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Magnesium Glycinate Benefits for Sleep and Stress

 –  10 min read

Adding magnesium to your routine can help to reduce feelings of stress and fatigue, helping you to get a proper night's rest so you feel prepared to tackle the day ahead. 

FTF Team
FTF Team Content Editor

You've had eight hours of sleep, but you wake up feeling low on energy. You've got persistent feelings of anxiety, worry, or feel wired with no obvious answer as to why. These feelings can occur for a wide range of reasons, but sometimes, when the cause feels unidentifiable, it's worth adding supplements into your routine in order to help you to regain a sense of control. This is where magnesium glycinate comes in.

Here we'll break down how adding magnesium glycinate to your routine can help you reduce feelings of tiredness, stress and fatigue, helping you to get a proper night's rest and feel prepared to tackle whatever the day throws at you. 

What is Magnesium Glycinate? 

Let's start with the basics: What is magnesium glycinate? Magnesium glycinate is simply magnesium bound with the amino acid glycine. Magnesium glycinate is highly bioavailable, making it easy to absorb so you can see and feel the benefits more rapidly. 

As magnesium plays an important role in the function of our nervous system, it makes a great choice for those hoping to add wellness supplements to their daily routine. Magnesium glycinate is often touted as a gentler form of magnesium, making it the best option for those with sensitive stomachs.

women sat outdoors in active wear doing yoga

What Are the Benefits of Magnesium Glycinate?

There are multiple reasons why someone may choose to incorporate magnesium supplements into their daily wellness routine, from stress management to post work out muscle support.

  • Supports psychological function: Magnesium in any form helps contribute to normal psychological function, helping to promote and support feelings of calm, balance and emotional wellbeing.
  • Supports nervous system function: If you're feeling tense, wired, or overstimulated, or you are feeling like your plate is constantly full, making every day feel overwhelming, magnesium glycinate can offer support and promote feelings of emotional well-being to help you deal with anything life throws at you, and create a supportive wellness routine that can uplift you during tougher times.
  • Supports muscle function and relaxation: Magnesium can make a great addition to your post-workout routine, as it can support relaxation, helping to relieve cramps and muscle tenseness, as well as prepare you for a good night's sleep, which can help you to recover more rapidly after a good workout.

Using a product such as a magnesium oil body spray post workout offers:

  • fast absorption
  • it can start to work right away
  • can be applied topically in the areas you need it, when you need it.

Is Magnesium Glycinate Good for Sleep?

Yes, absolutely! Magnesium glycinate is an excellent sleep aid as it relaxes the muscles and calms the nervous system, as well as lowering your body's core temperature to get you in the best possible state for a restorative and supportive night's sleep.

How to Incorporate Magnesium Glycinate in a Support Nighttime Routine

To get the most out of taking magnesium for sleep, our team of wellness experts would recommend taking a dose around 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed, giving it time to work its magic.

  • In addition to magnesium to support a restful night's sleep, try to get away from screens around one hour before bed. Turn off phones, tablets, and TVs. 
  • Dim the lights and try to do your essentials such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, and doing your evening skincare routine in soft lighting.
  • If you've got things on your mind that may get in the way of getting off to sleep, try jotting them down. This can be used as a to-do list the next day, or just a way to clear your mind. 

Other options to help you get a supportive and restful night’s sleep include:

  • Vitamin D: low levels of vitamin D can have a negative effect on your sleep quality, so ensuring you're getting enough vitamin D is vital.
  • Vitamin B6: this helps your body to make serotonin and melatonin which are important for good sleep patterns.
  • Vitamin B12: another B vitamin that supports rest is vitamin B12. It helps keep your internal clock ticking away, supporting a healthy sleep-wake cycle. 
Woman sleeping wrapped up in bedding


How Can Magnesium Glycinate Help When Feeling Stressed or Overwhelmed?

Magnesium can be a great option for feelings of overwhelm. We'd recommend taking our magnesium supplements as part of a wider wellness routine, especially if stress is starting to affect your sleep, energy, mood or ability to switch off.

As magnesium contributes to normal psychological function and nervous system function, magnesium glycinate can help support your body during busy or emotionally demanding periods. Rather than acting as a quick fix, it works best when taken consistently alongside small, supportive lifestyle habits such as regular meals, hydration, gentle movement and time away from screens.

For those who feel tense, restless, or like their mind is always racing, a product such as Seeking Health Magnesium Glycinate, Metagenics Magnesium Glycinate or Cytoplan Magnesium Bisglycinate can be a helpful addition to a calming evening routine.

