from tensing due to high cortisol levels.

It's also key in guiding your nervous system towards a calmer state when dealing with stress.

Low magnesium levels could be causing your anxiety and irritability, warns Dr Berg, highlighting some tell-tale symptoms. "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 also pointed out another symptom not to ignore: "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 folks, it might be worth asking – are you getting enough magnesium?

Magnesium, a crucial mineral that supports metabolism, energy use, muscle function and protein absorption, is rarely deficient in individuals. However, those with issues absorbing the mineral due to surgery, severe burns, malabsorption problems, certain medications or low blood calcium levels may experience deficiency.

Foods packed with magnesium can help combat sleep issues like insomnia and other sleep disruptions. This vital mineral plays a key role in managing our body's biochemical processes and circadian rhythms, aiding in falling asleep and ensuring a peaceful night's rest.

By suppressing certain neurotransmitters that stimulate the body and enhancing those that promote calmness, magnesium encourages relaxation. Those most at risk of magnesium deficiency include individuals with digestive diseases, diabetes, alcohol dependence, and older adults.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can vary from low mood, fatigue, headaches, constipation, heart palpitations, numbness, anxiety, irritability, nausea, weakness, twitching, cramping, to cardiac arrhythmia. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's recommended to seek medical advice.

Supplements containing magnesium could potentially improve symptoms of insomnia. Magnesium glycinate might assist with anxiety, insomnia, and stress, while magnesium chloride could help soothe the nervous system.

Popping magnesium supplements might just be the ticket to a better night's sleep, especially for older folks running low on the mineral, studies suggest. If you're tossing and turning with insomnia, it could be worth a chat with your GP about giving magnesium supplements a go if you've got a deficiency.

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