No matter how early I’m awake, it’s almost guaranteed that my mum has already been up for hours. Not by choice – and not because she’s a ‘morning person’ – but because, every morning at 4am, she’s jolted awake and unable to get back to sleep. Welcome to the world of menopausal insomnia.
It’s a pattern that’s become so normal in our house that it barely warrants comment. However, it’s a reality for many women in midlife. According to the British Menopause Society, between 40 to 56% of menopausal women report difficulty sleeping.
For my 60-year-old mum, it means nights spent staring at the ceiling and days where the lack of sleep really catches up with her. ‘I never, ever feel rested,’ she tells me. I’ve seen it happen in real time – she rarely makes it to the end of our cinema trips without dozing off; she’s even managed to nod off at the theatre.
‘Over the years, I’ve tried everything,’ she says. ‘Sleepy tea, herbal tablets, pillow mists and not had any luck.’ So, when I handed her a new bedtime body butter to try, it’s safe to say she was sceptical.
The body butter in question is Eyeam’s latest launch — a £25 Magnesium Glymphatic Sleep Butter that promises to aid sleep and support hormone balance. As the name suggests, the key ingredient is magnesium, a mineral that anyone who has struggled with sleep will be familiar with. Found naturally in foods such as pumpkin seeds, avocado and quinoa, it’s also extremely popular as a wellness supplement, and especially ones focused on sleep.
Eyeam Magnesium Glymphatic Sleepy Butter
As Eyeam cofounder and pharmacist Margo Marrone explains, ‘a lack of magnesium leads to fatigue, low energy, muscle cramps, teeth grinding, PMS, twitching, insomnia, sleep disturbances, headaches, anxiety, mood swings, high blood pressure and even digestive issues such as constipation.’
It’s become one of the most valuable ingredients in her toolkit for combating midlife clients’ fatigue and sleep problems. ‘Over my 30 years as a pharmacist, homoeopath and clinician, I’ve had the privilege of seeing thousands of clients,’ she says. ‘A powerful pattern emerged: 95% of them shared two essential needs. First, they needed to detoxify; second, they were low in magnesium.’
Since my mum had previously tried magnesium pills with little effect, she wasn’t expecting much from her body butter, but felt she had nothing to lose.
What’s Magnesium Glymphatic Sleep Butter like to use?
Enlisted to put it to the test, my mum rubbed it on the soles of her feet that same night, and also added a small dab on her arms. ‘I didn’t believe a cream would help me sleep, but at this rate, anything felt worth a try,’ she told me.
The application only added a couple of minutes to her routine – and, surprisingly, added a couple of extra hours of sleep that night. The next morning, she was practically buzzing with excitement to tell me the results. ‘I slept through until 7am, I can’t remember the last time I woke up at 7am. I actually feel rested for once.’
It was good news for me and her. She felt awake, and I was officially relieved of my duties of poking her awake at the cinema.
How does it work?
Since my mum had drawn a blank with the magnesium tablets, was the body butter a fluke or just a placebo effect? Having had it on her bedside table for the last three weeks, she tells me she’s had continued success. ‘Even when I wake up at 4am, I find it much easier to fall back asleep,’ she says.
Having magnesium in a balm form may have played a part in this, since some studies suggest that transdermal application allows magnesium to be absorbed more effectively than oral supplements. Another benefit mentioned by Eyeam is that topical application means you’re bypassing the digestive system and therefore the digestive side-effects that can be associated with tablets.
Beyond magnesium, the butter also contains lavender and chlorophyll. Lavender, of course, promotes relaxation and, as my mum noted, smells beautiful, too. Meanwhile, chlorophyll helps to detoxify and reduce inflammation – meaning the butter can also be used to soothe aches and pains.
However it’s working, it’s made a noticeable difference in my mum’s case – and I’m already anticipating her asking me for another tin.
Other magnesium butters we rate
While my mum sings the praises of Eyeam’s butter, it’s not the only magnesium body butter out there and, as it turns out, our 50-something editors at GH HQ have already been keeping them handy.
Dreem Distillery Dreem Melt Magnesium Butter
GH’s beauty director Lynne Hyland says Dreem Distillery’s butter has earned its place on her nightstand. ‘I never have problems going to sleep but I get woken up by an over-active brain at 2am and really, really struggle to settle,’ she says. ‘I’m commonly awake for up to two hours, which is horrendous. I’ve started using this when I wake up, as well as before bed and, while the nocturnal disruptions aren’t gone, the act of inhaling the lovely lavender scent and breathing calmly, plus rubbing the magnesium into my feet, does definitely increase my chances of drifting off again sooner. I’d recommend it.’
Dreem Melt® Magnesium Butter
Sweet Bee Sweet Sleep Magnesium Butter
GH’s editor-in-chief Jane Bruton tells me that Sweet Bee’s Butter has become a part of her nighttime routine. ‘The smell makes me feel relaxed even before I get in bed, and then the warmth of it on the soles of my feet somehow has me drifting off in minutes,’ she says.
Sweet Bee Sweet Sleep Magnesium Butter
