If you have a lot of tingling or stinging, an oral form might be a better option for you.
Apply it to use one area and see how your skin reacts. If you have sensitive skin, I would recommend starting with a small amount of oil. People with sensitive skin need to be particularly careful when using magnesium oil or when soaking in an Epsom salt bath. But I have to point out that it can be irritating to the skin. Transdermal magnesium won’t cause the digestive issues that oral forms can. People sometimes make their own lotions by combining magnesium oil with shea or cocoa butter and coconut oil. You can apply magnesium oil in a number of ways, from massaging it into the skin to soaking in a bath with a few drops of oil. Magnesium oil is another transdermal form of the mineral.
The magnesium in the salts in particularly helpful for easing muscle cramps and for reducing inflammation. You can fill a bath with water and add a handful of Epsom salts to help you relax. Your body can also absorb it through the skin.Įpsom salts are a very common form of transdermal magnesium.
But you’ll get much better results from other forms if your goal is to improve your sleep.Īlthough magnesium in pill form might be very common, you don’t always have to take the mineral orally. Magnesium citrate is another form of magnesium that’s great for use as a laxative (used to treat and prevent constipation). But it’s not so great for sleep since the body doesn’t absorb it very well. Magnesium oxide is a great form to take if you need the laxative effects of magnesium. While these forms might have their benefits, they are not absorbed well and can cause unpleasant side effects. You’re better off leaving some types of magnesium on the shelf. For example, MagTech Magnesium Complex includes three of the best forms available – Threonate, glycinate, and taurate. An additional study involving 200 patients revealed that magnesium chloride helped improve sleep in 99% of patients.Ĭombining forms of magnesium can often provide the best night’s sleep. A study published in Magnesium Research found that magnesium chloride was the form that had the highest absorbability and availability. It’s also the only form that can cross the blood-brain barrier, making it one of the best forms of magnesium for improving not only sleep but also brain function. Magnesium bonded to Threonate is very easily absorbed by the body. Like magnesium glycinate, it’s easily absorbed by the body.
In magnesium chelate, the mineral is bound to one or more amino acids. Magnesium glycinate is a form that is least likely to cause digestive distress or diarrhea. One of the most absorbable forms of magnesium, it’s bonded to glycine, which also helps the body relax. When it comes to helping you get a good night’s sleep, the best forms of magnesium include: Usually, the larger the substance or molecule, the more effective that form of magnesium will be. In supplement form, magnesium can be bound to a variety of substances. The connection helps your body better absorb the mineral. The magnesium you get from food is naturally bound to other substances, mainly amino acids. Magnesium needs to bind to another molecule to be stable enough to take. The problem is, they probably won’t give you the results you’re after. There are a lot of options available, and most are pretty affordable. If you’re interested in trying magnesium supplements to help you sleep, you can’t just run to the store and grab a bottle of magnesium pills. The best form of magnesium improves your sleep by keeping your calcium levels in check. We do, but we also need to keep our magnesium and calcium levels in balance to get the best night’s sleep. “Wait, I thought we needed calcium!” You might be thinking. When you don’t have enough magnesium, calcium takes over, keeping you awake. It’s not just a magnesium deficiency that gets in the way of your sleep. Having low levels of magnesium are going to disrupt your body’s natural rhythms, getting in the way of your ability to drift off to sleep at night. Throughout the day, your body’s magnesium levels are rising and falling, based on whether you should be active or sleeping. When your internal clock is ticking along, you’re able to fall asleep at a reasonable hour, sleep for a good amount of time and wake up feeling rested.Īs it turns out, a study from the University of Edinburgh found that good old magnesium plays a big role in keeping your internal clock ticking. Some of us just happen to have a clock that works a bit better than others.