Bulk Billed Sleep Studies Available - Find Out More
Find a Clinic
47 Locations

Magnesium And Sleep

December 18, 2021

Article Highlights: - Magnesium is a popular supplement for enhancing sleep. - Magnesium is an essential mineral for many functions in the body. - For many complex reasons, magnesium deficiency is becoming more common. - Most over the counter magnesium supplements are poorly absorbed and can result in gastrointestinal distress. - Epsom salt soaks can also be beneficial. - Magnesium sufficiency is important, but not a cure-all. - Check your RBC magnesium levels with your doctor to determine your magnesium status.

A quick google search about how to get better sleep might yield a few interesting results. One staple in this line of inquiry is magnesium. But does magnesium actually help you sleep better, and if so; why?

Magnesium is an essential mineral for bone health, energy production, heart health and is required for approximately 800 metabolic reactions in our bodies. We get magnesium through our diet and to a lesser extend through the water we drink. For a variety of reasons, magnesium deficiency is becoming more and more common. This is a result in part because of conventional agricultural practises stemming from the post-World War II era where industrial waste was repurposed and sold as potent fertiliser. The results were foods that had been grown with extensive use of NPK, or nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilisers. These agricultural inputs, still widely used today, have generated widespread mineral imbalances in soil; one of the primary minerals not being put back into the soil being magnesium. Food gain the vast majority of their minerals directly from the soil. With continually decreasing amounts of magnesium in our agricultural lands, our food became lower and lower in magnesium.

Magnesium is a key electrolyte in the blood that plays a fine balancing act with other minerals including calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Magnesium is known for its ability to relax the muscles, making it a popular supplement to help with sleep onset. But magnesium also promotes the release of a neurotransmitter called GABA. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning that it blocks signals in the brain and can help slow a racing mind. For these reasons, magnesium can be a simple, cheap and effective way to promote certain aspects of sleep.

While magnesium is a very important nutrient, not all magnesium is created equal. Unfortunately, some people experience gastrointestinal distress when consuming supplemental magnesium. This can occur when the magnesium is not properly absorbed and ends up in the colon where it draws water and can result in loose stool. This is usually due to the fact that most magnesium supplements sold over the counter are in the form, magnesium oxide. This type of magnesium is poorly absorbed and is the most likely to cause digestive issues. The most absorbable forms of magnesium are magnesium glycinate (sometimes called magnesium bisglycinate), magnesium malate, magnesium citrate and magnesium bicarbonate (which cannot be bought over the counter). If magnesium still presents a problem for you, transdermal magnesium in the form of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) soaks are very well tolerated and bypass the gut altogether (do not consume Epsom salts orally).

Foods that have notable amounts of magnesium are: - Pumpkin seeds - Cashews - Green leafy vegetables - Chlorella - Some natural spring waters

While magnesium can be effective in promoting sleep onset and deep sleep, it is not a magic bullet. Magnesium can be implemented as a part of a healthy sleep routine. It may be a good idea to get your red blood cell (RBC) magnesium levels tested to assess your magnesium status.

Your body requires a plethora of nutrients to facilitate restful sleep and rejuvenation. For this reason, you should work closely with your doctor to measure and monitor your vitamin and mineral status to better inform you of how to address and nutrient inadequacies. Do not supplement without the guidance of a qualified and experienced practitioner.