Struggling to Sleep in the Heat? This Trick Might Help…

As the hot and humid weather rolls on into another week we're thankful for many things. Sunshine on our lunch breaks, any excuse to eat a 99 and the opportunity to final ditch tights are chief amongst the benefits. 

The downside, though, has to be the lack of sleep. If you're finding those summer days are leading to hot and sleepless nights (and not in the good way) there's one trick you might want to try.

BetterYou, a manufacturer of health and medical products, recommend magnesium footbaths to help you drift off into dreamland.

Experts at the company suggest using transdermal magnesium to help relax muscles and reduce feelings of restlessness before sleep, citing a study published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, which found that when the body’s magnesium levels are too low, it makes it harder to stay asleep.

Andrew Thomas, of BetterYou, said: “Magnesium is a natural relaxant and our bodies need this vital mineral in order to maintain a state of rest.

“When the body heats up we sweat and important minerals such as magnesium are lost depleting stores further.

“As our feet are amongst the most absorbent areas of the body and perfect for magnesium replenishment, the footbath is a great way to top up your magnesium levels and also helps to send you off into a wonderful slumber.”

Feet are also sensitive to temperature because there are lots of pulse points in the feet and ankles so it's best to use tepid water to cool you down and swiftly send you off to dreamland.

A clinical trial by Cardiff University (2011) showed how well magnesium is absorbed through the skin feeding every cell, while Watkins & Josling (2010) showed the dramatic increase in magnesium levels that can be achieved compared to oral supplements when used on magnesium-deficient patients.

At this point... we'll try anything.