Though more human trials still need to be conducted to see exactly how magnesium affects sleep, early research is promising and anecdotal evidence abounds that the mineral supports deeper, more restorative rest when added to a healthy bedtime routine.* If you’re curious to try it out yourself (and your doctor is on board), here are three things to look into when choosing a sleep-supporting magnesium supplement: And while some forms of magnesium are associated with unpleasant side effects like diarrhea, magnesium glycinate is highly absorbable and “has higher bioavailability and is gentle on your stomach, unlike other forms of magnesium,” Bindiya Gandhi, M.D., an integrative medicine practitioner, previously told mbg.* The addition of glycine makes it less likely to lead to any digestive discomfort.* mindbodygreen’s sleep support+ has 120 milligrams of magnesium glycinate per serving, which we believe is the sweet spot for a pre-sleep supplement.* After conducting four rounds of testing, this amount was found to hit a sweet spot of promoting rest at night without leaving behind any lingering grogginess the next morning. When considering a new supplement, it’s also a good idea to look for ones that have gone through multiple rounds of testing and come from a facility that is third-party certified for its quality and testing standards. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
