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Millions of people worldwide struggle with going to sleep, staying asleep and overall getting a good night’s rest. Whether it is due to stress, overactive...
Millions of people worldwide struggle with going to sleep, staying asleep and overall getting a good night’s rest. Whether it is due to stress, overactive thoughts, or other reasons, missing out on sleep has numerous negative impacts on our physical, mental and neurological health.
Recent studies have shown that there is a significant link between magnesium deficiency and sleep problems. Indeed, research has shown that restoring your magnesium levels can have positive effects on the quality and duration of your sleep, mood and energy.
How exactly does magnesium help you sleep?
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in many bodily functions such as regulating brain activity, muscle relaxation, blood sugar levels, bone health, the rhythm of your heartbeat, as well as sleep.
By influencing physical relaxation, quietening brain activity and aiding the sleep-wake cycle, we can see how magnesium supplements can benefit people who struggle with sleep due to lowered magnesium levels.
However, you should note that magnesium supplements should not replace natural food sources of magnesium in your diet, such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains.
It should also be understood that magnesium supplements may not help with all sleeping difficulties, especially with different underlying causes. For example, if you believe you have lowered magnesium and insomnia, there could be multiple individual factors causing problems with sleep.
We therefore recommend also consulting your doctor for advice on treating sleeping difficulties if you have been unable to resolve them yourself or wish to start taking magnesium for sleep.
Sleep is an important physiological process which helps regulate your physical and mental health, brain function, memory, energy levels, hormonal balance and immune system.
Stress, racing thoughts, insomnia and individual factors can all impact the ability to fall and stay asleep.
Disrupted sleep affects many worldwide and negatively impacts physical, mental and neurological health. So why are people taking magnesium supplements for sleep?
Studies have shown that magnesium is thoroughly effective at calming the mind, improving mood, relaxing muscle tension and importantly, significantly improving the quality of sleep.
Magnesium is an essential mineral which has many important roles in the human body. It is involved in regulating brain activity, muscle relaxation, blood sugar levels, bone health, the rhythm of your heart beat, as well as sleep.
Given that it has many functions, how can magnesium supplements help sleep? Research has shown that magnesium supplements can improve the onset, quality and duration of your sleep.
While more research is required to understand the full mechanism of magnesium in sleep, we do understand that magnesium plays an essential role in:
i) neuronal activity & neurotransmitter balance
ii) muscle relaxation
iii) production and release of melatonin (the hormone which signals the body to fall asleep)
iv) hormonal stress response (cortisol).
These are all critical components required to induce and regulate healthy sleep.
We will now discuss the role of magnesium in these processes and how magnesium affects sleep.
Magnesium helps balance the excitation and inhibition of neurons in the brain.
By favourably promoting the inhibitory neurotransmitters, magnesium helps produce a relaxing, calming effect on brain activity.
Magnesium facilitates muscle relaxation, reducing muscle tension and allows the body to relax in preparation for sleep.
Magnesium also contributes to the production and release of a hormone called melatonin.
This hormone is released after dark when there is no source of daylight.
Melatonin signals to the body to prepare for sleep overnight.
This is also why it is essential to avoid light sources for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed, as it can slow down the release of melatonin and negatively impact your ability to sleep.
Magnesium is the 2nd most abundant mineral in the body and is essential for functions such as neuron activity, neurotransmitter levels, muscle relaxation and heart beat rhythms.
Magnesium also plays a major role in sleep. It is known to promote neurotransmitters which calm down brain activity, it is responsible for muscle relaxation, and it helps produce the hormones which signal your body to fall asleep (melatonin).
Magnesium contributes to all these factors and helps explain why magnesium helps you relax before sleep and prepares your body for a restful night’s sleep.
Magnesium helps regulate the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. By enhancing a key inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, magnesium reduces neuron firing and promotes relaxation instead. This calming effect helps prepare the nervous system for sleep.
Melatonin is a hormone that signals to the body that it’s time to sleep. It is released after the sun goes down (in the absence of sources of daylight) and helps align the sleep-wake cycle. Magnesium contributes to the production and release of melatonin. So, it is theorised that magnesium can help with the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle and your body’s circadian clock.
Magnesium is involved in relaxing muscles following muscle contraction. This reduces muscle tension and increases a feeling of physical calmness to allow the body to fall asleep more easily.
Cortisol is the hormone released during periods of long-term stress. Increased levels of stress and cortisol are heavily implicated in causing disturbances to sleep.
Magnesium can help counteract these effects by influencing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates cortisol release. By helping to reduce cortisol, magnesium can improve relaxation and readiness for sleep.
While there is no supplement which is the best magnesium for sleep, there are many forms of magnesium supplements which differ slightly from each other. The most common forms are:
They typically differ in their absorption, specific purpose and tolerability. The supplement you use may depend on your personal response to it, preferences, or side effects.
If you are unsure about which supplement to use or are concerned about potential side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
It may be a case of trying out a few magnesium supplements until you find the one that your body responds well to.
Below is a table summarising the key differences between magnesium supplements.
| Magnesium form | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Magnesium Glycinate | High bioavailability i.e absorbed better through the gut.
