How magnesium supplements can help you sleep

If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, you’re not alone. According to our recent sleep health survey, 40% of Australian adults are not getting enough sleep, and 50% have trouble sleeping 3 or more nights a week.¹

Unfortunately, it's not just swollen red eyes and coffee cravings you wake up to after poor night’s sleep. Not getting enough of the good stuff can impact your health and wellness in several ways. If you're looking for a quick remedy to improve your sleep quality, one thing that has gained attention recently as a potential sleep aid is magnesium.

So what is magnesium? Well, it’s a metal. You may have even seen it explode in high school chemistry given how reactive it is in its purest form. But more importantly, it is an essential element for life. Magnesium is not only crucial for our body’s energy production and muscle function, but several studies also suggest it plays an important role in how well we sleep.

The issue is that many of us do not get enough magnesium from our diets, and low magnesium levels have been linked to sleeplessness. This is the reason why some researchers think magnesium supplements can help improve sleep.

In one study of elderly patients with insomnia, those who were given 500 mg of magnesium daily over 8 weeks compared with the placebo group were shown to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.²

Other studies suggest magnesium is also responsible for helping us regulate our stress levels, which can then, in turn, make it easier for sleepless sufferers to sleep.³

Now while this research does support the case for taking magnesium to improve your sleep, it is important to note that supplements are not designed to treat sleep disorders.

If you sleep poorly, we always recommend you speak to a doctor first and confirm you have no underlying sleep disorders before asking them about magnesium supplements.

You can also increase your magnesium intake by incorporating some of the following magnesium-rich foods into your diet, such as avocado, bananas, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and even dark chocolate.