When you lay your head down on the pillow at night, are you plagued by racing thoughts or a “tired but wired” feeling? And then when you finally do fall asleep, do you wake up the next day feeling unrested and “on edge?” You might be caught in a vicious cycle of high stress and poor sleep. And as you’ve likely seen from casual search queries, you’re not alone; both are becoming major health concerns in the United States.

In the American Psychiatric Association’s 2024 annual mental health poll, 43% of U.S. adults said they are more stressed now than the previous year, an increase from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022.1

It’s a similar story for sleep. A December 2023 Gallup poll shows most U.S. adults are unsatisfied with the amount of sleep they’re getting. When asked if the number of hours they sleep is enough, or if they would feel better with more rest, 57% of U.S. adults said they would feel better with more hours of sleep, up from 43% in 2013.2

When asked how many hours they typically sleep per night, 20% of U.S. adults said they slept five hours or less. Between 1990 and 2013, that figure hovered between 14-16%. And in 1942, it was only 3%.2 

It’s no surprise both are on the rise; too much stress can make it hard to get a good night's rest and make stress worse, and too many nights of little or inconsistent sleep can make stress worse and lead to more sleepless nights. But what might the cause be?

The role of magnesium in the body

Enter magnesium, an important mineral for regulating the body’s stress response. Involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions, magnesium is one of the most important minerals for overall healthy functioning. Here’s a breakdown of how it supports different parts of your body:

Sleep support: Magnesium is an essential element for many important biochemical conversions that take place in your body. For example, it helps convert tryptophan into serotonin, a precursor for melatonin, the sleep hormone.*3 

Brain and nerve support: Important for the functioning of GABA (a brain neurotransmitter that modulates stress responses) and serotonin, magnesium promotes relaxation and mood.*

Muscle support: One of magnesium’s primary roles is relaxing smooth and skeletal muscle fibers, including the heart muscle. It enables the muscle to contract and relax, supporting normal heart rate, rhythm, and circulation.*

In that same vein, magnesium can help reduce uncomfortable cramping and spasming, which can occur in muscles after a workout or in the uterus during menses.* (For this reason, magnesium supplements are a popular choice for women who have PMS symptoms.) Several studies also indicate that magnesium may be able to support leg restlessness, an uncomfortable sensation that some people feel at night that can impact sleep quality.*4

Healthy bones: Believe it or not, about half of your body’s magnesium is stored in your bones! There, it promotes healthy bone formation through vitamin D metabolism.* One review found that vitamin D, a key player in the sleep-wake cycle, is not metabolized efficiently without an adequate level of magnesium present.5 In addition, magnesium helps support deposition of calcium in the bones where it is needed and not in the soft tissues like blood vessels and kidneys were it is not.*

Stress, magnesium, and the vicious circle concept

As you can see, magnesium has a hand in several body functions that involve stress and sleep. But how is it related to the two health concerns?

First introduced in research in the early 1990s, the vicious circle concept suggests a bidirectional link between magnesium deficiency and stress.6,7 When stressed, the body uses more magnesium, which can eventually lead to a deficiency, making the body more susceptible to stress in the future.

 Since then, both pre-clinical and clinical studies have supported this concept of a bi-directional relationship. In 2020, researchers revisited the concept and wrote a review with updated data.

First, the impact of low magnesium on stress and sleep. The 2020 review cited a 2010 study testing the effectiveness of magnesium in people with poor sleep quality. Of the 96 adults ages 51 and up with poor sleep quality (as determined by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), over half were under consuming their estimated average requirements (EARs) for dietary magnesium intake.8,9 Those who fell short of their respective EARs were significantly more likely to have a high concentration of C-reactive protein in their plasma, an indicator of inflammation and stress.9

Second, the impact of stress on magnesium status. The 2020 review cited a 2006 study that analyzed the stress and anxiety levels of 35 university chemistry students during an exam period. Researchers saw a significant increase in anxiety, which was associated with a greater loss of magnesium in urine.8,10 A similar study measured the stress and magnesium levels of 30 male students before and right after a four-week exam period. The participants experienced chronic sleep deprivation during those four weeks, getting about 20% less rest than they would on a regular night.11 All the students were considered to be chronically stressed, and their magnesium levels were depleted after the exam period. 

It's a similar story for sleep’s effect on magnesium; a 1997 study tested the relationship between magnesium concentration and varying levels of sleep deprivation in men. They found the chronic (one month) sleep deprivation group had a significantly lower level of magnesium than the control group (a day after a good night’s sleep).8,12

Low magnesium intake in the U.S.

