Can increasing levels of calcium in your body help cure insomnia?

Can increasing levels of calcium in your body help cure insomnia?

Many experts believe that diet plays a big part in curing insomnia.

One key finding relates to the effects of calcium on sleep, particularly how increasing levels can lead to improved sleep. Nutritionalist Margaret Lumsden warns “Calcium deficiency can often show itself as insomnia”.

So how does she recommend that we get over any deficiency and increase levels in our diet?

Well, she explains that one of the richest sources of calcium is dairy products – especially low fat milk, cheese, cream and yoghurt. These are all easily available at the supermarket and not that expensive to add into your shopping basket.

There are other good sources of calcium.

They may not be everyone’s favourite thing but tinned sardines are great – especially if you eat the bones!

If you are vegetarian, don’t fear – there are many none animal sources of calcium. Green leafy vegetables are good sources – stuff like kale, broccoli, watercress, cabbage, leeks, spinach and sprouts. Other vegetarian options include parsnips, figs, dates and dried apricots. You can also get good levels of calcium from eating lentils, oats, beans, brazil nuts, almonds , seeds and tofu.

So there are a few pointers as to how you can up your calcium levels in your diet to aid sleep.

But as well as diet is there anything else that can help raise your calcium levels?...As part of Margaret’s work as a nutritionalist – she has been doing some research recently on how to increase the absorbtion of calcium - so your body benefits more from the things that you are eating.

On simple thing that she has found is that by drinking a tablespoon of cider vinegar and honey in warm water, two or three times a day, dramatically increases calcium absorbtion. There are other things that you can do which are meant to increase calcium absorbtion – “good bacteria” being one. You can find these in most foodstores as probiotic drinks and foods.

Probiotics such as Lacto bacillus can be found in natural yoghurt – which is often cheaper than the pro biotic drinks on sale.

Finally, if you live in hard water areas – don’t forget there is more calcium in the water – so remember this is a cheap source of calcium straight from the tap!

Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com