Before you even begin thinking about grabbing a bottle of magnesium supplements, you should first aim to get magnesium from your food. The best sources are dark, leafy greens, nuts (almonds and cashews), avocados, over 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, and seeds.
But if you can't, then you should turn to a supplement. Not only is it one of the most beneficial nutrients for sleep, it’s also a cofactor in more than 300 biochemical reactions. And there seem to be just as many types of supplements.
We’re talking…
- Magnesium L-Threonate…
- Magnesium Citrate…
- Magnesium Glycinate…
- Magnesium Chloride…
-
Magnesium Aspartate…
…and a whole lot more.
So how are you supposed to know which one to buy?
The Role of Magnesium in Sleep
Magnesium doesn’t work like a melatonin supplement. It’s not something you can take shortly before bedtime and it’ll have you snoozing shortly after you feel the cooling comfort of a Milton Sleep mattress.
It also helps regulate GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that can help you decompress and ultimately fall asleep.
Along the same lines, it also helps reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and relax your muscles.
All-in-all, magnesium is a very calming nutrient that, if you’re like half of Americans, are deficient in.
The Best Types of Magnesium
First, as you probably guessed, your body doesn’t say, “Thanks for the magnesium, I’ll be putting that toward helping you sleep.” That’d be too easy, right?
Remember, magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body. So you need to make sure you set your body up for success by taking the right magnesium supplements.
Thankfully, when it comes to magnesium supplements for sleep, there are only two you need to know: Magnesium L-Threonate and Magnesium Glycinate.
Magnesium L-Threonate can cross the blood-brain barrier, getting magnesium to where it can help you get some much needed ZZZs, according to a study. It’s particularly effective during deep/REM stages of sleep, AKA the most restorative stages.
Magnesium Glycinate The difference between magnesium glycinate and other forms is that it’s bound to an amino acid, allowing it to absorb better and easier. It also causes less digestive distress than the typical magnesium supplement.
Of course, ensuring you have the right nutrients is essential, but so is having the proper bed for you. That’s why every Milton Sleep mattress comes with a 100-night guarantee. If, after 30 days, you’re not looking forward to climbing into bed or loving the comfort, you have up to 100 nights to get a replacement or refund. (Full details here)