If you have struggled with sleep, you might have tried a variety of sleep supplements. Magnesium is one of the most popular sleep supplements, but did you know that it can also help you with limiting your leg cramps? It’s true! This sleep aid can help you get better sleep and reduce the likelihood of getting leg cramps in the middle of the night.
In this article, we’re going to explore how magnesium helps with sleep and why, as well as how it enables you to alleviate or even avoid leg cramps. We’ll also discuss some of the tips we can provide for optimal dosage and timing of your supplementation before bed. We’ll even close on whether or not it works for everyone and how to tell if it might work for you. Before we get into these details, let’s first take a look at how magnesium helps sleep.
How Magnesium Helps with Sleep
Chances are, you’ve probably taken magnesium before, but you may not have taken it for sleep. Magnesium is an essential nutrient that our bodies need to thrive, specifically in relation to sleep. Studies have shown that magnesium can actually help you signal and encourage the production of melatonin, a critical hormone that helps your body get ready for sleep. Additionally, when you do take magnesium, you’re more likely to enjoy longer, more restful sleep (Source: Sleep).
Other researchers have also shown and confirmed that magnesium plays a vital role in the quality and duration of your sleep. That might be why if you don’t eat enough magnesium-rich foods, you end up feeling like you can’t get enough rest! Some studies have even gone as far as showing us that magnesium intake is actually tied to how sleepiness throughout the day.
So, as you can see, magnesium is definitely tied to benefits when it comes to your sleep and rest. Not only is adequate intake of this vital nutrient tied to your sleep duration and quality, but it can also be tied to your own ability to stay alert throughout the day. Since magnesium plays such an essential role in our body’s regulation and ability to sleep, you might be wondering how leg cramps are alleviated by magnesium.
How Magnesium Helps with Leg Cramps
Believe it or not, magnesium is not just tied to benefiting your sleep, but it can also help with leg cramps. The stubborn leg cramps you get at night can be a pain to deal with, but if you have proper magnesium intake or take a supplement for sleep, you might be able to avoid the unpleasantness of this situation.
Pregnant women can struggle with leg cramps during pregnancy, as shown in a study published in the Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology a few years ago. The authors discussed that many studies have shown a connection between leg cramps and magnesium intake, even if their own study did not show these results.
Even though this one study did not prove that leg cramps can be alleviated by magnesium, other studies have shown that—due to how the supplement interacts with the body—there should be some relief. Magnesium has the ability to limit lactate accumulation in the skeletal muscle, therefore helping with physical performance. In other words, you are not meant to feel as sore when you take magnesium, and you should avoid leg cramps because of this interaction.
So, if you struggle with leg cramps, this is excellent news! You might be able to alleviate your unpleasant cramping at night while also benefiting from optimal sleep that leaves you feeling ready to tackle your day. However, let’s discuss when you should take this supplement to feel the best effects.
Optimal Dosage and Timing
If you are looking to enhance your sleep and alleviate leg cramps, it is best to take the magnesium at an optimal time while also ensuring that dosage is adequate for you based on your age and gender. For men between ages 19 and 30, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 400 mg, which should include food and supplement intake. This increased to 420 mg by age 31. On the other hand, women should only have about 310 mg if they are over 18 and under 30. This increases to 320 mg by age 31.
If you are curious about when you should be taking magnesium, there’s no real consensus on the best time to take this supplement. In fact, people can take this supplement at any time throughout the day, and it helps with their sleep and the potential for leg cramps (Source: Healthline). No matter when you take it, try to stick to a schedule to ensure appropriate intake every single day.
Does It Work for Everyone?
It is hard to tell if this works for everyone, but the research is there. We know that magnesium can help with sleep quality and duration and can also help with leg cramps. Ultimately, whether it works for you depends on your unique circumstances. It is essential to always consult your doctor and let them know you are interested in a supplement. Regardless of what you and your doctor decide, including how much of a dose you require, just know that taking magnesium every single day will always lead to benefits for your health and sleep!
How Will You Improve Your Sleep?
When it comes to your sleep, it is vital for you to take steps to encourage better rest. With all that we have discussed, magnesium has the potential to help you truly reach a point where you get adequate rest and avoid leg cramps. As long as you take the recommended dosage and you tend to take it around the same time every day, you’ll begin to experience the benefits!
As always, consult with your doctor if you have concerns about your sleep health and magnesium levels. We hope that this information helped you make an informed decision about your sleep health and well-being!
