Does a Magnesium Supplement Help Sleep?
Sleep is dependent on magnesium. Research from the University of Edinburgh has found that in human cells, magnesium levels rise and fall in a daily cycle and magnesium plays a role in regulating circadian rhythm, so if you are not getting enough magnesium in your diet, then a magnesium supplement does help with sleep.
Magnesium also helps with the regulation of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Melatonin should naturally rise at the end of the day to make you feel tired and sleepy. When people suffer from insomnia their melatonin tends to be low. Stress is one of the things that throws the two hormones/neurotransmitters out of sync by signalling the brain to tell it it’s not night-time. Research has shown that sleep length, efficiency, levels of melatonin all increase after taking 500mg magnesium supplement a day for eight weeks. It also shows that cortisol levels drop too.
Magnesium deficiency can helped with a magnesium supplement
Tara Whyand, a nutritionist, says “Long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) eg Omeprazole, Pantoprazole and Lansoprazole use has been associated with low levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) in the blood. This is one risk factor for a future with weak bones as magnesium is vital for bone strength. Often patients don’t realise the side effects of PPI’s and can be diagnosed with osteoporosis before they find out it could have been prevented. In these instances, a well-researched magnesium supplement can support recovery.”
Magnesium Supplementation
If you’re having difficulty getting to sleep, take magnesium with your evening meal. If you can get to sleep but then keep waking, it can be useful for some to take a magnesium supplement that helps sleep with water on an empty stomach before bed which may then help you stay asleep.
Not all magnesium supplements are equal, Altruvita magnesium bisglycinate is a safe, well absorbed and effective form which our customers swear by.
Magnesium Research
A team of researchers wanted to analyse patients’ blood results from hospital patients between 2013 to 2016. Of 360 patients had severe hypomagnesemia (low magnesium levels) (<0.4 mmol/L). 189 of 360 (52.5%) patients had at least possible PPI-related hypomagnesemia.
Hypomagnesemia resolved in most patients with magnesium supplements, but recurrence was higher in patients who continued a PPI. Is you use a PPI and have trouble sleeping then a magnesium supplement can help sleep.
The main risk factors for hypomagnesemia (low magnesium levels) are:
- Female gender
- Diabetes mellitus
- Low BMI
- High-dose PPI
- Renal impairment
- Diuretic use
If you take a PPI, make sure you get your magnesium levels checked so you can prevent bone and sleep problems before they occur.
If a lower dose of PPI is too risky for gastrointestinal symptoms, regular magnesium supplementation may be recommended to prevent magnesium deficiency in individuals taking PPIs for an extended period.
Altruvita’s Magnesium supplement, Magnesium 100%, is highly absorbable, safe and effective.
References:
Feeney KA et al. Daily magnesium fluxes regulate cellular timekeeping and energy balance. Nature, 2016, 532, 375–379.
Abbasi B et al. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2012, 17(12):1161-9.
Seah S et al. Proton-pump inhibitor use amongst patients with severe hypomagnesemia. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Jan 30;14:1092476.