I spoke to three registered dieticians to gain a better understanding of magnesium supplements versus magnesium rich foods for sleep. Here\u2019s what they told me\u2026<\/p>\n
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Magnesium and sleep: What\u2019s the link?<\/p>\n
Magnesium is a vital mineral<\/a> that plays a key role in helping you to relax, in addition to regulating your circadian rhythm<\/a> (sleep-wake cycle).<\/p>\n As Dr Leah Kaylor, Ph.D. MSCP<\/a> explains: \u201cMagnesium supports sleep by regulating melatonin and enhancing GABA (calming neurotransmitter).<\/p>\n \u201cMagnesium can influence inflammation and cortisol, both of which can disrupt sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n So magnesium is important for sleep (and endless other functions), but how much does the average person need? According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements<\/a>, men need around 400-420mg of magnesium a day, and women need 310-350mg a day.<\/p>\n However there are other factors to consider, says Elizabeth Huggins<\/a>, Registered Dietician at Hilton Head Health Wellness Resort and Spa: \u201cThe ideal daily intake depends on your age, sex, and health conditions, including pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSupplement only when clinically indicated,\u201d advises Dr Kaylor.<\/p>\n Can you get enough magnesium from food alone?<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been doing a lot of research into magnesium rich foods as I prepare to ditch my supplement, and the good news is there are lots of options to pick from.<\/p>\n \u201cNuts, specifically almonds, cashews and peanuts, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium.\u201d Explains Huggins, RDN.<\/p>\n Individuals can meet their magnesium needs by consuming magnesium rich foods daily and using dietary supplements to fill dietary gaps<\/p>\n Holiday Durham, PhD, MS, RD<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cOther great choices for a source of magnesium include leafy greens, whole grains, legumes and beans. Certain fatty fish such as salmon or halibut also contain magnesium.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is possible to meet magnesium needs through diet; however, many people don’t get the recommended amount.\u201d Dr Kaylor adds.<\/p>\n As for me, I\u2019ve been adding more pumpkin seeds and black beans to my diet (I\u2019ve always eaten spinach and almonds).<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)Which foods are rich in magnesium?<\/p>\n \u201cIndividuals can meet their magnesium needs by consuming magnesium-rich foods daily and by using dietary supplements to fill dietary gaps.\u201d Says Holiday Durham, PhD, MS, Registered Dietitian at Amway<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a breakdown of how much magnesium is in each of the most popular recommended foods, according to the USDA\u2019s FoodCentral Database<\/a>:<\/p>\n Which type of magnesium is better?<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been supplementing my diet with magnesium glycinate, and this is the one experts seem to favour too. \u201cEvidence suggests that magnesium glycinate is one form of magnesium that the body may more readily absorb,\u201d Holiday Durham, RD, tells me.<\/p>\n Dr Kaylor agrees: \u201cMagnesium glycinate is the least likely of the magnesium family to cause GI distress.\u201d<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n According to registered dietician Huggins, GI distress can include, \u201cnausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Magnesium supplements also have the potential to interfere with medications (including cholesterol lowering statins.) There is also a risk in people that have kidney disease.\u201d<\/p>\n If you do supplement, don\u2019t expect an immediate effect. I only noticed a difference in my sleep after a couple of weeks of taking magnesium glycinate.<\/p>\n \u201cIts effects tend to be gradual, typically becoming noticeable after one to two weeks of consistent intake.\u201d Explains Dr Kaylor. \u201cIn the Abbasi et al. trial<\/a>, improvements in sleep were seen after eight weeks of daily intake.\u201d<\/p>\n Is magnesium a silver bullet for better sleep?<\/p>\n Personally, I have found success with taking a regular magnesium glycinate supplement when I\u2019ve had trouble sleeping in the past.<\/p>\n But around the time I started taking it I was also practising better sleep hygiene<\/a>, one of the most powerful tools I learned for easing insomnia<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a sleep expert, magnesium can be a small part of a much larger plan to develop better sleep habits,\u201d agrees Dr Kaylor. \u201c[Magnesium] is not a magic bullet. Its effects are typically modest at best.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead people should focus on a solid wind down routine, consistency in sleep\/wake times, and stress management.\u201d<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n Elizabeth Huggins, RDN, also recommends focusing on the whole picture: \u201cThere are a number of factors that influence sleep quality so it\u2019s important to take a holistic approach.<\/p>\n \u201cA balanced diet that includes foods with adequate amounts of magnesium are part of the approach to help promote better sleep.<\/p>\n \u201dSome studies have found that magnesium intake can help us sleep better, but there are contradictory findings. Ultimately, more research is needed to learn more about the interaction of how and who it might help.\u201d<\/p>\n Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only. For advice on supplements and following a healthy diet, please speak to your doctor. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I started taking magnesium glycinate when I was in the throes of insomnia. I wasn\u2019t in the right…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":167468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4318],"tags":[105,4434,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-167467","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114647527949935698","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pfY2JusubX2p9kz3xDjFYH.jpg\")
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