Struggle with getting enough shut-eye? You’re not alone, and like many others, you’re probably looking for a helpful sleep aid. Poor sleep not only makes you feel tired and sluggish during the day, long term insufficient sleep can increase your risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Magnesium has been linked to better sleep due to the way it interacts with certain hormones and neurotransmitters in the body. Although you can find it naturally in certain foods, a supplement may be helpful if you’re not getting enough from your diet. Keep reading to find out how to use magnesium for sleep and 18 things you should know about the mineral.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential macronutrient that plays a number of roles in the body and can help improve mood, sleep, exercise performance, blood sugar regulation, and more. It’s used for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, and higher levels of magnesium in the body are associated with better sleep, longer sleep times, and less tiredness during the day.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium falls between 310 and 420 milligrams, depending on age, sex, and pregnancy status. Many people don’t get enough magnesium in their diet, though deficiency symptoms are typically uncommon in otherwise healthy people. If you don’t get enough magnesium through food, you may benefit from a magnesium supplement. Supplements may be especially helpful for older people as their bodies may not properly absorb magnesium.
4 Ways Magnesium Helps with Sleep
1. Helps Regulate Neurotransmitters
GABA, or gamma-animobutyric acid, is a neurotransmitter in the brain that calms the nervous system. GABA is important for sleep and magnesium helps to regulate it and increases its activity. In this way, magnesium can help promote calm and better sleep.
2. Increases Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain and plays a role in sleep quality. A person’s brain creates melatonin in response to darkness, and this increase in melatonin makes them feel tired and want to sleep. While melatonin and magnesium are both naturally produced by the body, they’re also both available in supplement form. Magnesium may indirectly affect sleep through its effects on melatonin. The amount of magnesium you have can affect how well you synthesize melatonin.
3. Reduces Cortisol
Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. Magnesium may help manage your stress response system and cortisol levels. A decrease in cortisol can help you relax and sleep better.
4. Relaxes Muscles
One of the body’s reactions to stress and anxiety is muscle tension. Magnesium is an essential nutrient for muscle function and helps muscle tissue to relax. It inhibits the neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, which could promote muscle relaxation. On the flip side, a deficiency in magnesium can increase muscle tension and cramps.
2 Types of Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium supplements come in pill, powder, and gummy form, and the one you take is really up to personal preference. There are also many types of magnesium on the market, but two are particularly beneficial for sleep.
1. Magnesium Glycinate
This form of magnesium is most associated with the neurotransmitter GABA. As mentioned above, its function is to send messages to block signals from your central nervous system to produce a calming effect on the body. Magnesium glycinate stimulates the production and activity of the GABA neurotransmitter. It’s also typically absorbed better by the body and is least likely to cause digestive stress.
2. Magnesium L-threonate
This type of magnesium has been found to help with stress and anxiety, which are two of the top reasons people develop sleep disorders like insomnia. If you can take a supplement that has a calming, relaxation effect, such as magnesium L-threonate, it can help you sleep better.
11 Magnesium Rich Foods
- Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach
- Dark chocolate
- Avocados
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
- Tofu
- Whole wheat
- Quinoa
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Cultured yogurt
How to Use Magnesium for Sleep
While the best form of magnesium for the body’s consumption comes from food, if you don’t think you’re getting enough from your diet, supplements can be helpful. Magnesium is not classified as a sleep aid, so you don’t need to worry what time you take it before bed. It’s not going to knock you out, but it can help you feel more calm and relaxed if you take it about an hour before bedtime.
If you want to see if a supplement is helping you feel relaxed and sleep better, try taking it semi-regularly for two to three weeks. If it’s not working, consider trying a different brand or type. If it works, then you can take it regularly. While you can take magnesium at any time of day, if you’re using it specifically for sleep, take it around half an hour to an hour before bed.
Although magnesium is relatively safe since we need it to survive, it’s always best to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement plan to make sure it won’t cause long term health issues or interact with other medications you may be taking.
We hope you enjoyed these tips for how to use magnesium to sleep better. Sweet dreams!
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