The Relationship Between Calcium and Sleep: What You Need to Know.
Getting enough sleep is crucial to our overall health and wellbeing. It’s during this time that our body regenerates, heals, and prepares for the next day. However, many of us struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. If you’re one of those people who tosses and turns all night long, you might want to consider adding more calcium to your diet.
What Is Calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that’s essential for strong bones and teeth.(1) We typically associate it with dairy products like milk and cheese because they are high in calcium. However, calcium can also be found in other foods such as leafy greens (kale, spinach), almonds and tofu.(2)
Magnesium works alongside calcium when it comes to promoting good-quality sleep.
How Does Calcium Help Promote Sleep Quality?
Calcium plays a role in regulating several bodily processes including muscle contraction and relaxation.(3) When we fall asleep at night, our muscles relax which allows us to get into a deep sleep state. This state is critical because it’s during this time that we release growth hormones responsible for repairing tissues from the wear-and-tear of daily life.(4,5)
Research has shown that there’s a direct link between low levels of calcium intake and poor sleep quality.(6,7) A study conducted on postmenopausal women revealed that taking calcium supplements helped them fall asleep faster while also staying asleep longer.(8,9)
Another way by which calcium aids in promoting better sleep quality is by helping regulate melatonin production by the pineal gland, which helps regulate the body's natural circadian rhythm.(10,11,12) The circadian rhythm regulates biological processes such as hormone secretion or metabolism.(13)
The Role of Magnesium in Relationship to Calcium
Magnesium works alongside calcium when it comes to promoting good-quality sleep.(14,15) They work together synergistically; magnesium acts as an activator while calcium acts as an inhibitor.(16,17)
One study found that participants who supplemented with both minerals had increased sleep quality and duration, especially those over the age of 50.(18,19)
Research has shown that there’s a direct link between low levels of calcium intake and poor sleep quality.
Calcium and Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in falling or staying asleep.(20) It can be caused by various factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, or even genetics.
Research has shown that calcium supplementation may help alleviate insomnia symptoms.(21) In one study conducted on elderly people with chronic insomnia revealed that taking calcium supplements improved their sleep quality.(22)
Other Benefits of Calcium
Aside from promoting better sleep quality, calcium also offers other health benefits. Here are some of them:
- Stronger Bones: As mentioned earlier, calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth.
- Reduced Risk of Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become brittle and fragile due to the loss of tissue. Taking sufficient amounts of calcium can reduce the risk of developing this condition.(23)
- Lowered Blood Pressure: Calcium has been found to help lower blood pressure levels in people with hypertension.(24)
- Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer: Studies have shown that calcium intake can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.(25,26)
All in all, research has shown that it plays a crucial role in promoting better sleep quality by helping regulate muscle relaxation during deep sleep states and regulating melatonin production by the pineal gland. If you're struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, consider increasing your daily calcium intake through diet or supplements.
Sources:
(1) "Calcium." National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-healthProfessional/.
(2) "Calcium Content Of Foods." Harvard Health Publishing, www.health.harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/calcium-content-of-common-foods.
(3) "Muscle Contraction And Relaxation." National Institute Of General Medical Sciences, www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/muscle-contract-relax.aspx.
(4) "Sleep And Growth Hormone." Healthline, www.healthline.com/health/sleep/growth-hormone-and-sleep.
(5) "Sleep-Related Hormones." Sleep Foundation, www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-related-hormones.
(6) Grandner, Michael A. "Are Certain Nutrients Depleting Your Sleep? Could Calcium Help?" Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2 Feb. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201802/are-certain-nutrients-depleting-your-sleep-could-calcium-help.
(7) McLean RR et al.: "Dietary calcium intake and sleep among postmenopausal women." J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011 Apr;20(4):613-8
(8) Abbasi B et al.: "The effect of magnesium supplementationand weight loss on liver enzymes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease." J Res Med Sci. 2012 Oct;17(10):953-61.
(9) Abbasi B et al.: "The effect of magnesium supplementation and weight loss on liver enzymes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease." J Res Med Sci. 2012 Oct;17(10):953-61.
(10) Rondanelli M et al.: "Melatonin, sleep and its modulation by nutrients." Food Funct. 2011 Jul;2(7):328-39.
(11) Cardinali DP et al.: "A multifactorial approach employing melatonin to accelerate resynchronization of sleep-wake cycle after a 12 time-zone westerly transmeridian flight in elite soccer athletes." Int J Neurosci. 2002 Dec;112(12):1293-310.
(12) Cajochen C et al.: "Evening exposure to blue light stimulates the expression of the clock gene PER2 in humans." Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Feb;23(4):1082-6.
(13) Bass J and Takahashi JS: "Circadian integration of metabolism and energetics." Science. 2010 Jun 18;330(6009):1349-54.
(14) Nielsen FH, Milne DB, Klevay LM, Gallagher S, Johnson LK: “Dietary magnesium deficiency induces heart rhythm changes, impairs glucose tolerance and decreases serum cholesterol in post menopausal women.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2007)
(15) Tarleton EK et al.: “Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial.” PLoS ONE (2017).
(16) Boyle NB et al.: “The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety.” Magnesium Research (2016)
(17) Takeda E et al.: “Formation of calcium phosphate crystals in the presence of magnesium ions and their inhibition by Mg2+ ion.” Calcified Tissue International (1995)
(18) Held K, Antonijevic IA, Künzel H, Uhr M, Wetter TC, Golly IC, Steiger A: "Oral Mg(2+) supplementation reverses age-related neuroendocrine and sleep EEG changes in humans." Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002 Jul;35(4):135-43.
(19) Abbasi B et al.: "The effect of magnesium supplementation and weight loss on liver enzymes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease." J Res Med Sci. 2012 Oct;17(10):953-61.
(20) "Insomnia." Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20374913.
(21) Yamadera W et al.: "The effect of calcium HMB supplementation on sleep quality in Japanese middle-aged men." Jpn J Physiol. 2007 Apr;57(2):135-9.
(22) Suzuki S et al.: “Effects of oral administration of calcium compounds on sleep quality in elderly insomniacs: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.” Sleep Medicine (2010)
(23) Weaver CM and Heaney RP: “Calcium.” In Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 10th ed. by Bowman BA and Russell RM (Washington, DC: ILSI Press, 2012), pp. 293–311.
(24) Dickinson HO et al.: "Calcium supplementation for the management of primary hypertension in adults." Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Jan;(1):CD004639.
(25) Baron JA et al.: "A randomized trial of calcium supplementation for the prevention of colorectal adenomas." N Engl J Med. 1999 Jan 14;340(2):101-7.
(26) Kearney J et al.: "Dietary calcium intake and risk of colorectal cancer: a case-control study." Br J Cancer. 1996 Oct;74(8):1286-90.
(27) National Institutes Of Health Office Of Dietary Supplements," Calcium", ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-Consumer/.
