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Magnesium is often advertised as a sleep aid, with the search term “magnesium sleep’ has been played over 840 million times on TikTok.
But is it safe to take magnesium supplements?
If you have a magnesium deficiency, or if your diet isn’t getting enough magnesium, magnesium supplements can help induce sleep, but “it’s not the panacea that many say,” says Qualified. says Shelby Harris, who hasClinical Psychologist and Sleep Health Director Sleepopolis
“It works quite differently than melatonin, for example. What it actually does is help calm the body down a lot. It’s not really a sleep aid. I’ve always found melatonin to prepare me for sleep.” ,” Harris told CNBC Make It.
“You can even slow down your heart a little bit, and then your body slows down, and your brain slows down. It’s essentially a relaxant.”
An important factor when taking magnesium in supplement form is dosage. The highest recommended magnesium supplement dose for adults is no more than 350 milligrams per day, Harris said.
However, depending on the dosage, there is a fine line between improved sleep and harmful side effects, which is why it’s so important to talk to your doctor before taking magnesium supplements, she added.
“Sometimes people take too much magnesium,” says Harris, but even small amounts of magnesium from supplements can have adverse effects on certain people.
Potential health concerns associated with taking magnesium supplements include:
- diarrhea
- abnormal heart rate or other heart problems
- kidney problems
- Negative interactions with other drugs
“You may be better off just getting it from your diet,” says Harris. “Many people are simply deficient in magnesium because they don’t consume enough magnesium-containing foods, so they don’t necessarily need to take supplements.”
Here are 10 foods that naturally contain magnesium, according to Harris and Harris: Harvard Health Publishing:
- spinach
- peanut butter
- almond
- egg
- milk
- banana
- certain yogurts
- brown rice flakes
- baked potato (with skin)
- kidney beans
Dr. Harris advises patients to snack on unsweetened yogurt with almonds or peanut butter to help them sleep better. “I always tell people about an hour before bed. Some people find the combination of protein and carbs to be helpful by calming them down,” she says, helping to prepare them for sleep.
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