Curious about magnesium for sleep? If not, you should be—or will be by the end of this article! A Naturopath, Registered Dietitian, MSHS in Integrative Medicine, explains the science behind “the relaxation mineral” for sounder sleep.
Sleep struggles, including falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up feeling rested and rejuvenated, have hit an all-time high, with a whopping 1 in 3 Americans isn’t getting enough sleep.
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re one of them and are looking for fast relief!
But before you try out any expensive or controversial sleep aids, consider the humble mineral magnesium.
According to Georgia-based dietitian and naturopath Ricardo Boye, magnesium is one of the safest, cheapest, and most effective supplements you can try for sleep and overall well-being.
Here, we’ll explore the benefits of magnesium for sleep and how it works, plus tips from Boye on how to take it safely.
Read more: How to Hit Reset on Your (and Your Kids’) Sleep Schedule
How Magnesium Became The “It” Supplement For Sleep
If you struggle with sleep, you likely know the pros and cons of using natural or pharmaceutical sleep aids, mainly:
- Natural sleep aids, like herbs and melatonin, are typically safe with a low risk of side effects, but they don’t work for everyone, and some can be habit-forming.
- Pharmaceutical sleep aids usually work great, but can have some gnarly side effects and were never intended, or in many cases, studied, for long-term use.
These pros and cons have fueled magnesium’s popularity for sleep.
As a food-based nutrient, it’s very safe to take and is considered non-habit-forming.
It’s also affordable, has a low risk of side effects when taken as directed, and is backed by a growing body of research supporting its role in promoting better sleep and relaxation.
Finally, new evidence suggesting magnesium deficiency is a common issue has inspired health-conscious people to try supplementation.
Says Boye, “I recommend it a lot for sleep, and other things, because people are often magnesium deficient. The exceptions are vegans, because it’s only found in abundance in plant-based foods such as leafy greens, legumes, mangoes, and other fruits, veggies, and whole grains. But most people just aren’t getting the RDA of 400 mg per day from their diet.
“Magnesium is also depleted by stress, which I believe contributes to the widespread deficiencies we see globally.”
How Magnesium Works For Sleep
Before we get into the benefits, let’s look at how magnesium works for sleep.
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions, including those related to sleep.
Says Boye, “Magnesium is very effective at activating the neurotransmitter GABA, which is our primary calming neurotransmitter, and studies suggest it plays a crucial role in the production of melatonin, the body’s master sleep hormone.”
It’s also essential for the normal function of the nervous system, which regulates, among other things, our stress response, fight or flight, hormonal balance, sensations, digestion and gut health, and our ability to relax.
Magnesium also helps counteract the effects of calcium, allowing the muscles to relax. Which can, in and of itself, help improve sleep.
These are just a few of the many ways magnesium can help with sleep, relaxation, and overall physical and mental well-being.
5 Dreamy Benefits Of Magnesium For Sleep
Now that you have the basics down, let’s look at some of the specific ways magnesium may benefit sleep.
As with all things natural, magnesium may not work the same for everyone and may take some time to show results.
Always talk to your healthcare practitioner for individual recommendations.
1. Magnesium Can Help You Fall Asleep Faster
The phrase, “I was out before my head hit the pillow,” just doesn’t jive with those who struggle to fall asleep.
If lying awake for thirty minutes to an hour, or more, is standard for you, or if you just want to get more sleep, magnesium may help.
Research suggests magnesium supplements can help reduce sleep latency, helping you fall asleep faster and easier.
This effect is likely multifaceted, based on magnesium’s nervous system-regulating effects and its potential influence on melatonin.
Says Boye, “I definitely see it helping increase sleep onset because of its calming effect on overexcitation of the nervous system due to a host of different factors, including lifestyle and nighttime routines.
“These days we can all benefit from sleep accelerators, like magnesium, to help us transition from our routines to nighttime sleep.”
Boyes typically recommends taking 200-400 mg of magnesium 30 minutes before bedtime.
2. Magnesium Can Help Reduce Sleep-Disrupting Symptoms
It can be hard to fall asleep if you’re experiencing physical discomfort or symptoms.
Research suggests in some cases, magnesium may help.
Specifically, magnesium can help ease:
- Muscle soreness or DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
- PMS
- Headaches
- Constipation and other digestive complaints
- Other stress-related symptoms
Many people also swear by magnesium supplementation for leg cramps, though studies are inconclusive.
As discussed previously, magnesium’s relaxing effect on muscles can help with muscle-related ailments, including menstrual cramps, while its nervous system supportive properties may help ease headaches and stress.