However, if feelings of stress, anxiety or overwhelm are persistent or affecting your day-to-day life, it’s important to speak to your GP or a healthcare professional for personalised support.

Signs You May Need Magnesium Supplements

If you often feel tired, tense, restless or struggle to properly switch off, magnesium may be worth considering as part of your daily wellness routine. Low magnesium levels can sometimes be linked with symptoms such as:

  • muscle cramps
  • twitching
  • poor sleep
  • low energy
  • feeling more stressed than usual.

However, these signs can have many causes, so if symptoms are persistent or affecting your day-to-day life, it’s always best to speak to your GP or pharmacist.

Magnesium Glycinate and the Menopause

During perimenopause and menopause, changes in hormone levels can affect your sleep, mood, energy, muscles and overall sense of wellbeing. Magnesium glycinate can be a helpful addition to a menopause wellness routine, as many women suffer from sleep disruption, tiredness, irritability and changes in mood that often feel out of your control.

While it won’t replace targeted menopause supplements, support or medical advice, it can sit supportively alongside healthy habits other menopause supplements to help you feel more supported through this stage of life.

An open jar of supplements containing 90 capsules of magnesium.

Why Choose Magnesium Glycinate Over Alternative Magnesium Supplements?

There are several different types of magnesium supplements, and each one can feel slightly different depending on your body and your routine.

Magnesium glycinate is often chosen because it is a gentle, highly absorbable form of magnesium that is less likely to cause digestive discomfort for those with sensitive stomachs. This makes it a popular choice for those who want to take magnesium regularly, particularly in the evening or as part of a sleep and stress support routine.

Magnesium citrate is another popular form of magnesium and may be a good choice for general supplementation, although it can have more of an effect on digestion for some people. Magnesium oxide is often found in basic magnesium supplements, but it may not be as well absorbed as glycinate or citrate.

Magnesium complexes combine multiple forms of magnesium in one product, which can be useful if you want broader support. For example, BetterYou Magnesium Max 3-in-1 Powder combines magnesium citrate, glycinate and malate to support everyday wellbeing, allowing you to get the best of all three!

If your main concerns are sleep, stress, muscle tension or feeling wired but tired, magnesium glycinate is often one of the best magnesium supplements to consider.

How To Get the Most Out of Your Magnesium Supplements

To get the most out of your magnesium supplements, consistency is key. Try taking your magnesium glycinate at the same time each day, ideally as part of a routine you already have, such as after dinner or before starting your evening wind-down.

Always follow the dosage instructions on your chosen supplement. More magnesium does not always mean better results, and taking too much can lead to digestive discomfort. If you already take a multivitamin, sleep supplement, electrolyte formula or other wellness supplement, check the label to make sure you are not doubling up unnecessarily.

For sleep support, magnesium glycinate is often taken in the evening, around 30 to 60 minutes before bed. For stress support, it can be taken at a time that feels easiest to stick to, whether that is with breakfast, dinner or your nighttime routine.

You can also combine oral magnesium supplements with topical magnesium products where suitable. A product such as BetterYou Magnesium Oil Body Spray or BetterYou Magnesium Sleep Body Spray can be massaged into the skin as part of a post-workout or evening self-care routine.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, have kidney concerns or are unsure which supplement is right for you, speak to your GP or pharmacist before adding magnesium to your routine.

How To Get Magnesium From Food

Magnesium is naturally found in a wide range of foods, so a balanced diet is a great place to start. Good sources include leafy greens such as spinach, as well as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, cashews, black beans, edamame, whole grains and dark chocolate. If you struggle to get enough through food alone, or want more targeted support for sleep, stress or muscle function, a magnesium supplement can be a simple addition to your routine.

A woman smiling holding a jar of magnesium supplements

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re looking to support better sleep, reduce feelings of stress, ease muscle tension or build a more calming wellness routine, magnesium glycinate can be a simple and supportive place to start.

At Face the Future, our expert-curated magnesium supplements collection features a range of formulas designed to support everyday wellbeing, from magnesium glycinate and bisglycinate to sprays, powders and magnesium complexes.

Explore our wellness supplements to find targeted support for sleep, stress, energy and inside-out wellbeing. If you’re looking for skincare support, or wellness support, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts who can offer advice, support and product recommendations to help you feel your best.

Shop Our Magnesium Supplements

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