Magnesium and sleep: what is proven, what is not

You can train perfectly and eat perfectly: without sleep, recovery does not follow. That is why this category exists. It is also the one where the gap between what is proven and what is promised is widest.

Let us sort it out, ingredient by ingredient.

Magnesium

What the law allows you to say

Magnesium is an essential mineral, and as such it benefits from several health claims officially authorised in the European Union:

• Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
• Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
• Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.

Note what is not on the list: nothing about sleep. No European claim directly links magnesium to falling asleep. It is a shortcut many brands take, and one they are not allowed to take.

Bisglycinate, oxide, citrate: the real issue

It is the form that makes the difference, far more than the brand.

Magnesium oxide has a high elemental magnesium content, which allows attractive figures on the label at a negligible cost. Its bioavailability is low and it is known for its laxative effect. It is the most common form at the entry level.

Bisglycinate is magnesium bound to two molecules of glycine, an amino acid. This chelated form is better tolerated digestively. It costs considerably more to produce — it is the one we use in our magnesium bisglycinate 120 capsules, combined with taurine and vitamin B6.

The habit to get into: look on the label for the words “of which elemental magnesium”. That is the only quantity that counts. 500 mg of magnesium bisglycinate is not 500 mg of magnesium.

And vitamin B6?

It is almost always paired with magnesium, and for good reason: it too has authorised claims, notably it contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Melatonin

Here the regulation becomes precise, and that is good news. Melatonin is one of the rare substances with an explicit European claim about sleep:

“Melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep.”

With a clear condition of use: the effect is obtained by consuming 1 mg of melatonin shortly before bedtime.

A second claim exists for jet lag: melatonin contributes to the alleviation of subjective feelings of jet lag, from 0.5 mg taken just before bedtime on the first day of travel.

Two points that are often misunderstood:

• More is not better. The 5 or 10 mg doses sold outside Europe are not more effective at helping you fall asleep, and they increase the groggy feeling on waking.
• Melatonin is not a sleeping pill. It acts on the body clock signal, not on the depth of sleep. It helps you fall asleep faster, not sleep “harder”.

Our Sleep gummies and our Melatonin complex are built on that basis.

Valerian, passionflower, 5-HTP: the legal vacuum

Valerian and passionflower are plants, and therefore fall under the same on hold regime as ashwagandha: no authorised claim, a file frozen at European level for more than ten years.

They are in our formulas because they are part of the traditional composition of this kind of product, and we state their exact amounts. We attribute no effect to them, because we are not allowed to — and because nobody is.

Before buying anything

A supplement does not make up for poor sleep hygiene. Before opening a tub, check the fundamentals:

• Caffeine. Its half-life is around 5 hours. A pre-workout at 7 pm still means half the dose in your blood at midnight.
• Regular hours, weekends included. It is the most powerful and least expensive lever.
• Bedroom temperature, around 18 °C.
• Evening light, which delays natural melatonin production.

If sleep problems persist, talk to a doctor rather than to an online shop. A food supplement is not a medicine and does not replace medical advice.

What to remember

• Magnesium has authorised claims on tiredness and the nervous system — none on sleep.
• Look at the form (bisglycinate rather than oxide) and the amount of elemental magnesium.
• Melatonin, on the other hand, has a precise claim: 1 mg before bedtime to reduce the time taken to fall asleep.
• Plants = no possible claim. Detailed composition, promises forbidden.

The whole category is in Sleep & stress, and minerals on their own in Vitamins & minerals.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 — the list of authorised claims and their conditions of use: magnesium, vitamin B6, and melatonin with its 1 mg and 0.5 mg thresholds.
• EU Register of nutrition and health claims — European Commission. Also where you can check that no claim exists for valerian or passionflower.
• EFSA — Nutrition and health claims — the scientific opinions these authorisations are based on.

Food supplements are no substitute for a varied and balanced diet or a healthy lifestyle. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women or for people on medication.