Gentle on digestion. Glycine may have calming, anxiety-reducing effects Often helpful for restlessness and difficulties falling asleep. |
Effects vary by person
Some report little benefit compared to other forms. Can cause middle-of-the-night waking up. |
| Magnesium Citrate | Well absorbed
Used in studies showing sleep improvement (particularly in older adults). Widely available and affordable |
Can have a laxative effect, especially at higher doses.
May disrupt sleep if digestive side effects occur. Can often require adjusting your dose. |
| Magnesium L-Threonate | Crosses the blood–brain barrier.
High bioavailability May improve brain magnesium levels. Evidence for better sleep quality and daytime cognition. |
Usually more expensive
Less commonly available Fewer long-term sleep study data to compare with other forms. |
Your body is very efficient at regulating magnesium levels, however, if you are magnesium deficient, then signs to look out for include:
There are certain risk factors which can increase your likelihood of being magnesium deficient. Old age, diabetes mellitus and certain digestive conditions can impair the absorption and balance of body magnesium.
If you are concerned about having magnesium deficiency, consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
When choosing a magnesium supplement, you may want to consider its absorption, specific purpose, tolerability, side effects and your personal preferences.
Highly absorbable forms of magnesium include magnesium glycinate, citrate or L-threonate. These are known to absorb a lot more effectively through the gut and therefore reduce the likelihood of digestive side effects. Forms such as L-threonate are also believed to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which theoretically should benefit mood, relaxation and sleep more.
Specific purpose:
Magnesium glycinate: helps sleep onset and manage anxiety.
Magnesium citrate: can be used for its laxative effects at higher doses, as well as other magnesium benefits.
Magnesium L-threonate: to boost memory, concentration and improved sleep.
If you are planning to take magnesium for sleep, it is advised to take magnesium at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime to allow it time to be absorbed and start working.
You should allow at least 2-4 weeks of consistent usage for the full benefits of magnesium to come into play.
How much magnesium to take for sleep? The ideal dose is below 350mg per day. Staying within this limit helps reduce the risk of side effects such as diarrhoea or abdominal discomfort.
For a greater chance of improving your sleep, it is strongly advised to make a few lifestyle tweaks and bedtime habits alongside taking magnesium, such as:
Once you start taking supplements, keep a record of any improvements you notice in sleep, energy levels and mood. Also, note down any side effects you notice.
This will help you determine whether magnesium is helping you or if you may want to try another form of supplement.
Your ideal dose may vary with age, sex and dietary magnesium intake.
Is magnesium safe to take before bed?
Magnesium supplements are generally safe for most people, but they can cause side effects, and they may not be suitable for all people.
Examples of side effects:
Before starting magnesium supplements, you should consult your doctor if the following applies to you:
Before starting any new supplement or medication, it is advisable to consult a medical professional to see if it is suitable for your health needs.
As long as you stay within the recommended dose of 350mg you should be less likely to get side effects.
If side effects persist or get worse, stop using the supplement and contact your doctor for advice.
Magnesium supplements are most effective when combined with healthy sleep habits and lifestyle changes:
This is among the most important factors in getting good sleep. Examples of having healthy sleep hygiene include:
These strategies help calibrate your internal circadian clock so your body can sleep at a consistent time and improve the quality of your sleep.
Magnesium supplements should not be relied on on its own to alleviate magnesium deficiency. A magnesium-rich diet will enhance the effects of magnesium supplements and provides additional nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, which contribute to overall welbeing and health. Examples of magnesium-rich foods include:
While having disturbed sleep can be the cause of stress and anxiety and vice versa, it is important to recognise that effective management of stress will vastly benefit your wellbeing and sleep.
Practising mindfulness, developing effective coping strategies, therapy and exercise can all help with reducing stress and anxiety
Caffeine and alcohol both disrupt sleep and can impair magnesium absorption or balance.
Avoid taking either in the evening to optimise the benefits and calming effects of magnesium.
While evidence shows magnesium improves sleep quality and calms mood, it should be taken into consideration that magnesium supplements will not work immediately.
Therefore, patience, taking a regular, consistent dose and implementing healthy sleep hygeine are all essential factors to improve your sleep quality and wellbeing.
Adhere to the recommended dose and seek the advice of your doctor if you have any problems.
Magnesium is an essential mineral with diverse functions in the human body, including sleep. The most recent studies have shown magnesium supplements can improve the quality, duration and onset of sleep in individuals with lowered levels of magnesium.
This is due to magnesium’s role in balancing neurotransmitters for a more relaxed mood and state of mind, its ability to boost muscle relaxation, dampen hormonal stress responses and promote the hormone, melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep.
While magnesium may not cure all sleep disturbances, supplements alongside good sleep hygiene, consistent bedtime routine, magnesium-rich diet and exercise can all contribute to an improvement in sleep quality, wellbeing and mood.
The supplement form you choose may depend on various factors such as your individual response, purpose for use, tolerability and side effect profile.
Magnesium glycinate/ citrate/ L-threonate are among the most common forms and should be taken consistently at a regular dose of 350mg/day for 2-4 weeks. This is so you can give your body time to adjust to the supplements before you begin to notice any improvements, and helps minimise the risk of side effects, such as diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
So if you wish to take magnesium for deep sleep and a good night’s rest, carefully follow the advice as discussed above, and hopefully you’ll experience the positive effects of magnesium like many others do.