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If you have trouble falling asleep, chances are you’ve tried a popular supplement called melatonin. While the hormonal supplement works wonders at getting you relaxed enough to drift off into a comatose state, there are a few cons to using it as a regular sleep aid.
For starters, you don’t want to develop a dependency on taking that extra dose of melatonin (the body is supposed to produce melatonin during the day), and sometimes, it could cause strangely vivid dreams or even nightmares. So instead, we recommend an alternative solution to manipulate sleep-wake timing: Directly relaxing the body, which can be achieved with another chemical that starts with an “m” … magnesium.
What is magnesium? In the most basic sense, the mineral supports muscle function. Supplemental magnesium is largely used as a way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. In other words: magnesium binds to specific receptors, which sends signals to the body to calm down.
It’s why mixing a teaspoon of magnesium with warm water just before bed might be beneficial to your sleep routine. As we’ve discovered, the mineral doesn’t make us sleepy, but puts us in a state that is conducive to sleep.
The mineral is available in a variety of forms, including powders, gummies and capsules.
Below, a few of our favorite magnesium supplements that’ll help you get your body into a relaxed state before bed or whenever you need a little extra help chilling out.
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