How to choose a magnesium supplement for sleep
If you’ve been struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it could be because you aren’t getting enough magnesium. Although it’s one of the most widely available minerals on Earth, magnesium deficiencies are shockingly common and one of the fallouts is sleep.
| Almost 50% of us are deficient in magnesium and yet no-one is talking about it.
If you’re not getting enough magnesium from food (green leafy veg, nuts & seeds, whole grains, meat and fish), it’s vital to supplement your diet with a high-quality magnesium supplement.
This article outlines the types of different magnesium and the best forms of magnesium for sleep.
Why are we deficient in magnesium?
Some of the main reasons why we are deficient in magnesium include:
- Stress, coffee, alcohol, sugar all depletes our existing magnesium
- The soil our food is now grown in is depleted of magnesium, so we’re not getting as much from our food. (This wasn’t the case a few decades ago)
- As we use more and more pesticides and herbicides, we are also depleting the magnesium in the water.
Signs of magnesium deficiency
Some symptoms of anxiety deficiency include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Insomnia
- Muscle cramps
- Restless leg syndrome
- Poor memory or poor cognitive function
How to choose a magnesium for sleep
A lot (wayyy too many) of magnesium supplements out there are not that great. It would really remind you why you need to do your homework before buying any supplement.
I've summarised my own personal research (I'm not qualified but I dig around in scientific journals & reddit forums) - on the best magnesium for you... see table below.
Magnesium is best absorbed with calcium and vitamin d3. There are many different types but the best forms are ones that are easily absorbed. Always check the ingredients and look out for toxins like titanium dioxide, silica, and magnesium stearate.
You can always try magnesium flakes to soak in your bath or magnesium chloride oil to put on your skin. There are lots of conflicting reports on which is better (supplements vs. skin absorption) e.g this study showed no additional advantages from transdermal magnesium but many “experts” claim there is a difference. Truth is, we don't know but I've read enough to say I'm going to be buying magnesium chloride oil for myself (and my folks!) but I'll probably take a magnesium supplement too 🙈.
|
Magnesium oxide |
Cheap to make, very poorly absorbed - avoid |
|
Magnesium malate |
Energising, supports muscles - good absorption |
|
Magnesium bis-glycinate chelate |
Good for stress, anxiety, insomnia - good absorption |
|
Magnesium citrate |
Used for constipation - poor/avg absorption |
|
Magnesium threonate |
Brain health, memory, focus, cognition - best absorption |
|
Magnesium taurate |
Anxiety, sleep - good absorption |
|
Magnesium chloride |
Cheap & toxic - avoid |
How much magnesium for sleep
We need at a minimum 400mg per day - but we are only getting on average half this. Whats more - stress, coffee, sugar & alcohol all further depletes this. 😬
For sleep, a good dosage recommendation would be around 400mg to ensure you are getting at least getting the minimum dosage of magnesium
When to take magnesium for sleep
Magnesium supplements are not water-soluble so you do not need to take these with food.
They do pass through our digestive tract so taking these around 1.5 - 2 hours before bedtime.
Summary
😴 For sleep, choose a magnesium bi-glycinate chelate or taurate (with calcium and d3 ideally for absorption).
😃 For all other reasons, choose magnesium threonate, it has the best absorption.
🛀 Consider adding magnesium flakes or magnesium chloride spray to your night time routine.