Magnesium for Children
Are your kids stressed and not sleeping well?
Just like us adults, our children are not getting enough Magnesium in their diets. And like us, deficiencies are becoming more and more common.
It can be devastating when children don’t get enough Magnesium. It affects all areas of their lives, and prevents them from living with the energy and vitality they deserve.
We know that calcium is essential for children’s healthy bones, but Magnesium is just as important for bone growth and development. It’s needed for calcium absorption and metabolism, and converts vitamin D into its’ active form.
Results from a 2013 study showed the amounts of Magnesium absorbed by the body were a key predictor of a child’s bone health. It showed that “optimal levels of Magnesium are particularly important for children, because the best time to influence bone mass is in the early years, before adolescence when peak bone mass is achieved.”
“My 10 year old puts a ton of pressure on himself and suffers from anxiety. Since we started using Orange Dream Cream, bedtimes have been so much better! He falls asleep without the brain races and sleeps restful throughout the night. He asks for me to rub it on his back as soon as he knows it’s nearing bedtime. His teacher noted him less anxious earlier this week — he was coming off of spring break which is typically a very difficult week for him getting back in his groove.”
Abby – Mom of Four
Symptoms of Deficiency in Children
Let’s take a look at how a Magnesium deficiency in children can manifest into the following symptoms:
- Trouble Sleeping
- Irritability
- Attention-Deficit
- Low energy
- Chronic Fatigue
- Muscle Cramps, aka Growing Pains
- Anxiety
- Hyperactivity
Why are Children Deficient?
In this article, author Melissa Peterson writes about what kids are eating as to one cause of deficiencies.“Children that are the most prone to Magnesium deficiencies are the “picky eaters” and those on low fiber, low vegetable, restricted, highly processed or non-organic diets.”
Signs That Show Your Child May Need Extra Magnesium:
- Muscle tension, spasms, leg cramps or growing pains
- Excessive worry, anxiety, irritability or panic attacks
- Restlessness and difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty maintaining attention
- Trouble retaining new information
- Teeth grinding
- Sensitivity to noise
- Loss of appetite
- Apathy or low moods
- Aggressive behavior
- Muscular weakness and lethargy
- Headaches
What Foods are Magnesium Rich?
There are some foods that are high in Magnesium – the top four we suggest for everyone are pumpkin seeds (pepitas), whole grains, spinach and chia seeds. If your child does not have nut allergies, almond, cashews and peanuts are also good options.
Magnesium for Sleep & Growing Pains
The top two reasons parents and guardians purchase our products for their children are to help them sleep better and to relieve muscle pain. Our organic Magnesium creams and body butters help with both, as well as a plethora of other symptoms listed above.
How Much Magnesium to Children Need Daily?
Sleep
Our kids simply aren’t getting enough sleep. Many are stressed and tired, which affects all parts of their lives, from staying alert in school to getting exercise and playing at home. They need consistent, deep sleep every night for their brains to retain memories, and to restore their bodies to have the needed energy for the following day.
This is why we created a special product just for kids over one year of age. (Although plenty of adults love it too!) Our Orange Dream Cream is uniquely formulated with a warm, orangey-vanilla scent that our young testers found to be their very favorite.
Magnesium not only helps them get to sleep sooner, but they also get into a deeper sleep. The next day, they have more energy to learn and play.
How to use Orange Dream Cream? Start with a pea-size amount and gently rub into the bottoms of feet, which are one of the least sensitive areas of our bodies. Other areas that work well are the calves, thighs and back. More can be applied as needed.
Growing Pains
Children commonly experience what we call growing pains. These can be muscle aches in their calves but other muscles too. It can stem from being overly active and straining muscles. Magnesium can be used daily for pain relief, safely and gently.
An evening application of Magnesium (start with a pea-size amount) 20-30 minutes before bedtime calms those muscles right down. Just rub the Magnesium cream thoroughly into the area of pain. An added benefit is they will sleep better too!