Insomnia or inability to sleep or stay asleep is a distressing thing. Not only does it make you feel tired, groggy or lethargic the next day, it can have some serious consequences long term.
Individuals who have Insomnia have been found to have greater levels of anxiety, depression and general cardiovascular risk. Conversely, an ability to have a good quality sleep (6-8 hours for an adult per night) can reduce risk of developing dementia, anxiety, depressive symptoms, mood disorders as well as cardiovascular disease.
There are many simple interventions that can help someone sleep better. Reducing caffeine intake in the evenings, regular exercise, proper diet and avoiding alcohol are universally true. So is sleep hygiene, minimizing digital devices such as TV or phone at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime, all play a meaningful role.
If all of the above do not help with improving sleep, supplements such as melatonin and magnesium can help.
Magnesium is an electrolyte or a mineral that is required in a multitude of enzymatic reactions within the body. Magnesium deficiency can be sub-clinical and can present with restlessness and a poor quality of sleep.
A double blind placebo-controlled study has shown some utility of magnesium supplementation in improving the duration and quality of sleep. In this study, individuals were given either a placebo (sugar pill) or magnesium on a daily basis for a period of 8 weeks. Sleep quality assessment showed that individuals receiving magnesium supplement had a better quality and duration of sleep.
Magnesium likely can help with sleep at least by two independent mechanisms:
First, it can bind to gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain. These allow the person to relax and can help with induction of sleep. Certain commonly prescribed medications (e.g. zolpidem) also utilize a similar mechanism of action.
Secondly, magnesium has been theorized to regulate melatonin, a hormone that controls the diurnal sleep cycle, or in other words, controls the sleep rhythm. Melatonin is not a sedative but merely helps with maintenance of the sleep pattern and allows the body to relax naturally.
Another possibility that magnesium can help with sleep is by directly correcting the magnesium deficiency. Current laboratory tests cannot assess total body (tissue) magnesium levels and can only detect free magnesium in the blood which does not correlate with a magnesium deficiency status.
Supplementation with magnesium oxide helps relax skeletal muscles and can help reduce symptoms of restless legs. Indirectly, this can improve the quality of sleep.
The dosage of magnesium required to help with sleep is not clearly defined, largely because the deficiency status of every individual is quite different. The total recommended daily intake of magnesium in adults is approximately 400 mg. Most Americans do not get this amount and such a deficiency builds up over a long period of time.
Typically, magnesium salts are packaged in the oxide or a citrate form. Magnesium oxide can “package” the most amount of elemental magnesium, about 240 mg per tablet but it is difficult to absorb. Magnesium citrate capsules are typically available in the 250 or 500 mg strengths.
A typical dosage for an adult is one capsule of 500 mg at nighttime. This dosage has been studied in some clinical trials.
Magnesium can also be taken in the form of an electrolyte mix such as MAGNAK®. The advantage of taking this is that the deficiency of magnesium is often accompanied by that of potassium. Both these deficiencies coexist in a dehydrated state.
MAGNAK® can improve hydration and correct electrolyte deficiencies leaving muscles in a perfused state minimizing cramps that can often interfere with sleep.
No. Magnesium is an electrolyte and while muscle relaxation, improvement in mood and anxiety, blood pressure regulation and improvement in quality of sleep are natural effects of magnesium, it is not addictive.
Magnesium supplements also carry a high safety index. However, individuals with kidney disease have to be monitored with periodic blood levels of magnesium if they are on this supplement for a long time.
Magnesium supplements can cause diarrhea at higher doses and individual tolerance is extremely variable.
Magnesium can help with sleep if taken regularly and the effect is most pronounced in those who have a magnesium deficiency and do not know about it. Read more about magnesium deficiency and the important role of magnesium in human physiology in our article here.
