{"id":218641,"date":"2026-01-05T23:27:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T23:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/218641\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T23:27:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T23:27:05","slug":"the-best-type-of-magnesium-for-sleep-according-to-experts-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/218641\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Type of Magnesium for Sleep, According to Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you go hard at the gym, it\u2019s important not to overlook recovery. Stretching<\/a>, foam rolling<\/a>, and hanging out in the sauna<\/a> can all help reduce muscle soreness. You\u2019ve probably heard rumblings about magnesium supplements<\/a> helping too. Not only does the micronutrient play a crucial role in muscle function, but it also supports sleep\u2014another key for crushing your workouts.<\/p>\n

But shopping for the right magnesium product<\/a> specifically for workout recovery is tricky. Not only are there different types of magnesium, but there are also different modalities. Beyond capsule supplements, different topical magnesium products, including oils, lotions, and sprays have multiplied<\/a> in the marketplace recently.<\/p>\n

But which is best to help you recover from a workout and, ideally, get a good night\u2019s sleep? We talked to a doctor, pharmacist, and dietitian who have all studied the mineral to get advice on which products work best.<\/p>\n

What exactly does magnesium do?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to spend money on a nutritional supplement, it helps to have a basic understanding of how it works. Brace yourself: This micronutrient does a lot.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a run-down of magnesium\u2019s job description, according to Stella Volpe, PhD, RDN,<\/a> a registered dietitian and professor at Virginia Tech: It helps make protein, supports bone health by activating vitamin D (crucial for calcium absorption), and regulates blood sugar concentrations.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not even getting into how it supports muscle recovery and sleep. Sports medicine doctor and Sunrider International<\/a> chief medical advisor Reuben Chen, MD<\/a>, explains that magnesium supports workout recovery by relaxing the muscles, reducing post-exercise cramping, and restoring energy at the cellular level.<\/p>\n

\u201cMagnesium also helps ease soreness, while keeping the nervous system calm and balanced, allowing your body to recover faster,\u201d he says. Dr. Volpe adds to this, saying that magnesium helps reduce inflammation\u2014another way it supports workout recovery.<\/p>\n

As for sleep, Dr. Chen explains that magnesium calms the nervous system, priming the body for rest. \u201cIt also helps regulate melatonin, the hormone that guides our sleep-wake cycles, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note: all the experts we talked to said that most people get all the magnesium they need through their daily diet. \u201cGenerally speaking, people are not deficient in magnesium if they are eating a balanced diet,\u201d says Alexandre Chan, PharmD, MPH<\/a>, a professor of clinical pharmacy at UC Irvine. Especially if you eat a primarily plant-based diet<\/a>, you\u2019re likely getting enough. Some top food sources of magnesium<\/a> include almonds, spinach, cashews, black beans, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, and salmon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you go hard at the gym, it\u2019s important not to overlook recovery. Stretching, foam rolling, and hanging…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44605,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[134,111,139,556,69,2795,1251,5510,14651],"class_list":{"0":"post-218641","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-textbelowcentergridwidth","14":"tag-web","15":"tag-wellness","16":"tag-working-out"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}