Sleep has such a profound impact on your overall health. Not only does a solid night of rest help you feel ready to attack the day, but getting enough sleep also reduces your risk of developing many chronic illnesses, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As such, many people turn to the supplement aisle looking for sleep support—and one getting a lot of buzz is magnesium for sleep.
Magnesium is a mineral that’s naturally present in many foods, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It’s a cofactor (i.e. required compound) in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate different reactions in your body, like the breakdown of protein, your muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, energy production, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium also helps with the development of bones, nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm, per the NIH.
Meet the experts: W. Christopher Winter, M.D., a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast; Kelly Waters, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and neurologist with Corewell Health; Scott Keatley, R.D., co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.
So, how does sleep factor in? Ahead, experts explain how magnesium may support the processes that promote restful sleep, plus how much you should be getting and the side effects to know.
Can magnesium help you sleep?
There are actually a few different ways magnesium may help your sleep. “Magnesium supports sleep,” affirmed W. Christopher Winter, M.D., a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast. “It creates relaxation in the body—brains love magnesium.”
Magnesium “is a cofactor in a lot of chemical reactions related to sleep and optimal performance,” Dr. Winter explained. That includes helping your body have proper levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that helps you feel sleepy, calming the sympathetic nervous system and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and supporting healthy melatonin production. “When your magnesium levels are good, all of those things work better,” Dr. Winter said.
Magnesium can also reduce inflammation levels in the body, said Kelly Waters, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and neurologist with Corewell Health. “Reducing baseline inflammation has a positive impact on the restorative function of sleep, as higher inflammation dampens recovery,” she explained. In general, magnesium has been linked to better time to get to sleep, sleep duration (i.e. how long you stay asleep), and less daytime drowsiness, Dr. Waters said.
Another more indirect impact magnesium can have on sleep is that it lowers your risk of having muscle twitches and cramps, said Scott Keatley, R.D., co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. “This, along with having to use the bathroom in the middle of the night are the most frequent complaints of people who cannot get to sleep or who are awoken in the middle of the night,” he said.
So, should you try taking magnesium for sleep?
Dr. Winter said it’s not a terrible idea to consider a magnesium supplement if you’re struggling with sleep. His suggestion: Talk to your primary care physician first and get a blood test to see if you’re deficient in the mineral. “It’s a cheap test, and they can check your levels of vitamin D, magnesium, and more,” he said. “Basic nutritional chemistry panels should not be a problem to do.”
If your doctor determines that you are, in fact, deficient in magnesium, Dr. Winter recommended considering a supplement. A good dose is anywhere from 100 to 350 milligrams a day, he said, but your doctor will likely have more personalized recommendations based on your individual needs. Recommended intakes of magnesium vary depending on your sex and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. However, it’s generally suggested that adult women get between 310 and 400 milligrams of magnesium a day, while adult men should aim for 400 to 420 milligrams a day. Taking too much can cause side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps, according to the NIH, so it’s best to stay in the recommended range.
Likewise, ask your doctor if they recommend a specific type of magnesium supplement—certain forms may be better for sleep than others. Taking magnesium is unlikely to dramatically alter your sleep situation, Dr. Winter said. But, he adds, “it can definitely support good sleep.”
Top magnesium-rich foods to support sleep
If you don’t want to dive right into taking a supplement, you can also increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods. The top sources, per the NIH, include:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Dry-roasted almonds
- Spinach
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Soy milk
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Peanut butter
- Brown rice
While it’s always good to get your nutrients from food whenever possible, Dr. Winter pointed out that the magnesium content in foods has dropped over the past 50 years due to over-farming (which doesn’t give soil enough time to recover, dropping magnesium levels that wind up in your food in the process). As a result, many people aren’t getting enough magnesium in their diet.
Because of this, while adding more of these foods to your plate will only make your diet more well-rounded and nutrient-rich, you may want to consider taking a supplement if you are specifically looking for sleep support, Dr. Winter said.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.
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