Can Magnesium Help You Fall Asleep?

news360hub July 5, 2021 Health Leave a comment

Can Magnesium Help You Fall Asleep? – The overall evidence for magnesium to help you catch some sleep is slim, but some people have found it helps them.

What Is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a nutrient that plays a role in several important bodily functions. It’s involved in muscle and nerve function, regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, and even helps build bones and DNA.

Magnesium may help regulate neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit messages between nerve cells in your body and brain) that are directly related to sleep. Magnesium only plays a supporting role in their function.

Magnesium is widely available in both plant and animal foods such as dairy products, leafy greens, nuts, legumes and whole grains. So, if you eat a well balanced diet, you probably get plenty of magnesium. And magnesium deficiency is rare in healthy people.

However, these people may be at risk of magnesium deficiency, those who:

Are an older adult
Have Type 2 diabetes
Have a gastrointestinal disorder
Have alcohol use disorder

Can Magnesium Help You get The Rest You Want?

Some research shows that magnesium supplements can:

Make it easier to fall asleep
Improve sleep quality
Reduce symptoms of restless legs syndrome, which can interfere with your sleep

The Right Magnesium Dosage For Sleep

Magnesium supplement are generally safe but could interfere with some medications. If you plan to use magnesium supplement for sleep, look for these products:

Magnesium glycinate (200 milligrams)
Magnesium citrate (200 milligrams)

Avoid magnesium oxide, which is a stool softener and much less helpful for insomnia. Research recommends taking the supplement about 30 minutes before bedtime and don’t take more than the recommended amount. More won’t be helpful for your sleep but may cause stomach upset.

Although magnesium may help you sleep but doing these things is a better way to have a good night’s sleep: