Magnesium for sleep
Insomnia is a condition that presents as difficulty falling or staying asleep, even when the body needs rest. There are three main types of insomnia:
- Initial insomnia: the first stage, when difficulties in falling asleep appear.
- Middle or intermittent insomnia: characterised by frequent awakenings during the night.
- Terminal insomnia: early morning awakenings with difficulty going back to sleep.
It has been shown that certain forms of insomnia are linked to low levels of magnesium in the body. Indeed, sleep problems may worsen when magnesium levels are depleted.
Magnesium and sleep
Magnesium can be particularly effective in situations of insomnia because it works on two aspects of sleep disturbance: the regulation of sleep–wake cycles and the rebalancing of the nervous system.
Magnesium is an important regulator of the nervous system, as vitamin B1—specific to the brain—is not active without this mineral.
In nerve cells, a lack of magnesium causes hyperexcitability in brain areas that control the motor, neurovegetative, and neuroendocrine systems.
Magnesium therefore helps reduce excitability, regulate circadian rhythm, calm irritability, and counteract weakness and general discomfort.
Optimal magnesium levels are also linked to adequate production of melatonin, the key hormone involved in regulating the body’s biological clock and the natural alternation of sleep and wake phases.
Magnesium for better sleep
Magnesium is also involved in binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. By helping to calm the nervous system, magnesium can prepare both body and mind for rest.
As a result, magnesium contributes to better sleep by: supporting the activation of neurotransmitters that promote mental and physical calm, encouraging melatonin secretion and helping to ease mood disorders that may cause insomnia.