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Can Magnesium Actually Help Your Sleep?

Can Magnesium Actually Help Your Sleep?

By Dr. Neal Smoller
Updated on January 8, 2025

If you’ve been paying attention to our content here, then you’re probably all revved up and ready to build a strong wellness framework — right?

Because this year is all about leaving the resolutions behind and starting a revolution instead. A revolution built on long-term, foundational wellness that actually makes a tangible difference in your well-being, that is.

And one of the key requirements for this kind of self-care revolution is, drum roll please, quality sleep! As you already know, sleep is a critical facet of the 5 lifestyle domains. Quality sleep is crucial for stress management, effective digestion, and energy cycles — because, big surprise, they all work together.

Right now, magnesium is sitting pretty at the top of the sleep supplements chart. So, in our typical rebellious fashion, we’d like to debunk a few myths. Because, if you listen to the hype, magnesium sounds a bit like magic — a panacea mineral that can help your sleep, relaxation, mental health and more. And it is!

BUT. There’s a catch.

Read on to learn which common magnesium pitfalls to avoid, how to get the most bang for your buck, our dosage recommendations, and more.

First: What is Magnesium?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, what exactly is magnesium, and why is it so important?

Magnesium is what’s known as an ‘essential mineral,’ that your body needs it for a whole variety of critical processes. In fact, magnesium plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, and affects everything from energy production and DNA synthesis to nerve function and muscle health.

This humble mineral also impact blood glucose and blood pressure management, as well as contributing to the structural development of bones and bone density maintenance. So, while the dose may be small, magnesium is responsible for some really big things!

Learn More: Magnesium Deep Dive: Doses, Deficiencies, and Dupes

Magnesium for Sleep, Stress, and Mental Health

Recent research also points to a connection between magnesium levels and mental health symptoms. How so? Well, people with depression and anxiety are also, more often than not, suffering from a magnesium deficiency. Thankfully, though, the relationship between magnesium and mental health symptoms appears to be a two-way street!

While total magnesium levels can be driven down by things like chronic stress and other lifestyle factors, clinical trials show that supplementing the mineral can have promising (and significant!) effects on a range of mental health experiences, particularly depression and anxiety. These studies also show that magnesium supplementation can even help address treatment-resistant depression, which affects up to 60% of people with clinical depression.

All that to say, basically, that we’re glad this mineral is getting its time in the spotlight. It really is great for sleep, stress, and so much more. So trend away, magnesium!

BUT even with a supplement as great as magnesium, it’s still possible to get duped.

Because, spoiler: Not all magnesium is created equally. If you’re looking for magnesium for sleep in particular, you’ll want to be equipped with the right knowledge before you shell out your hard-earned cash. But that’s why we’re here — to make sure you’re buying the ‘help’ and not the ‘hype’.

Learn More: Science-Backed Supplements for Depression: 3 to Know

Magnesium for Sleep: Mineral Forms & Why They Matter

Mineral supplementation is a little bit trickier than some of the other micronutrients our bodies crave. For example, as a mineral, magnesium itself doesn’t exist freely in nature — it must be stuck to something else in order to be chemically stable. That’s why you can’t buy a bottle of pure magnesium, but you can get something like magnesium oxide, magnesium malate, or magnesium citrate.

When we talk about different ‘types’ of magnesium, then, we’re really referring to the ‘form’ of magnesium, such as ‘salt form’ or ‘chelate form’. So, while magnesium in its purest form is an undisputed powerhouse, how can you make sure you’re getting all the benefits?

What a mineral is stuck to affects a number of its properties, but there are two in particular that we should worry about:

The amount of the mineral you get at one time (the amount per capsule, for example).
How much of that dose gets into the blood, and how much stays in the gut.

But how do you find the answers to these questions when the whole marketing machine is in motion against you? Thankfully, we’ve got all the info you need right here.

Learn More: Understanding The Different Types of Magnesium Supplements

Why Does the Form of Magnesium Matter?

The most common forms of magnesium you’ll find include magnesium sulfate (like Epsom salts), magnesium citrate (another salt), and magnesium glycinate (a chelated version of the mineral).

First off, any wellness expert worth their salt (pun intended) will recommend a chelated form of magnesium. Chelates have much better solubility than salt forms, meaning chelated magnesium can better penetrate the cell membrane, where it lends its mineral magic to proteins, enzymes, hormones, and the cells themselves.

There’s lots of misinformation out there. Many sources will tell you that all forms of magnesium are “easily absorbed by the gut.” This is simply not true.

The truth is, salt forms of magnesium like magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate have very poor absorption. Only approximately 5% of magnesium from these sources make it into the blood, and 95% stays in the gut.

“But what’s wrong with that?” you might say. “My gut could use some relaxation too!”

Well, sure. But probably not like this! Magnesium in the gut causes water to rush to the colon, resulting in faster, more watery bowel movements. So if you’re constipated, magnesium salt may well help you out. But if you’re looking for any of the other much-touted benefits… You’ll need to reach for a chelated option.

When magnesium is bonded with a larger compound, like an amino acid, the absorption percentage skyrockets to 50% or more. (Which is about 10x more than magnesium oxide.) And not only does chelated magnesium offer way more absorption, but you get way more magnesium where you actually need it.

It is important to note, though, that even the highest-quality forms of magnesium can cause GI side effects if you consume too much!

What’s the Best Form of Magnesium for Sleep & Stress, Then?

After all that, we can get right to the heart of it.

Can magnesium actually help your sleep? Our answer is a resounding “Yes! But…”

Don’t get us wrong — if you’re sleepy, sleepless, or suffering from spasms, magnesium just might be the key to alleviating your symptoms naturally while also addressing root causes.

But, if you’re like most of us, and want the relaxing and restorative benefits of magnesium, rather than the GI side effects, you need to make sure to get the right form. That means chelated options like magnesium glycinate, taurate, malate, or — the best of the best — bisglycinate.

And with all that hype-busting background info out of the way, we can finally offer Dr. Neal’s top recommendation: Our heavy hitter, Easy Magnesium.

Why Easy Mag? Well, it’s a chelated form of magnesium that’s bound to two glycinate amino acid molecules. With 125mg of elemental magnesium per capsule and some of the best absorption of all magnesium options, you can’t go wrong with adding this to your shelf.

Especially if you’re fighting stress, soreness, and sleeplessness.

Magnesium for Sleep: When Done Right, It’s Worth the Hype

TLDR? Here’s a quick recap:

Is magnesium awesome? Yes.
Can it actually help with your sleep? Yes.
Does it help with stress, fatigue, muscle spasms, and a whole host of other issues? Yes.
Are all forms of magnesium created equal? NO!

You can help your sleep, your stress, your blood sugar, your bones, and much more with just magnesium, but you need to get the right form.

A chelated form like magnesium bisglycinate offers excellent absorption and ensures that the minerals get where they need to go, rather than just clogging up your gut.

So with the new year underway, magnesium is an easy option to add to your wellness foundation to improve your sleep and a whole host of other things. As long as you skip the salts and snake oil and reach for a high-quality, tested, and effective option like Easy Mag.