Although magnesium is essential for daily function, many Americans are not getting enough of this important mineral. According to survey data from NHANES 2013-2016, 48% of Americans are falling short of their EARs for dietary magnesium intake.13

And even if you’re healthy, have a good diet, and don’t take medications, you still might not be getting an optimal amount of magnesium. For example, a decreased intake can occur because of magnesium-depleted soil where vegetables and fruits are grown. By some estimates, the magnesium levels in some vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, and spinach have dropped by 80% in the past 100 years.14 It’s also worth noting that vegetables are the top source of magnesium in the United States, supplying Americans with 13% of their magnesium intake according to one sample of adults.15

Couple this with an increased dependence on quick-to-prepare, processed foods, and you get a decrease in dietary magnesium intake; two hallmarks of the Western diet, sodium and protein, are both linked to magnesium loss.8 One Western diet food linked to low magnesium status? Soft drinks. Those with phosphates (which provide the fizz) interfere with magnesium absorption, while the diuretic-like effect of caffeine and alcohol increases magnesium loss in the urine.8

The takeaway

Get the support you need with one of Thorne’s quality magnesium supplements. Our most popular magnesium option is Thorne’s Magnesium Bisglycinate, a lightly sweetened powder that helps you unwind and supports restful sleep.* The ideal choice for athletes, this formula is NSF Certified for Sport®, meaning it has been extensively tested by a third party to ensure the absence of more than 200 banned substances by major athletic organizations.

For heart and skeletal muscle support, consider Thorne’s Magnesium CitraMate, a health solution that supports cellular energy production, promotes kidney health, and helps lessen fatigue and muscle tenderness.*

Finally, choose Thorne’s Calcium-Magnesium Malate if you’re looking for additional calcium support. This health solution provides a balanced 1:1 ratio of calcium and magnesium (malate), both essential for bone health.*

References

  1. American adults express increasing anxiousness in annual poll; stress and sleep are key factors impacting mental health. American Psychiatric Association. May 1, 2024. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/annual-poll-adults-express-increasing-anxiousness. [Accessed January 6, 2025]
  2. Fioroni S, Foy D. Americans sleeping less, more stressed. Gallup.com. April 15, 2024. https://news.gallup.com/poll/642704/americans-sleeping-less-stressed.aspx. [Accessed January 9, 2025]
  3. Cuciureanu MD, Vink R. Magnesium and stress. In: Vink R, Nechifor M, eds. Magnesium in the Central Nervous System. Adelaide (AU): University of Adelaide Press; 2011.
  4. Jadidi A, Rezaei Ashtiani A, Khanmohamadi Hezaveh A, Aghaepour SM. Therapeutic effects of magnesium and vitamin B6… a randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2022;23(1):1. doi:10.1186/s12906-022-03814-8
  5. Uwitonze A, Razzaque M. Role of magnesium in vitamin D activation and function. J Am Osteopath Assoc 2018;118(3):181-189.
  6. Galland L. Magnesium, stress and neuropsychiatric disorders. Magnes Trace Elem 1991;1087-1301.
  7. Seelig MS. Consequences of magnesium deficiency on the enhancement of stress reactions; preventive and therapeutic implications (a review). J Am Coll Nutr. 1994;13(5):429-446. doi:10.1080/07315724.1994.10718432
  8. Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, et al. Magnesium status and stress: The Vicious Circle Concept revisited. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3672. doi:10.3390/nu12123672
  9. Nielsen FH, Johnson LK, Zeng H. Magnesium supplementation improves indicators of low magnesium status and inflammatory stress in adults older than 51 years with poor quality sleep. Magnes Res. 2010;23(4):158-168. doi:10.1684/mrh.2010.0220
  10. Grases G, Pérez-Castelló JA, Sanchis P, et al. Anxiety and stress among science students. Study of calcium and magnesium alterations. Magnes Res. 2006;19(2):102-106.
  11. Takase B, Akima T, Uehata A, et al. Effect of chronic stress and sleep deprivation on both flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery and the intracellular magnesium level in humans. Clin Cardiol. 2004;27(4):223-227. doi:10.1002/clc.4960270411
  12. Tanabe K, Osada N, Suzuki N, et al. Erythrocyte magnesium and prostaglandin dynamics in chronic sleep deprivation. Clin Cardiol. 1997;20(3):265-268. doi:10.1002/clc.4960200315
  13. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Usual Nutrient Intake from Food and Beverages, by Gender and Age, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2016;2019. https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/usual/Usual_Intake_gender_WWEIA_2013_2016.pdf [Accessed January 23, 2025]
  14. Grober U. Magnesium and drugs. Int J Mol Sci 2019;20(9):2094.
  15. Ford ES, Mokdad AH. Dietary magnesium intake in a national sample of U.S. Adults. J Nutr 2003;133:2879-2882. doi: 10.1093/jn/133.9.2879.