The benefits of magnesium on sleep and falling asleep

Around 70% of French people are affected by sleep disorders .

Whether occasional or regular, they affect daily life and harm quality of life and physical and mental health. To remedy this, it is possible to act on external causes (origin of stress, exposure to screens, diet) but also to turn to certain nutrients such as magnesium, a true ally of our mental health.

In this article, we look back at the benefits of magnesium for sleep , reducing stress and depressive states.

What is the role of magnesium in the body?

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body.

The body contains about 20 to 25 grams of it in adulthood. It is mainly stored in bones, muscles, and soft tissues, including nervous tissue.

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of biological reactions, primarily as an enzyme cofactor. Its presence is necessary for DNA synthesis, energy production, bone strength, blood sugar regulation, and more.

When it is absent, these reactions are much less effective.

Magnesium also plays a very important role in sleep , stress reduction and depression.

The multiple action of magnesium: sleep, stress and depression.

It is often difficult to separate these very often linked symptoms.
Stress, the lack of which will first cause exhaustion and then promote a depressive state.

Magnesium is essential in reducing stress through its interaction with the main neurotransmitters of nerve impulses:

• GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), a vector of calm.
• NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate), excitation vector.

These two molecules are antagonistic and magnesium stimulates the first (GABA) and inhibits the second (NMDA).

In case of magnesium deficiency, NMDA is predominant: the body is more excited, and the subject's nervousness with it.
This will directly influence the quality of sleep, stress and promote a depressive state.

The benefits of magnesium on sleep

During the night, we alternate between phases of deep sleep and light sleep.

In cases of high nervousness, light sleep easily turns into waking, with the risk of establishing a negative cycle: difficulty falling back to sleep, increased fatigue, increased nervousness.

This poor quality of sleep is very common today and increases with age, exposure to screens and artificial lights which disrupt the production of Melatonin.

This also applies to young people! The 2022 Sleep Institute survey shows that one in four children suffers from sleep disorders.

Magnesium will act directly on the quality of sleep at 3 levels:

• By stimulating calming nerve receptors (GABA) and inhibiting stimulants (NMDA).
• Through muscular and cardiovascular relaxation.
• By improving the production of Melatonin. 

The joint action of magnesium and melatonin on falling asleep

Melatonin is the sleep hormone. It triggers sleep.

Melatonin is synthesized by a small gland in the brain called the epiphysis or pineal gland. Over time and due to the effects of fluoride, the pineal gland calcifies and produces less melatonin. This is one of the reasons for poor sleep in older adults.

Magnesium helps reduce this calcification of the pineal gland, which thus better preserves its capacity to produce melatonin.

Magnesium and melatonin work together to improve the quality of sleep.

Magnesium reduces stress

Although magnesium does not affect the causes of stress , it can reduce its consequences and symptoms.

Stress is a normal reaction to external aggression and results in the activation of a whole chain of physiological alerts which results in the production of adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline drives the immediate stress response and consumes magnesium for its synthesis. Cortisol is a hormone also called the "stress hormone."

Cortisol's primary role is to provide us with energy during times of stress to help us overcome the situation. However, excessive and sustained stress results in cortisol levels that disrupt the body's proper functioning and an increased loss of magnesium, which is even more necessary during this phase.

In fact, magnesium helps counteract the effect of cortisol by promoting the production of serotonin, a calming hormone.

It is therefore necessary to have increased magnesium intake in cases of chronic stress to regain greater serenity.

Possible effects of magnesium on depression

In addition to regulating heart rate and blood pressure, magnesium reduces the expression of depression . While not a cure for depression, it is necessary to ensure adequate intake of magnesium in any effort to combat depression.

Depression or depressed moods always result from multiple causes, but magnesium deficiency is a factor that aggravates it. Its deficiency or sub-deficiency promotes the excitation of NMDA neuronal receptors, which increases tension and anxiety.

This is in line with the scientific results obtained [1] which all establish a positive relationship between corrective magnesium intake and lower prevalence of depression.

What dosage of magnesium is needed to improve sleep?

The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for adults of magnesium is 380 mg , or about 1.5% of the total magnesium store in the body. This is a necessary and sufficient dose to benefit from its benefits on sleep and nervous calming.

According to the SU.VI.MAX study, 70% of French people have intakes below these recommendations. 20% even have very low levels, equivalent to less than 2/3 of the recommended daily intake, and are more likely to react less well to stress and nervousness.

Diabetics and seniors are particularly likely to be deficient due to reduced absorption of ingested magnesium.

The consequences of these deficiencies are particularly noticeable on sleep and nervousness.

Magnesium-rich supplements to improve sleep

Therefore, when experiencing stress or sleep deprivation, it is crucial to ensure adequate magnesium intake. However, magnesium is still available through diet. Dried fruits, bananas, and seeds are particularly rich in it.

Therefore, except in cases of significant magnesium deficiency , correction of intake by a course of a food supplement is never necessary up to 100% of the recommended daily intake.

Based on SU.VI.MAX data, it can be estimated that on average, magnesium intakes of 50 mg/day are appropriate, an amount that can increase to 100 mg/day in cases of stress.

For this you can opt for a well-dosed magnesium food supplement like our formula which allows for adjustable dosage.

Bibliographies

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial
• Behnood Abbasi, Masud Kimiagar,1 Khosro Sadeghniiat,2 Minoo M. Shirazi,1 Mehdi Hedayati,3 and Bahram Rashidkhani1
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507250/ Magnesium and stress Magdalena D. Cuciureanu and Robert Vink.
• https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01931864 Magnesium, an essential mineral?: a survey of pharmacy patients Jennifer Roth - Thesis Univ Lorraine
• [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25748766/Magnesium intake and depression in adults Emily K Tarleton, Benjamin Littenberg
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26355143/Magnesium Intake and Depression in Adults Denise Sluimers, Nick L Willemse, Marieke LA Landsmeer
• https://institut-sommeil-vigilance.org/le-sommeil-des-enfants-de-moins-de-10-ans-et-leurs-parents-enquete-insv-mgen/