Melatonin or Magnesium: What Helps You Sleep Better?

Do you or someone you know struggle to fall asleep? You’re not alone. Melatonin and magnesium are two of the most used sleep aids, but they work in different ways.

We ask Jeffery Lessar, MD, a board-certified pulmonary medicine, sleep medicine and critical care physician at Valley Health, to help us further understand the differences between melatonin and magnesium.

How does your body regulate sleep?

Your body relies on two systems to help you fall asleep: sleep pressure and circadian rhythm.

Sleep pressure is the body’s natural sleep drive. This means that the longer you are awake, the more tired you become.

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural 24-hour internal clock. Your circadian rhythm is entrained by sunlight, meaning exposure to daylight helps to synchronize your body’s sleep cycle. Sunlight exposure hits the eye and tells your pineal gland to suppress melatonin.

“When you wake up and get sunlight, melatonin drops,” says Dr. Lessar. “Come nighttime, with the loss of sunlight, melatonin starts to rise and then continues to rise until about two hours prior to being awake, when it peaks,” Dr. Lessar says.

How do they work?

Magnesium is an abundant mineral in the human body that works to regulate your body’s nervous system and sleep regulation. This mineral regulates muscle contraction and controls nervous system signaling by reducing excitability through balancing nerve signals.

“Magnesium has multiple sleep pathways," Dr. Lessar says. "It helps with making melatonin, can lower cortisol, and can bind to GABA receptors, which can be calming.”

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a critical role in your sleep regulation process. Melatonin’s effects are exerted through two G-Protein receptors, MT1 and MT2. These receptors regulate the circadian rhythm and promote sleep onset. For those who have trouble sleeping, the supplemental form of melatonin, exogenous melatonin, can help with regulating disrupted sleep cycles.

According to Dr. Lessar, the sleep pathways for both supplements are similar in children as they are in adults.

What are the side effects of both supplements?

Melatonin and magnesium can help with trouble falling asleep, but they can have side effects. These supplements are generally safe to use; however, the main side effects for both are:

Which one is more effective: Magnesium or Melatonin?

“There are no head-to-head trials showing one is better than the other,” Dr. Lessar says. “Individually, both have been shown to have mild beneficial effects on sleep onset and total sleep time. Both can have mild side effects. Neither are FDA regulated and would be considered supplements.”

What habits support better sleep?

Good sleep starts with your daily habits. Along with magnesium and melatonin, lifestyle choices can also impact your ability to fall asleep. Healthy habits like limiting caffeine, eating simple foods three hours before bed, and avoiding lighted screens around bedtime can influence how well you sleep.

For more information contact your primary care physician or visit Valley Health Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists | Valley Health | Winchester, VA to schedule an appointment today.