Magnesium for Sleep: How Bisglycinate Works

Medically reviewed by Dr. Reina Punj, MBBS, PG Diploma in Endocrinology (University of South Wales), Lead Physician, Excelgenics Clinical Panel.

If you've tried melatonin gummies, chamomile tea and every sleep hygiene tip in the book but still struggle to wind down, it may be worth looking at your diet as well as your habits. Magnesium is one nutrient that plays a part in normal nervous system function. Research into magnesium bisglycinate for sleep is still developing, but the mechanisms are interesting and the early human studies are worth understanding.

Ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep can have many causes and deserves a conversation with a doctor. Supplements are not a treatment for insomnia.

For a fuller overview of forms, dosage and safety, see our Magnesium Supplements Guide.

What Sleep Actually Requires at the Cellular Level

Sleep isn't just tiredness. It is a carefully coordinated neurochemical process. For your brain to shift from wakefulness into sleep, two broad things need to happen:

Your nervous system shifts from sympathetic ("fight or flight") to parasympathetic ("rest and digest") activity
Calming (inhibitory) signals, mainly through GABA, come to outweigh excitatory signals

Magnesium is involved in both. It contributes to normal nervous system function, and laboratory research shows it helps regulate how excitable nerve cells are. Whether low magnesium intake contributes to poor sleep in a particular person is not something a blog post can tell you, and sleep problems usually have several causes.

GABA, Sleep and Magnesium: How They Connect

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter. Think of it as the brake pedal for your nervous system.

Here's where the GABA sleep magnesium science comes in. Magnesium naturally blocks excitatory NMDA receptors, and laboratory studies suggest it may also interact with GABA receptors. Put simply, magnesium is involved in damping down excitatory signals and may support calming ones. Most of this evidence comes from laboratory and animal research rather than human sleep studies.

Bisglycinate also contains glycine, an amino acid that acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. In one study, 3 g of glycine taken before bed improved subjective sleep quality in volunteers with unsatisfactory sleep. A daily Magneva tablet contains less glycine than this, so it should not be assumed to have the same effect.

The Magnesium–Melatonin Connection

Melatonin is the hormone that signals night-time to the body. Animal research suggests that magnesium status may influence melatonin production, although how much this matters in people is not well established.

A small clinical trial by Abbasi and colleagues (Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2012) studied 46 older adults with insomnia. They took 500 mg of magnesium a day, as magnesium oxide, or a placebo for eight weeks. Compared with placebo, the magnesium group showed improvements in:

Insomnia Severity Index scores
Sleep efficiency
Sleep onset latency (time taken to fall asleep)
Serum melatonin levels

Changes in early morning awakening were only marginal, and the study did not use magnesium bisglycinate. This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, but it was small and limited to one older population. It does not show that any supplement will have the same effect in other people.

Why Bisglycinate: How It Compares With Oxide and Citrate

A cup of chamomile tea beside an open book

Magnesium forms differ in how well they are absorbed. In one study, only about 4% of magnesium from magnesium oxide was absorbed. Magnesium citrate is well absorbed. In a randomised trial comparing citrate, an amino acid chelate and oxide, citrate produced the highest blood levels. However, some people find citrate causes loose stools at higher doses.

Magnesium bisglycinate is a chelated form that is generally reported to be gentle on digestion, which makes it practical for regular evening use. It has not been shown to be better absorbed than citrate, and no form of magnesium is completely free of digestive side effects for everyone.

Magneva by Excelgenics provides 350 mg of elemental magnesium from 1,590 mg magnesium bisglycinate per tablet, with 1.9 mg vitamin B6, which contributes to normal psychological function and normal nervous system function. The suggested use is one tablet a day, preferably 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime, with water or a light meal.

Who Might Consider Magnesium Bisglycinate for Sleep

Adults whose diets are low in magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and leafy greens
People under sustained stress who want nutritional support for winding down
Women wanting nutritional support for rest through hormonal changes such as the menstrual cycle or perimenopause
People who drink alcohol regularly, which increases magnesium loss
People on long-term proton pump inhibitors or certain diuretics, which can lower magnesium (only with their doctor's advice)

If you wake regularly in the early hours, feel persistently anxious or have long-term sleep problems, see a doctor. These need proper assessment, not a supplement on its own.

Safety

The NIH upper limit for supplemental magnesium is 350 mg a day for adults. Magneva provides 350 mg, so do not combine it with other magnesium supplements.
Possible side effects include loose stools, nausea and stomach cramps.
If you have kidney disease, speak to your doctor first.
Magnesium can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics (tetracyclines and quinolones) and bisphosphonates, so these need to be taken at a different time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.

For a detailed comparison of the best magnesium bisglycinate tablets in India, including Magneva's formulation and dosage guidance, see our buying guide.

References

Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. 2012;17(12):1161–1169. PMC3703169
Yamadera W, Inagawa K, Chiba S, et al. Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep and Biological Rhythms. 2007;5:126–131. doi:10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x
Firoz M, Graber M. Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations. Magnesium Research. 2001;14(4):257–262. PubMed 11794633
Walker AF, Marakis G, Christie S, Byng M. Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnesium Research. 2003;16(3):183–191. PubMed 14596323
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Food supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication.