Magnesium and Insomnia Insomnia is a common sleep disorder where you have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. People with insomnia experience a lack of energy and don’t feel refreshed in the morning. They may also struggle with excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability, anxiety, or depression. Research shows that magnesium may help improve insomnia symptoms. In a study of elderly patients with insomnia, taking 500 mg of magnesium daily for eight weeks improved many subjective and objective measures of insomnia. The patients: Fell asleep faster and slept longer Increased their sleep efficiency, meaning they spent more time sleeping while they were in bed Woke up later and reduced early morning awakening Experienced increased concentrations of melatonin, a sleep hormone, and serum renin which plays a role in regulating blood pressure Experienced decreased concentrations of serum cortisol, the “stress hormone”

Melatonin use has drastically increased in the U.S. in recent years, and many are taking high doses of the supplement and using it as a sleeping pill.

Some Americans think melatonin is a natural sleep aid and take extremely high doses of the supplement on a nightly basis. But experts say melatonin isn’t meant to be used the same way as a sleeping pill, and overusing melatonin can come with health risks.

by 2017–2018, the percentage of adults taking more than 5 milligrams of melatonin a day had more than tripled compared to a decade earlier, according to a recent study.

"people should stop thinking of melatonin supplements as the "holy grail of sleep." He considers them to me more of a "Trojan horse" that can lead people to take stronger sleep aids when they realize the supplement isn't working.

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Here are some medications that can be used to treat insomnia.Antidepressants: Some antidepressant drugs, such as trazodone (Desyrel), are very good at treating sleeplessness and anxiety.Benzodiazepines: These older sleeping pills -- emazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), and others -- may be useful when you want an insomnia medication that stays in the system longer. For instance, they have been effectively used to treat sleep problems such as sleepwalking and night terrors. These medications have some serious downsides. They can cause addiction and dependence. Dependence means that you have physical withdrawal when you stop them, which you can have in the case of benzos. Also, there is a black box warning against their use with opioids, because both depress respiration and increase your risk of overdose.Doxepine (Silenor): This sleep drug is approved for use in people who have trouble staying asleep. Silenor may help with sleep maintenance by blocking histamine receptors. Do not take this drug unless you are able to get a full 7 or 8 hours of sleep.Eszopiclone (Lunesta): Lunesta also helps you fall asleep quickly, and studies show people sleep an average of 7 to 8 hours. Don't take Lunesta unless you are able to get a full night's sleep as it could cause grogginess. Because of the risk of impairment the next day, the FDA recommends the starting dose of Lunesta be no more than 1 milligram.Lemborexant (Dayvigo): This drug is approved for people who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. It works by suppressing the part of the central nervous system that keeps you awake. It may cause you to feel sleepy the next day.Ramelteon (Rozerem): This sleep medication works differently than the others. It works by targeting the sleep-wake cycle, not by depressing the central nervous system. It is prescribed for people who have trouble falling asleep. Rozerem can be prescribed for long-term use, and the drug has shown no evidence of abuse or dependence.Suvorexant (Belsomra): It works by blocking a hormone that promotes wakefulness and causes insomnia. It is approved by the FDA to treat people that have insomnia due to an inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. The drug may cause you to feel sleepy the following day.Zaleplon (Sonata): Of all the newer sleeping pills, Sonata stays active in the body for the shortest amount of time. That means you can try to fall asleep on your own. Then, if you're still staring at the clock at 2 a.m., you can take it without feeling drowsy in the morning. But if you tend to wake during the night, this might not be the best choice for you.Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo): These medicines work well at helping you get to sleep, but some people tend to wake up in the middle of the night. Zolpidem is now available in an extended release version, Ambien CR. This may help you go to sleep and stay asleep longer. The FDA warns that you should not drive or do anything that requires you to be alert the day after taking Ambien CR because it stays in the body a long time. You should not take zolpidem unless you are able to get a full night's sleep -- at least 7 to 8 hours. In rare instances, these medications have been known to cause injuries because of behaviors while asleep or partially asleep such as sleep walking and sleep driving, among others. The FDA has approved a prescription oral spray called Zolpimist, which contains zo