Do you get cramps at night? Do you get enough sleep? Are you absolutely sure? Most of us actually do not get enough sleep, and some of us aren’t even aware of it. We have just adjusted to not being at 100% during the day without even realizing that we are not at 100%. We just think the energy level that we have is ‘normal.’

Calcium Supplements for Better Sleep

The fact is that we are not getting the rest that we need, and if we ever did actually get that rest, we would notice a vast difference in our performance and energy levels that would amaze most of us. Most of us also don’t realize the impact that the foods we eat during the day have on our sleep and on whether we get through the night cramp free or not.

Most of us do, however, know that caffeine keeps us awake. So, of course you want to avoid anything that has caffeine in it at least six hours before bed time. But just as caffeine is something that keeps us awake, there are many foods that actually help us get better sleep. Any food that contains tryptophan is a ‘sleeper’ food. And for cramping preventionany foods that contain calcium, magnesium, potassium are all beneficial, like a glass of milk and a banana before bedtime.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that produces melatonin in the brain. Melatonin slows down the traffic in the nerves and helps our brains rest. The brain, of course, is the body’s commanding officer. When it’s busy, so is the rest of the body – but when it takes some R & R, the rest of the body also gets to rest.

You’ve heard of people drinking a warm glass of milk in order to get to sleep. The ‘warm’ part really has no effect on sleep. It is a psychological trigger that soothes us from our baby days, when our mothers fed us warmed milk or baby formula. The milk part of that, however, actually does aid us in sleep, because of the calcium and the tryptophan that is contained in milk.

The calcium actually helps the brain use the tryptophan in a more productive way, making it produce melatonin faster, which relaxes our brains enough to let us fall into a deep, relaxing sleep, at the same time as feeding the muscles with the essential mineral, calcium it needs to work properly

Life Force International has a product called OsteoProCare, which is a liquid calcium supplement. One of the first benefits of OsteoProCare that their customers notice is that they sleep better. Again, this is because of the calcium. Not only does this calcium help the brain produce melatonin, it also reduces pain, and stiffness, and helps decrease leg cramps, restless legs, and muscle spasms that many people experience during the night.

The only reason we mention a specific product here is because it is in a liquid form instead of a pill. The absorption into the bloodstream is much faster and your body utilizes more of it. This is unique in the calcium supplement market and we have not found any other calcium supplements that even comes close.

People that have used a liquid calcium supplement also report an increased sense of well being, which is also the result of a good night’s sleep.

So, have that glass of milk before bed – warm or cold – and use a liquid calcium supplement during the day, at mealtimes, to not only aid in good sleep, but also to promote good health as well.

Author: Steven Godlewski

Technorati Tags: at night, cause, cramps, cures, leg, night, night time, nocturnal, stretch my legs in bed and i get leg cramps, what causes

What exactly are night leg cramps?

The signs are unmistakeable: severe pain in the calf as the muscle suddenly contracts of its own accord so tightly that you can’t do anything to shake it off, is a sure sign that you have the condition known as night leg cramps. Not many people know, but these night leg spasms can happen in the thigh area and in the feet as well.

The exact reason why a leg cramp occurs is unknown. One theory purports that cramping occurs when a muscle that is already contracted is stimulated to contract even further.There are other suggestions too. With a little experimentation, some dietary adjustment and the support of your local health practitioner, it shouldn’t be long before you  find a remedy that works  for you.

Electrolyte function is an important component of muscle health and if they are out of balance painful leg cramping is very likely to occur. Elecrolytes can mainly be thought of as minerals such as sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium, that are generally depleted through excessive perspiration or other forms of dehydration.

So in order for the muscles to function at their best all of these need to be in proper balance. If the quantity of these essential salts is a little too much or is not enough to maintain proper muscle functioning, severe leg and foot night cramps could be the result. Muscle cramps at night have also been associated with high levels of phosphorous which is usually found in large quantities in processed food, quick snack foods and soda. Reducing the quantity of processed meats, fizzy drinks and snack foods that you consume can go a long way to addressing the problem. A good example of a natural source of potassium that is easily available is the banana.

Another possible cause of muscle spasms and cramps is exercise that is of a high intensity which is associated with muscle fatigue and consequently lower levels of calcium. A lot of energy is needed to support the muscles in constantly contracting during the exercise and this requires a diet rich in appropriate nutrients. A drain on calcium reserves is believed to lead to muscle fatigue and increae the risk of cramping, so including extra calcium in the diet along with  vitamin and mineral supplements , at this stage might be a good preventative measure and help to avoid muscle fatigue.

Along with pregnancy comes extra demands on the body needing extra nutrients and care. for example, as the baby grows it adds weight to the whole body and the leg muscles need to work a. A light supper before retiring for the night, using foods that contain potassium and calcium might be the cure that you need. It could be something as simple as a nightly routine of a banana and glass of milk , along with a little light leg stretching, before bedtime during the term of the pregnancy.

There are a number of potential reasons given for cramps and, as a list, causes of
cramps and muscle spasms include type 2 diabetes, not enough fluids in the body, cirrhosis of the liver, kidney failure, flat feet, the side effects of some prescribed medications, peripheral artery disease, Parkinson’s disease, an underactive thyroid, Addison’s disease, dehydration and diarrhea, and as a side effect of surgery such as a gastric bypass.

In the light of there being such a variety of potential factors involved in what causes leg cramps at night, a good place to start for anyone wanting to obtain relief from regular and severe  night leg cramps  would be to consult your doctor to get a proper diagnosis.

Nocturnal Leg Cramps Causes

The phosphorous that is pumped into processed foods, if consumed regularly can lead to an imbalance of essential body salts and cause cramping so turning to a more natural or organic diet can reduce the likelihood of developing this 

NutraSweet – Aspartamine Diet Drink Poison

you suffer from fibromylagia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss 

Dr. Manny’s Freedom Diet 

I take it before my Smooth Move and it eliminates my cramping by 90-100%. I used to lose so much sleep from cramps at night from the tea. It made the cleanse very difficult for me. The peppermint tea allows me to sleep through the night 

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