Magnesium may help you sleep - here's how to take it to improve your sleep quality

• Research indicates magnesium may help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
• However, if you are not deficient in magnesium, melatonin would be better for helping you sleep.
• If you want to take magnesium for sleep, try a 350 mg supplement of magnesium glycinate.

More than a third of Americans get less than the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

There are many ways to improve sleep quality, and small studies indicate magnesium may be one of them.

However, it's important to note that if you do not have a magnesium deficiency, increasing your intake of magnesium is unlikely to improve your sleep, says Rami N. Khayat, MD, a professor with the University of California Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine and director of the UCI Sleep Disorders Center.

Here is what you need to know about how magnesium affects sleep and whether it may be helpful for you.

How magnesium may improve sleep

Magnesium plays a role in muscle and nerve regulation, which may explain why some - albeit limited - research suggests it could help people who are struggling to get enough sleep, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine.

For example, a small 2012 study found that participants ages 65 and up who took 500 mg of magnesium daily for eight weeks slept longer and woke less in the middle of the night compared to a group who took a placebo.

Magnesium may also help you sleep by reducing anxiety, which is notorious for hindering sleep quality, Dimitriu says. Magnesium does so by regulating neurotransmitters, like serotonin, that help relax the body and ease tension.

How magnesium deficiency affects sleep

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About 48% of Americans consume less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium.

Moreover, not consuming enough magnesium can cause symptoms that disrupt sleep, Dimitriu says. These include:

• Muscle cramps
• Twitching
• Irregular heartbeats
• Elevated blood pressure

Note: Men between the ages of 19 and 30 years old need 400 mg of magnesium a day and women in the same age group need 310 mg a day. If you suspect you have a magnesium deficiency, talk with your doctor.

If you are deficient in magnesium, taking a supplement may help relieve symptoms and improve sleep. If you don't have a magnesium deficiency, taking a low dose of melatonin - about 0.5 mg to 5 mg - is more likely to help you sleep.

How to take magnesium for sleep

You can boost your magnesium intake by eating more magnesium-rich foods like:

• Pumpkin seeds. One cup contains about 168 mg of magnesium, which is about 40% of the recommended daily intake for men and 52% for women.
• Spinach. One cup contains 163 mg of magnesium, which is about 38% of the recommended daily intake for men and 50% for women.
• Cashews. A ¼ cup contains 89 mg of magnesium, which is about 22% of the recommended daily intake for men and 28% for women.
• Fatty fish, like salmon. Three ounces contains 81 mg of magnesium, about 19% of the recommended daily intake for men and 25% for women.

You can also try magnesium supplements to improve sleep, Khayat says. The recommended supplement dose is between 270 mg to 350 mg for men and 280 mg to 300 mg for women. However, do not exceed the upper tolerable limit of 350 mg a day or you may experience abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

There are several different types of magnesium supplements, but magnesium glycinate is the one most often used in sleep studies and can be purchased at most grocery or wellness stores. Magnesium glycinate is also less likely to cause diarrhea, which is a common side effect of magnesium supplements.

Important: Magnesium supplements are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so talk with your doctor before trying it, Khayat says. A health care provider can also instruct you on what kind to take, dosage, and frequency.

Insider's takeaway

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Some small studies indicate magnesium may help improve sleep, but more research is needed.

Taking a magnesium supplement is unlikely to help you sleep unless you have a deficiency.

There are many different types of magnesium supplements on the market, so talk with your doctor about which one is best for you before trying one out.

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