Hi Edie:
Yep, definately switch them around. I used to stagger them also throughout the day, but then Dr. Atkin's book suggests taking calcium and magnesium before bedtime. Both act as relaxants.
I'm certain you will notice a difference. My sister has problems with constipation and I told her to take magnesium (good for that as well
). When I asked her how it was working, the first thing she said is "it really helps me sleep at night". So there you go. She didn't even know it was a relaxant.
I take a fair dose of magnesium for a number of problems, mainly musculoskeletal, constipation, and acne. I take 700 mg of magnesium. But you have to be careful with magnesium. Overdosages can be dangerous. Dr. Atkins suggests an intra-cellular blood test to test for magnesium levels. Generally, he recommends 400-1000 mg for most people. I'd like to get the blood test, but my DH has never heard of it (he's a MD), so I'm waiting for a reply e-mail from Atkin's site to find out what test it is.
Dr. Atkins also suggests melatonin, which was already discussed. I took it years ago, but never found any help from it. I assumed because I got to sleep OK that melatonin wasn't what I needed. However, I've just noticed that Dr. Atkins talks about a timed-released formula, which prevents you from awakening too soon.
He also suggests that electromagnetic radiation (ie. electric blanket, waterbed heater) may affect the pineal gland's output of melatonin. Another note of caution: if considering melatonin, Dr. Atkins strongly recommends doing hormone restoration with a nutritionally-oriented physician rather than a do-it-yourself approach.