What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium plays a crucial role in your body, supporting a healthy cardiovascular system by maintaining normal blood pressure and heart rate. This mineral also boosts the immune system, aids in muscle contraction, and promotes 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 a 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 may help alleviate this issue.
How Magnesium Helps Sleep
This essential mineral benefits your body in many ways, one of which is improving your sleep. Here’s how 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 life, and one way to measure it is through heart rate variability (HRV). Magnesium can improve HRV, especially when combined with strength training, helping to manage stress levels.
Lifts Your Mood
Magnesium affects brain function and several neurological pathways. 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 enhance sleep quality 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) affects about 10 percent of adults in the U.S. People with RLS often have lower magnesium levels. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake can help alleviate RLS 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’s a chart showing the magnesium content in various foods:
| 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 types of magnesium supplements, magnesium orotate is the most bioavailable. Always choose a reputable brand with high-quality ingredients. Supplements like Global Healing’s IntraCal, which contains calcium orotate and magnesium orotate, can support healthy teeth and bones and improve sleep quality.
Precautions & Potential Side Effects
If you are generally healthy, consuming too much magnesium is not a major concern as excess is excreted in urine. However, overconsumption of any supplement can cause adverse effects like diarrhea, cramping, and nausea. If you take other medications, consult your healthcare provider about possible interactions with magnesium. It’s best to get magnesium from food, but supplements can help if your diet falls short.
Points to Remember
Sleep challenges affect many people, whether due to stress, health issues, or other causes. 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 rich in magnesium. Supplements like Global Healing’s IntraCal can also be beneficial.
Do you take magnesium for sleep? How does it help you? Share your experiences below.
