Feeling Stressed Before Bed? Why Magnesium Can Help You Unwind
There is no shortage of things that keep us up at night, but stress is one of the most common culprits. Maybe you feel anxious about a presentation at work. Or maybe you’re overthinking a hard conversation you know you have to have.
Whatever the reason, your body responds in a similar way. That is, stress triggers our sympathetic nervous system (the one that activates our fight-or-flight response). Stress puts your body on alert by increasing your heart and respiratory rate, which makes it tough (if not impossible) to wind down for bed.
Of course, employing stress management techniques throughout your day (getting plenty of movement, meditating, and journaling) can help. But so can magnesium.
Magnesium & stress
Magnesium is often referred to as the anti-stress mineral. Why? Well, magnesium is closely involved in multiple reactions that help regulate how the body responds to stress.*
It does so by:
- It calms down your nervous system: It supports calming neurotransmitters, especially GABA1, which helps quiet mental activity and reduce neuronal excitability. That calming effect makes it easier for the body to switch out of a sympathetic, fight-or-flight mode and into the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state where recovery, digestion, and relaxation happen. Plus, boosting GABA also helps improve sleep quality2.*
- It helps regulate stress hormones: When you have enough magnesium in your system (from food and supplements), the body is better at lowering cortisol after a stressor. And, research shows that people who are low in magnesium tend to have higher cortisol levels3.*
- It helps relieve tension: Tension (whether in your muscles or, say, the GI tract) keeps your body in a more sympathetic state. Magnesium helps reduce the overstimulation4 of the nerves that are causing that tension.*
How to use magnesium to help you de-stress before bed
About 43% of U.S. adults currently aren’t getting enough magnesium on a daily basis. You can increase your intake by eating magnesium-rich foods (like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and soybeans. Supplements are also effective at increasing your magnesium status. And, they can also help on a nightly basis.
But which magnesium supplement or powder is the best? Well, mindbodygreen’s magnesium+ rest & recovery is a fan favorite. This berry-flavored drink mix provides 230 milligrams of magnesium and 480 milligrams of tart cherry powder (which also supports sleep5, exercise recovery, and muscle soreness).*
It’s not something that will knock you out (or leave you groggy in the morning). Rather, it truly just helps your nerves chill and your mind to stop racing. Here’s what customers are saying.
Great support
“The magnesium product is surprisingly effective...combined with other sleep-inducing habits (dark, cool room, no alcohol, no eating just before bedtime, etc.) I had been using melatonin and occasional over-the-counter sleep aids, but the magnesium works as well or better.”*
–Margaret P.
Love it!
“Magnesium is a must, and this combo is a plus! Super convenient and tasty, makes this easy to implement into your nightly routine!”*
–Megan S.
Great flavor
“I love this. I add it to water in the evening to wind down. The flavor is great, and I do feel like my sleep has improved since adding this to my evening routine.”*
–Debbie B.
So far, I love this
“Been drinking this every night for about 5 days. I am a runner and am recovering from a muscle pull. At times [I] feel muscle tightness and wake up throughout the night, which I’m sure doesn’t help when muscles are trying to recover. Since taking this, I feel more rested, and even my muscles feel more relaxed. My sports doctor mentioned magnesium and I had found this online.”*
–Caren G.
A solid choice
“A great product, definitely does what it promises to do! I introduced this product to my husband, and he too wants a packet everynight. Looks like I have to order him his own box!”*
–Nicole T.D.
Best sleep in years
“Really loving this product! Highly recommend. Changed my life, especially my sleeping issues.”
–Alisha L.H.
The takeaway
While it’s common to feel stressed before bed, it’s not something that you have to just push through. Instead, reach for a science-backed (yet tasty) supplement like magnesium+ rest & recovery to finally get the sleep of your dreams.
