Office of Dietary Supplements - Magnesium [Internet]. Ods.od.nih.gov. 2022 [cited 8 April 2022]. Available here. Insomnia is defined as difficulty either falling or staying asleep that is accompanied by daytime impairments. People with insomnia may turn to supplements like magnesium to help with sleep. Li B, Lv J, Wang W, Zhang D. Dietary magnesium and calcium intake and risk of depression in the general population: A meta-analysis. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2017; 51: 219–229. Evidence suggests that magnesium may also be helpful for improving stress, anxiety and depression. 13 14 There’s some evidence that not getting enough magnesium in your diet can increase your risk of depression 15 and some studies have found an association with magnesium intake and risk of anxiety. 14

If you’re considering talking magnesium in supplement form, it’s a good idea to look at what magnesium is combined with in the supplement you’re interested in as they can have slightly different effects. For example, certain forms are thought to be absorbed by the body better than others, some are thought to be gentler on your digestive system and some aid bowel motility (magnesium oxide is used to treat constipation). With this in mind, it’s worth reading the label or speaking to a pharmacist/doctor beforehand. Sahab NRM, et al. (2020). γ-Aminobutyric acid found in fermented foods and beverages: Current trends. Scientific studies have mostly taken one of two approaches to investigate the links between magnesium and sleep: We cover how magnesium impacts sleep, other benefits and risks of magnesium, and how to use magnesium for better sleep. What is Magnesium?

Mah, J., & Pitre, T. (2021). Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: A systematic review & meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 21(1), 1-11.

Y, Chen C, Lu L, Knutson KL, Carnethon MR, Fly AD et al. Association of magnesium intake with sleep duration and sleep quality: findings from the CARDIA study. Sleep 2022; 45. Regulating GABA in the CNS: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter in the brain that calms the nervous system by stopping certain signals from transmitting. Magnesium may play a role in regulating GABA, which could help promote calm and act as a sedative, to promote sleep. A member of our medical expert team provides a final review of the content and sources cited for every guide, article, and product review concerning medical- and health-related topics. Inaccurate or unverifiable information will be removed prior to publication. It’s worth noting that these two studies were only carried out in very small populations (60 people in the first study and 43 people in the second) and it’s not possible from either study to say whether it was the magnesium, the other compounds or the combination of them all together that improved symptoms of sleep disturbance.

Better Sleep for a Better You.

In another study, people were given a supplement of magnesium, melatonin and zinc nightly. 12 Results from this study showed this combined supplement improved sleep quality and as a result, people reported improvements to their quality of life, too. Symptoms of magnesium toxicity can range from mild to severe, and vary depending on a person’s magnesium level. Symptoms of excessive magnesium include: DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart 2018; 5: e000668. Barna O, Lohoida P, Holovchenko Y, Bazylevych A, Velychko V, Hovbakh I et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study assessing the efficacy of magnesium oxide monohydrate in the treatment of nocturnal leg cramps. Nutr J 2021; 20: 90. Magnesium citrate appears in many capsules and tablets. “Magnesium citrate is the most common type of magnesium supplement,” says Dr Aragona. “It’s more easily absorbed in your digestive tract than other forms, so it’s more gentle on your digestive system.”

Yang, Y., Ye, H., He, Q., Zhang, X., Yu, B., Yang, J., & Chen, J. (2019). Association between predialysis hypermagnesaemia and morbidity of uraemic restless legs syndrome in maintenance haemodialysis patients: A retrospective observational study in Zhejiang, China. BMJ open, 9(7), e027970. In most cases, magnesium supplements are safe. A dangerously high level of magnesium is rare in otherwise healthy people unless they take a very high dose Several studies show only a very small positive effect or no effect at all, so many scientists conclude that further research on magnesium is needed before we can say for sure whether this mineral really is effective in improving mental health or sleep. 14Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source If you’re considering taking magnesium as a sleep aid, it’s worth discussing with your healthcare provider. This is particularly important if you’re taking any other medication, as magnesium can interact with certain drugs and you’d need to minimise any risk of this happening. Djokic G, Vojvodić P, Korcok D, Agic A, Rankovic A, Djordjevic V et al. The effects of magnesium - melatonin - Vit B complex supplementation in treatment of insomnia. Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2019; 7: 3101–3105. The Sleep Foundation editorial team is dedicated to providing content that meets the highest standards for accuracy and objectivity. Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias.

Relaxing muscles: Magnesium may also inhibit another neurotransmitter, called the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, which could promote muscle relaxation. This could help improve general relaxation and sleep.If you don’t fancy swallowing pills, no problem: slather on this body lotion, and all the magnesium you need will absorb directly through your skin. Made by magnesium supplement specialists BetterYou, this soft lotion contains 150mg of high-quality magnesium chloride per 5ml teaspoon, so all you need is a dollop per day. The lotion also contains lavender and chamomile essential oils for a lovely fragrance. Magnesium is a mineral that’s essential for the body to function and remain healthy. We get magnesium from our diet and it’s naturally present in a wide range of food types, such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. It’s also added to certain foods, such as breakfast cereals and some bottled water brands.