How to Get the Most Out of Magnesium

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16 extra minutes of sleep for someone with insomnia is a really nice score, actually...

I acknowledge all the hard work that goes into researching the content for each video, reading various science journals, etc. But as someone who recently turned 30 and has always had a knack for wordplay: I LOVE SciShow's commitment to terrible puns. Please don't stop.

Magnesium for vascular headaches, including migraines. I was recently prescribed mag for my headaches stemming from a terminal brain condition. I haven't been taking it for long but I haven't had a severe headache since.

Magnesium deficiency is also correlated with cramps, specifically leg cramps. So if a magnesium deficiency is giving you leg cramps in the middle of the night, then remedying that deficiency and alleviating those leg cramps will lead to a better night’s sleep.

Im an infusion nurse now and we give magnesium iv to certain folks who cannot absorb it in food or supplements. One feels their best when all the electrolytes are happy.

After a lot of research, I started taking a complex magnesium supplement about 8 months ago, and it has made a MASSIVE difference in regard to my anxiety disorder. I slept better for the first 2 months or so, but after that, I went back to my insomniac ways. That being said, as long as it helps the anxiety, I plan to keep taking it.

I take magnesium glycinate supplements and I can attest anecdotally to better sleep, better mood, and better bowels. I learned that omeprazole will inhibit absorption of magnesium and that they should be taken 2 hours apart. I wish I had known this sooner.

im extremely skeptical about "natural remedies" like these but taking magnesium supplements for anxiety did so much good for me when i was a brain-problem-having teenager,and still does today

I used to take magnesium for sleep and just started to take it again because I've been having problems. Great timing for the video

Been working in the magnesium supplement field for years now. It's amazing what in your body actually requires magnesium.

The U.S. Department of Health and HUman Services (2015) determined that Magnesium is a "shortfall nutrient of public health concern." And likely caused by ingestion of highly processed foods. Magnesium defiency can also cause hypocalcemia, tetany and muscle cramps, tremors, muscle weakness, and severe cardiac dysrhythmias. (This is the short list.) Just sayin' :)

I've been taking it for restless legs and it does seem to help.

16 extra minutes of sleep a night is over 97 hours of extra sleep in a year. Yes please!

Sleep can also be ruined by stomach issues. My gluten intolerance used to have me wake up from 4am-6am and just lay there exhausted. If you are having digestive issues, don't ignore it. It can lead to a ton of problems physically and mentally.

Magnesium Glycinate is the best for me.

Depends on the magnesium. Depending on the quality. One magnesium helps a lot wirh my headaches. The other will just put me to sleep. Sulfate and oxide are laxatives. They arent meant to digest. Id even include citrate into that although it does help with mood. Theonate helps with sleep and mood, glycinate with all around health. If you're going to pick one pick Glycinate. Its neutral and works well enough.

Most electrolyte powder mixes already contain magnesium and plenty of other metal salts that your body needs. I drink it so I don't pass out from standing too fast and it helps a lot.

My husband's cpap has really helped with my ability to get a full nights sleep. eta: This is a joking way of saying I sleep fine without taking supplements. So long as I don't have my roommate's 80 sleep apnea incidents per hour waking me up.

Physician scientist here: two major components of sleep dysruption were missed in this video, and a large body of evidence had already been established to show magnesium's benefit. The first is muscle tone. High dose magnesium reduces muscle tone. Muscles spasm in patients with spinal stenosis can be a major cause of delayed sleep onset and sleep arousal at night. Also, magnesium had been shown too relieve limb movement sleep disorders (eg. Restless Leg Syndrome) through this muscle relaxant effect. The second area with even more research support, including multiple meta analyses, is in pain reduction. Magnesium is a moderator of chronic pain via the NMDA receptor in the dorsal horn lamina III of the spinal cord. Studies of the use of high dose magnesium while under anesthesia for a whole host of major surgery has shown reductions in narcotic use, lower pain scores at rest, and reduced development of chronic pain. Admittedly the magnesium was given IV at loading doses of 30-50 mg/kg, but it was promising enough to open new research into high dose orally administered magnesium for chronic pain. I'm willing to bet that if these magnesium for sleep studies had been powered well enough to examine sub-groups, then we'd see sleep benefits in patients with anxiety as mentioned in the video, but also in patients with chronic pain, restless leg and other limb movement disorders of sleep, and patients with muscle spasms.