Regarding digestive complaints, different forms of magnesium, such as magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide, have long been used to ease indigestion, heartburn, upset stomach, and occasional constipation.
If your digestion is tip-top, Boye prefers magnesium glycinate, “Magnesium glycinate, in my opinion, is the best form at the best price. It’s gentler on the stomach with less laxative effects, and research suggests it has better absorption.”
Read more: Deep Sleep Meditation
3. Magnesium May Increase Deep (REM) Sleep
Deep sleep, also known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, happens about an hour after you fall asleep and is essential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Since we go in and out of deep sleep during the night, frequent wakings can rob us of deep sleep and make us feel less rested in the morning.
If you’re waking up frequently due to stress, hormonal shifts, or for no obvious reason at all, research suggests magnesium may help support REM sleep.
“I even recommend topical magnesium sprays for babies and children, sprayed on their feet, to help with sleep.” Says Boye.
As always, check with your and/or your child’s healthcare practitioner for individual recommendations.
4. Magnesium May Improve Overall Sleep Quality & Quantity
Sleep quality refers to how well you sleep, including how well you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling rested.
As the name suggests, sleep quantity refers to how much you sleep. Ideally, 7.5 to 9 hours a night for adults.
Multiple studies suggest magnesium may improve all aspects of sleep quality, which, in turn, can help you sleep longer.
5. Magnesium Can Break The Wired-and-Tired Cycle
So many of us lie awake, exhausted yet taunted by a racing mind and/or tense body.
This feeling of being wired and tired can be caused by various things, and is regulated by the nervous system.
Studies suggest magnesium can help support nervous system regulation and cortisol balance, helping you calm down physically and mentally, and prepare for a better night’s rest.
Says Boye, “Some people (including the wired and tired) benefit from stacking magnesium with other supplements to help wind down earlier in the evening.
“So, drawing from the larger integrative medicine tool kit, 100-300 mg of the amino acid l-theanine can be very helpful taken with magnesium because that also helps activate GABA and calm the nervous system.”
We’ll discuss other complementary supplements coming up.
How To Take Magnesium
Magnesium supplements are widely recommended and considered very safe for most people when taken within the recommended daily allowance of 400 mg per day for adults.
Exceptions include those taking certain medications and people with certain conditions, like hypermagnesemia or blood pressure issues.
It’s also been widely studied in pregnant women and has shown various benefits.
As always, check with your healthcare practitioner.
For safe dosing, follow the instructions on the supplement bottle or your practitioner’s recommendations.
Boye offers these general dosing recommendations as a starting point:
“For sleep onset, you’ll experience a noticeable increase in drowsiness with the right dosage, anywhere from 200-400 mg, taken 30 minutes before bedtime.”
If you’ve been recommended more than 200-400 mgs, he suggests splitting up the dosage throughout the day. “You’ll get more benefits this way and it won’t increase drowsiness or interfere with circadian rhythm (the sleep cycle) when taken during the day.”
The most common side effects of magnesium supplements are loose stool or diarrhea, indicating the need to adjust your dose.
Different forms of magnesium, such as magnesium glycinate or bis-glycinate, can help minimize any digestive side effects.
“If you’re in doubt whether to take it, I’d say take it. It’s one of the cheapest and safest supplements you can take to improve your health.” says Boye.
Can You Take Magnesium With Melatonin Or Other Sleep Supplements?
Boye often recommends magnesium be taken in combination with other natural sleep aids,, especially for people who struggle with multiple sleep issues.
“In addition to l-theanine, complementary botanicals include magnolia bark, phellodendron from Traditional Chinese Medicine, and KSM-66 ashwagandha—a well-studied form of this Ayurvedic herb.
“A lot of people start to preload with these botanicals earlier, around dinnertime, then take their magnesium before bed to increase that sleep pressure/drowsiness. But getting the right combination is key, so check with a healthcare practitioner trained in these modalities for best results.”
Boye continues, “Melatonin can also be used with magnesium. The more popular practice these days are small doses like 1-3 mg, to help sleep onset. People often benefit from taking it an hour or two before bedtime, as it helps support the circadian rhythm as we wind down for the evening.
He also stressed the importance of practicing sleep hygiene, including:
- Deep breathing exercises
- Meditation or prayer
- Lite stretching
- Dimming the lights
- Keeping media and conversation calm and relaxed
- Ending meal times 3 hours before bed: “The reason is, depending on the contents of the meal, this can disturb glucose balance throughout the night in some people”
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Read more: Good Sleep Isn’t a Number: A Real Talk on Sleep Tech
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