Over the past year or so, my sleep schedule has become pretty atrocious. It’s never falling asleep that’s my issue—give me some YouTube thunderstorm sleep sounds, and I’m knocked out in five minutes. Staying asleep is where things are touch-and-go. I’ve been waking up multiple times to pee, sometimes because my skin is akin to an inferno, and occasionally because I’m just generally restless. I know it’s less than ideal (sleep is important!), so I went to see Jill Villa, a physician’s associate and the founder of Goldhaus Wellness (if you’re in NYC you must go see her) for a consultation.
We went over my bloodwork first and foremost—and then talked about ways to tackle my sleep concerns. “Sleep is when your body does its best work. It’s repairing cells, balancing hormones, strengthening your immune system, and literally cleaning out your brain,” says Villa. “You can’t out-supplement, out-green juice, or out-HIIT a bad night’s sleep.” I personally wasn’t interested in melatonin or sedatives, so to help me clock eight hours, Villa recommended a magnesium supplement.
