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Struggling to fall asleep affects your entire life. If you don’t feel well-rested, you won’t enjoy your daily routine as much as you should. Many people turn to magnesium glycinate when they need help getting to sleep and staying that way. Learning more about the natural supplement could positively affect your nightly rest.
Magnesium glycinate is good for people who want to improve their sleep or address other health issues. Research from Cureus shows that medical professionals use it to treat sleeplessness, migraines, pain, constipation, asthma, arrhythmias and more. Varying the dosage can make it an effective, natural treatment for people in need. However, personal results vary because the research into this supplement is still growing.
When the mineral enters the body, it becomes an NMDA receptor antagonist and vasodilator, which calms the nervous system and promotes better blood flow. The process may ease your pain, soothe your mind and produce laxative results.
Pay attention to your dosage, as it changes the effects you’ll experience. You might also already have magnesium in your diet if you make meals with beets, bananas or dark chocolate regularly. Existing dietary magnesium will change how much of the supplement form you should take to stay at the recommended dose for your age and gender.
People take magnesium glycinate any time of the day. The mineral doesn’t have a powerful lethargic effect unless you take a larger than recommended dose. You could take it to ease your anxiety during the workday or before bed without feeling drowsy.
You should also consider if you’re currently taking any prescription medications or other supplements. Magnesium glycinate side effects may occur because it can adversely interact with 66 medications and has major interactions with three — cabotegravir (Vocabria), dolutegravir (Tivicay) and erdafitinib (Balversa). Call your doctor to discuss your current medications and get their advice on your specific dosage needs, depending on your health history.
The amount of magnesium glycinate you should take depends on your age and gender. You should always talk with your doctor before taking any dosage of a medication or supplement, but experts with the Mayo Clinic recommend following these dosage guides to estimate your milligram (mg) intake.
Dr. Emma Lin, board-qualified Pulmonologist and Sleep Medicine Physician and ReadyO2.com Co-Founder, says, “Most people fare well with 200-400 mg of magnesium glycinate taken at night. Not enough won’t cut it. Too much can upset your stomach. Due to individual differences, what works depends on diet, stress, and health conditions.”
| Magnesium Glycinate Dosage Guide for Men | |
| Age Range | Dosage |
| 19-30 | 400 mg |
| 31 and Older | 420 mg |
| Magnesium Glycinate Dosage Guide for Women | |
| Age Range | Dosage |
| 19-30 | 310 mg |
| 31 and Older | 320 mg |
| Magnesium Glycinate Dosage Guide for Children | |
| Age Range | Dosage |
| 1-3 | 80 mg |
| 4-8 | 130 mg |
| 9-13 | 240 mg |
| Magnesium Glycinate Dosage Guide for Teens | |
| Age Range | Dosage |
| Males Between 14-18 | 410 mg |
| Females Between 14-18 | 360 mg |
You should also note that your current health circumstances will change your recommended dosage alongside any prescriptions you’re currently taking. If you’re on a specific diet, pregnant or undergoing medical treatments like chemotherapy, you should get a recommended dosage from your doctor before treating sleep issues or other conditions with magnesium glycinate.
Medical staff with the Cleveland Clinic recommend taking 200 mg of magnesium glycinate for sleep at least 30 minutes before it’s time for bed. While the supplement doesn’t make people drowsy like a sleep-inducing medication, its calming effect on your nervous system may settle your mind and ease any aches that could otherwise keep you up at night.
Dawn Menning, Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, says, “Studies are limited on the benefits, but it has been suggested that for adults, 200-400 mg of magnesium glycinate depending on age and gender, can help improve sleep. Talk with your healthcare provider to determine the best dosage for you.”
People may compare magnesium glycinate vs. citrate to expand their treatment options. Mild magnesium glycinate side effects do exist. The Cureus researchers found that increased bowel movements were common when people took higher dosages than their bodies needed. The supplement also might not work for everyone.
Citrate is the shortened form of magnesium citrate. People take it instead of its glycinate counterpart because it treats constipation more directly due to its differing chemical composition. If you’re trying magnesium glycinate for sleep, citrate may not give you the same effects you’re hoping to achieve.
Magnesium benefits can assist with multiple health conditions, but it’s not the only solution to getting better rest. If you want to supplement your magnesium glycinate intake, consider making other simple lifestyle changes to improve your sleep routine.
If you wake up sweating most nights, adjusting your thermostat could solve your sleep problems. When people lower their thermostats to 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit, they get better rest because their body temperature remains lower. You could also get a smart thermostat to make that adjustment automatically while you’re busy with other parts of your sleep routine every night.
Playing noises to fall asleep might seem backward, but it’s an effective way to ease your racing thoughts. White noise machines may improve your sleep quality by keeping you in dreamland throughout the night. Try downloading free apps to see which peaceful noises help you rest the most, like rain showers, airplane cabin sounds or white noise shushing you to sleep.
Thicker curtains will block more light while you’re trying to rest. You don’t even need to live in a major city or next to streetlights for this to be a problem. Hang thicker curtains on your windows to block out everything from moonlight to the floodlights on your neighbor’s house. Making your bedroom slightly darker could be exactly what your mind needs to disengage for the night.
Magnesium glycinate helps many people achieve better rest. Consider if it’s something you want to add to your evening routine. Your doctor is only a phone call away if you have any questions. Once you know what dosage you should take based on your current medications and your health history, you could finally have the deep sleep experience you’ve been missing.
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