Does magnesium help you sleep?
Are you taking magnesium and are still not sleeping?
Magnesium supplements are widely advertised for their calming and sleep enhancing effect and widely available at most grocery stores these days.
What is the role of magnesium in the body and in sleep? What types of magnesium are there? Does supplementing really work? Should I get a blood test to check my levels?
Magnesium - kind of a big deal.
Minerals are the spark plugs of life and magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body.
Sounds like we have and need a lot of it, doesn’t it? In fact, an adult body holds about 25 mg of magnesium.
What does magnesium do for us in the body?
65% of our magnesium sits in our bones and teeth. The other 35% is stored in the blood, muscles such as the heart, and in the brain. However, only about 0.3% of your total magnesium is found in the blood. That is why blood tests are not really accurate to give you a good picture of your full body’s magnesium levels.
So, why is magnesium such a big deal if there is only such a small amount of it in our body?
Ever cell in the human body
is depended on magnesium to function. The cells can’t live without it.
And - magnesium is involved in over 600 different biochemical reactions in the body.
To name a few:
Magnesium lowers blood pressure as it relaxes the blood vessels.
It is the most important mineral for heart health.
Magnesium relaxes muscles and reliefs tension.
It lowers blood sugar. Magnesium deficiency has been consistently found in people with Type 2 diabetes.
Magnesium is an anti-inflammatory: it in itself helps to lower inflammation in the body and it helps in the production of our body’s master antioxidant: glutathione.
It increases brain synapses and supports brain health.
And how does it affect sleep? Or does it at all?
Magnesium is considered the “anti-stress” mineral. It calms down the nervous system and relaxes muscles - both processes are required for the body to fall asleep.
It also supports other hormones and neurotransmitters (messengers between nerve cells):
1. It helps to regulate melatonin - the hormone that helps us fall asleep.
2. Magnesium also interacts with GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA is a chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) that docks onto nerve cells in the brain and calms the nerve down. Magnesium binds to GABA receptors on the cell and supports the transmission of the calming signal.
SO YES, YOUR MAGNESIUM
STATUS DOES HAVE AN
EFFECT ON YOUR SLEEP.
One of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency is actually chronic insomnia.
Other symptoms of magnesium deficiency are fatigue, heart palpitations, muscle twitches, and restless leg syndrome.
Studies suggest that about 50% of the US and European population get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium.
Why is there such a deficiency in magnesium?
1. We don’t consume enough of it
The soil our food is growing on is very mineral depleted due to current farming practises, so the plants do not absorb and store enough magnesium in them for us to consume.
People eat a diet that consists of highly processed foods. The manufacturing process depletes magnesium levels of the foods further.
Large amounts of coffee and tea consumption bind magnesium and make it unavailable for the body to use.
Alcohol consumption depletes magnesium stores in the body as well.
2. We have low stomach acid or “leaky gut”
The body requires a strong digestive system with sufficient amounts of stomach acid to absorb magnesium. Also, if someone suffers from gut issues such as “leaky gut” or an imbalance of good and bad bacteria (gut dysbiosis), magnesium might not get absorbed or is used up to fight inflammation.
3. We take medication and other supplements
Certain medications such as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) will lower stomach acid and through that lower magnesium absorption in the body. Antibiotics and the birth control pill also deplete magnesium. Supplementation of calcium or vitamin D can have a negative impact on magnesium stores as well.
4. We have a lot of stress
If the body is burdened or stressed with large amounts of toxins from pesticides, alcohol, chemicals in cleaning products or cosmetics, or even excessive sweating from exercise or saunas - this can deplete magnesium stores in the body.
The liver needs magnesium to support detoxification. So the higher the toxic load on the body, the more magnesium gets used up.
Why do I not see an effect on my sleep even tough I am supplementing?
Are you taking the right kind of magnesium to help you sleep? Is your body absorbing and using the magnesium properly?
There are different kinds
of magnesium and
not all of them support sleep.
Types of magnesium and their effects:
Magnesium glycinate or bis-glycinate - calming
Magnesium malate - muscle strength and energy
Magnesium threonate - brain health
Magnesium citrate - pooping
Magnesium orotate - Heart health
Magnesium stearate is a supplement that is not recommended. It is used as a filler in some magnesium supplements, but it doesn’t get absorbed well by the body.
To support your sleep, a magnesium glycerinate or bis-glycinate taken in the evening can be beneficial.
Make sure to check for the amount of elemental magnesium stated on the bottle and get a product that does not have any additives or fillers in it.
If you have very low bowel tolerance try this instead: magnesium oil or gel to be applied to your legs or abdomen before bed or an epsom salt bath. This way the magnesium gets absorbed through the skin and will not bother your gut.
Magnesium, and other
Minerals.
Magnesium needs other minerals and vitamins (co-factors) to be shuffled into the cells when taken orally. These co-factors include potassium, boron and vitamin B6.
The body maintains a delicate balance of minerals to function. If your body’s minerals are out of balance, meaning you do not have enough of the co- factors in the right amounts, then your body cannot use the magnesium very well.
In summary: magnesium is a very important mineral to us. Our body can’t make it so we need to get it from food sources, but caffeine, stress and other toxins deplete the body quickly. Supplementation can work in the right form and amount. However, If you have mineral imbalances or are deficient in certain nutrients - such as vitamin B6 - it will be impossible for the body to utilize the supplement.
A blood test is not a very accurate measure for magnesium status in the body, as 99.7% of magnesium are stored in bones, teeth, blood, heart, brain, hair, etc. A hair tissue mineral analysis would be a more accurate measurement to show the ratio of minerals in the body. This is why I run a hair tissue mineral analysis with my clients in the SleepMasteryMethod™.
Like with anything, the dose makes the poison. Excessive amounts of magnesium are harmful to the body as they will lead to a drop in other minerals and cause an imbalance as well.
Please follow the recommendations on the bottles of the manufacturer as long as you are not working with a practitioner who might put you on a personalized therapeutic supplementation dose.
It is important to note that magnesium supplements can interfere with other medications, such as antibiotics, muscle relaxants and blood pressure medications. If you have a medical condition or take any medication, talk to your doctor before supplementing.
