Chicago-Area Woman Swears By Magnesium As Sleep Aid

(CBS) -- Do you have trouble getting a good night's sleep? There could be a natural solution.

Medical research has shown that getting the right nutrients may help you get a sounder slumber.

CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist reports.

"I used to be a great sleeper. It was just my escape," says Collin Allison-Walder.

But over time, that changed. Her sleep became fits and starts.

She tried many different natural remedies, such as herbal teas, serotonin. But none of it worked.

Then, she found one supplement that did: magnesium.

"People are really looking for a way to relax," says Lynn Bednar, owner of Walsh Natural Health. "Our most common-selling supplement for sleep is magnesium."

Collin mixes the powdered form of magnesium and drinks it like a hot cup of tea.

Registered dietitian Jean Alves of Rush University Medical Center agrees that magnesium and other dietary nutrients -- or the lack of them -- impact sleep.

They include potassium, Vitamin C, Selenium and calcium.

But Alves suggests eating a balanced diet and getting these nutrients through food, rather than by taking supplements.

"I would just say it's very easy and doable to get enough from diet alone," she says. "At the very least, you don't need to be spending extra money on supplements."

Still, Collin is sold on her magnesium supplement as a tool to help her sleep.

"Rest changes my life for everybody. When I've had a good night's sleep, my husband's happier," she says, laughing.

Here in Chicago, many people are deficient in Vitamin D because we have less sunshine.

Being low in D can also cause sleep problems in some people.