What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is a crucial mineral that plays a vital role in your body. It supports a healthy cardiovascular system by maintaining normal blood pressure and heart rate. Additionally, magnesium is essential for the immune system, muscle contraction, and bone health.
Among the minerals in the human body, magnesium is one of the most abundant, primarily found in the bones. However, many people do not get enough of it, with up to one-quarter of Americans potentially being deficient. As we age, we naturally lose some magnesium, which can affect our sleep quality. Consuming magnesium-rich foods and taking supplements can help alleviate this issue.
How Magnesium Helps Sleep
This essential mineral benefits your body in numerous ways, including improving your sleep. Here are the main ways magnesium influences restful sleep:
Helps You Get a Good Night’s Rest
Magnesium works with melatonin and GABA, hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate sleep. As we age, it becomes harder to get a full night’s sleep due to changes in circadian rhythms and nutrient absorption. Older adults who take magnesium supplements often report better sleep quality and quicker sleep onset.
Relaxes Your Body & Brain
Magnesium calms both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system handles the “fight or flight” response, while the parasympathetic system manages regular activities like breathing and digestion. By soothing these systems, magnesium helps reduce restlessness and anxiety, promoting better sleep.
Eases Daily Stress & Anxiety
Stress is a common part of daily life, and one way to measure it is through heart rate variability (HRV). Magnesium improves HRV, especially when combined with strength training, helping to manage stress levels.
Lifts Your Mood
Magnesium affects brain function and several neurological pathways, influencing mood. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to mood changes and feelings of depression, which can interfere with sleep.
Supports Normal Blood Pressure
Maintaining normal blood pressure can improve sleep by promoting relaxation. Magnesium helps regulate heart rate variability and heart rhythms, reducing stress. It also relaxes muscles, including those in blood vessels, promoting normal blood pressure.
Calms Those Restless Legs
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder causing tingling or tickling sensations in the legs, leading to an urge to move them. About 10% of adults in the U.S. experience RLS, often linked to low magnesium levels. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake can help alleviate these symptoms.
Could Low Magnesium Be Affecting You?
Nearly half of Americans have insufficient magnesium levels. Certain groups are more prone to deficiencies, including people with kidney conditions, gastrointestinal issues, Type 2 diabetes, those undergoing chemotherapy, individuals with osteoporosis, heavy drinkers, chronic migraine sufferers, and people with ADHD.
Best Magnesium Sources
The best and safest way to get magnesium is through food, but supplements are also available.
Magnesium-Rich Foods
Foods rich in magnesium include spinach, kale, broccoli, artichokes, and brown rice. Consuming these foods can help improve sleep quality. Here are some examples:
| Food | Percent of Recommended Daily Value |
|---|---|
| Black beans, cooked, ? cup | 15% |
| Almonds, dry-roasted, 1 ounce | 20% |
| Brown rice, cooked, ? cup | 11% |
| Spinach, boiled, ? cup | 20% |
| Avocado, cubed, 1 cup | 11% |
| Dark Chocolate, 1 ounce | 16% |
| Broccoli, chopped and cooked, ? cup | 3% |
| Kale, raw, 1 cup | 2% |
| Artichoke, boiled, 1 whole | 13% |
Supplements
Here are the daily magnesium requirements as set by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine:
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnant | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 30 mg* | 30 mg* | ||
| 7–12 months | 75 mg* | 75 mg* | ||
| 1–3 years | 80 mg | 80 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 130 mg | 130 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 240 mg | 240 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 410 mg | 360 mg | 400 mg | 360 mg |
| 19–30 years | 400 mg | 310 mg | 350 mg | 310 mg |
| 31–50 years | 420 mg | 320 mg | 360 mg | 320 mg |
| 51+ years | 420 mg | 320 mg |
While there are various magnesium supplements available, magnesium orotate is the most bioavailable. Always choose a reputable brand with high-quality ingredients. Supplements can be beneficial for those with naturally low magnesium levels. Some supplements, like Global Healing’s IntraCal, contain calcium orotate and magnesium orotate in an ideal ratio, supporting healthy teeth and bones while also promoting restful sleep.
Precautions & Potential Side Effects
For healthy individuals, excess magnesium is typically excreted in urine. However, taking too much of any supplement can cause adverse effects like diarrhea, cramping, and nausea. If you are on other medications, consult your healthcare provider about potential interactions with magnesium. It’s best to get magnesium from food, but supplements can help where your diet falls short.
Points to Remember
Sleep challenges affect many people, whether due to stress, health issues, or other factors. Magnesium helps regulate sleep cycles and can improve sleep quality. Increasing your magnesium intake can help relax muscles and reduce tension, leading to more restful sleep. Foods like seeds, nuts, leafy greens, and certain grains are excellent sources of magnesium. Specifically, broccoli, kale, artichokes, and brown rice are rich in this essential mineral. Global Healing’s IntraCal is a high-quality supplement that combines calcium and magnesium in an ideal ratio, potentially aiding in better sleep.
Do you take magnesium for sleep? How does it help you? Share your experiences below.
