When you go through a period of poor sleep, you’ll try anything to help you drift off. Herbal teas, relaxing music, special pillows… the world is full of supposed ‘cures’ for insomnia, with the latest being magnesium supplements.
But is magnesium the miracle solution it’s being heralded as? Can one tablet really be enough to offset the insomnia-inducing stress of the modern world? It’s time to see what the science has to say, so you can determine whether magnesium really can help you achieve the restful sleep you need and deserve.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is essential for over 300 bodily functions. Among its numerous other jobs, it plays a key role in blood pressure regulation, muscle and nerve function, and protein synthesis. The best sources of magnesium are leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains.
The recommended daily intake of magnesium is 300mg for men and 270mg for women, but a recent National Diet and Nutrition survey found that 19% of UK adults aged 19 – 64 fall well below this recommendation, with magnesium deficiency being more common in women than in men.
How is it supposed to aid restful sleep?
Magnesium is not only good for you, but essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure and normal muscle function, but is it also the secret to healthy sleep?
Magnesium is meant to aid restful sleep by supporting the production of neurotransmitters like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These neurotransmitters help to calm the mind and body through the release of hormones associated with the sleep-wake cycle, such as melatonin, while simultaneously lowering stress hormones like cortisol.
Essentially then, magnesium supposedly relaxes your muscles and nervous system while also decreasing stress. If this is indeed the case, then it is no wonder that magnesium supplements are held by some to be the long-awaited cure to stress-induced insomnia.
What do the experts say?
Some observational studies show that people with increased levels of magnesium in their bodies do sleep better than those with a magnesium deficiency, but the results from gold-standard clinical trials are more mixed.
How effective magnesium is at affecting sleep appears to depend partly on the type of magnesium used. To have any hope of increasing the level of relaxing neurotransmitters produced by the brain, it needs to be able to reach the brain from the bloodstream, and some forms of magnesium seem to be able to do this more easily than others.
A recent randomised clinical trial did find that taking magnesium threonate supplements for a period of three weeks improved both sleep quality and daytime alertness for people with reported sleep problems, which is a promising sign that certain types of magnesium may be able to help certain groups of insomniacs.
But is taking magnesium supplements the secret to quality sleep for everyone? No. While magnesium deficiency is more common than it should be, most people still receive enough magnesium from their diet, making magnesium supplements unnecessary, and even potentially harmful.
Rather than make you feel more awake during the day, magnesium overdose can lead to increased fatigue, as well as vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle weakness, and low blood pressure. Magnesium should also be avoided by people with diabetes, heart disease, digestive issues, or kidney disease, unless it has been recommended by a medical professional.
If you have a balanced diet which contains plenty of leafy greens and wholegrains, it is unlikely that magnesium will improve your sleep. Instead, your insomnia is likely the result of an irregular sleep pattern, a poor sleep environment, a stressful lifestyle, or perhaps an underlying health condition.
Magnesium is an essential ingredient for healthy sleep, but it is not the only one.
Looking to improve your sleep quality? Start by getting the sleep surface right. Explore the Mammoth range today and find your nearest stockist here.