Research has shown that magnesium may help improve symptoms of insomnia. In a study of elderly patients with insomnia, taking 500 mg of magnesium daily for eight weeks improved many subjective and objective measures of insomnia. According to Dr. Christopher Winter, author of The Sleep Solution and board-certified sleep specialist at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine in Virginia, magnesium is an important player in many of the steps that allow you to take proteins and convert them into chemicals that help you feel sleepy.
It also helps to calm the nervous system, which helps it work more efficiently. Magnesium also plays a role in muscle relaxation and nerve function. That's why magnesium is often a supplement doctors use to help people manage symptoms of restless legs syndrome. Magnesium can also help your body's dopamine levels rise, which can improve your mood, and if migraines keep you awake, it can also help relieve them, according to the American Migraine Foundation.
You can (and should) try to get a solid amount of magnesium from your diet, so you don't have to resort to a supplement unless you have a diagnosed deficiency, says Dr. Winter. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium when used for sleep or general health is 310 milligrams per day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Dr.
Winter supports this by saying that a good, moderate dose of magnesium is about 100 to 350 milligrams daily. This dose should be free of any adverse effects. If you're looking for a good night's sleep, reducing caffeine consumption, avoiding screens before bed, setting a regular night schedule, and making your bedroom more conducive to rest might help. And if you're already doing all these things and still feel like your sleep might be deeper, it might be time to consider a sleep supplement.
Fortunately, you don't need a lot of magnesium to reap the relaxing benefits of the mineral. As long as you don't have impaired kidney function, taking a little more magnesium than this won't necessarily be harmful, but it could cause unpleasant side effects (as a result of magnesium that causes your bowels to move naturally), such as diarrhea and abdominal cramps, although they are more common with other forms of magnesium such as carbonate, chloride, gluconate and oxide than with magnesium bisglycinate. According to limited research, daily intake of 500 mg of magnesium may improve sleep quality. You can also try magnesium supplements to improve sleep, says Dr.
Dimitriu. The recommended supplement dose is 270 mg to 350 mg for men and 280 mg to 300 mg for women. However, do not exceed the tolerable upper limit of 350 mg daily or you may experience abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The National Institute of Health recommends an average adult male needs 400 mg of magnesium a day and an adult woman needs 310 mg of it.
Magnesium helps lower blood pressure and induce deep sleep. There are several different types of magnesium supplements but magnesium glycinate is the most commonly used in sleep studies and can be purchased at most grocery or wellness stores. While no concrete research has demonstrated the benefits of magnesium oil, it is still a popular choice for a magnesium supplement. A comprehensive report by MIT on the interaction between magnesium supplementation and fibromyalgia showed results from studies indicating that magnesium can reduce chronic body pain and discomfort often associated with insomnia in patients with fibromyalgia.
In addition to this research, one study found that older adults who received 414 mg of magnesium oxide twice daily (500 mg of magnesium daily) had better quality of sleep compared to adults who received placebo (20). Although more research is needed on magnesium and muscle cramps, taking 300 mg of magnesium daily has been shown to decrease symptoms. Magnesium glycinate is normally included in many OTC magnesium supplements but always be sure to check it out as it is especially recommended for improving sleep. Because it is combined with an additional sleep aid and an amino acid glycine, magnesium glycinate is one of the most common magnesium supplements used to achieve better sleep.
Although magnesium toxicity is rare, taking certain high-dose magnesium supplements can cause diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps but it is less likely with magnesium glycinate than other forms such as carbonate chloride gluconate or oxide.
