If you are stuck in wired but tired mode at three a.m., especially if you are a cancer patient or the person caring for one, stay with me. There is a natural way to switch your body into sleep without the side effects of prescription or over‑the‑counter drugs. I’m Dannie Cade, and if you bare with me to the end, I will give you a special gift that will help you to have even more calm in your life, on your terms. 

Night after night, many of us collapse onto the mattress exhausted while our brains race like it is high noon. You might be juggling work, kids, stressing about world events and caring for a partner in treatment, or you might even be the one who’s also fighting cancer.  Between the steroids, alarms, appointments or pain spikes that keep your heart hammering long after the lights go off, sleep becomes a distant dream. 

I know, I spent far too many three a.m. hours in that state and I learned the hard way that every lost hour of sleep steals strength from the next day. 

One big reason we stay wired is a lack of magnesium. Stress drains this mineral fast and when levels fall, the brain makes less GABA, our muscles tighten, and the nervous system refuses to power down.  The gentlest way to refill the tank is with Magnesium glycinate because the glycine molecule ferries magnesium across the gut wall with almost no laxative effect, and glycine itself calms the brain.

Cancer and lyme patients usually feel the sting first thanks to chronic inflammation, surgery, stress and medication that burns through magnesium at warp speed, and nausea or gut damage makes harsher forms such as citrate or oxide intolerable. A glycinate dose paired with protein gives two advantages at once: Better absorption and steady blood sugar through the night.

Red flags that your tank is empty include:

Cramping calves after bedtime, insomnia, anxiety, headaches or migraines, high blood pressure, random eye twitches, cravings for chocolate, cheese and nuts, arrythmia and fatigue. If two of those sound familiar, your magnesium is probably low. Here is the simple routine to rescue your sleep.

One hour before bed, warm half a cup of oat milk and whisk in one or two scoops of complete protein (about twenty grams if you can) and stir in two hundred milligrams of magnesium glycinate powder. Sip that a good 30 minutes or more before bed, the glycine soothes the brain, the protein repairs tissue and stabilizes blood sugars, and the warm liquid cues relaxation. 

On nights that nausea rules out any sipping, turn to a ten‑minute foot soak instead. Two or three tablespoons of Epsom salts in warm water lets magnesium absorb through the skin while you breathe and let the day go. Caregivers, do the routine with your loved one; shared calm is real.

When you finish the drink or the soak, lie on your back with one hand on your belly. Inhale for four counts, then exhale for eight. The long exhale tells the brain it is safe, and that signal lets the magnesium settle the system. 

So, let’s clear up three myths while we’re at it:

1. More is not always better. Starting with doses above four hundred milligrams can bring diarrhea or a groggy morning, so start low and build up.

2. Any magnesium will NOT do; oxide absorbs at roughly four percent, so most of it heads straight down the toilet.

3. And like I hinted at earlier, timing matters. Magnesium needs at least half an hour to reach the bloodstream, so give it that window before calling lights out.

Bonus Point: Food can also help maintain levels. Dark leafy greens and pumpkin seeds are great, but you would need big bowls to approach the two‑hundred‑milligram mark. Use food for maintenance and supplements for therapy.

We also want to consider blood sugar. Sugary cocoa or whole milk spikes glucose just when insulin sensitivity is weakest. You might fall asleep fast, then pop, wide awake at two a.m., hungry and wired. Warm oat milk plus protein steers clear of dairy irritation and keeps glucose steady while the magnesium does its work.

Sleep isn’t a luxury during recovery; it’s metabolic medicine. Give your body the magnesium and protein it needs, and let the night finally work in your favour. Whether you’re caregiving or fighting for your own health, tomorrow will keep asking for your energy, and true rest is the only way to give it.

For the promised gift, type FREE in the comments or head on over to DannieCadeWellness.com and open your complimentary Wellness Center membership.

Save this article, share it with someone who is done counting sheep, and follow me here for more practical ways to feel calm and well.  

Join my Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dannieswellnesstribe
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DannieCadeWellnessShow
Read my Blog: https://danniesdovetail.myfreedomblogs.com
Cancer Support: https://www.instagram.com/dannie.cade/
Free Wellness Center Memebership: https://www.danniecadewellness.com

Facebook Comments