There comes a point in your life—usually when you have watched the clock callously tick past 3 am for the seventh night in a row—that you find yourself burrowed deep within the rabbit hole of sleep aids on the internet. Somewhere in between figuring out precisely how ‘weighted’ your weighted blanket needs to be—experts recommend 10 per cent of your body weight, FYI—and the perfect lullaby of soothing ocean waves to lull you into sleep, you likely stumbled upon magnesium.
Melatonin exudes considerable main character energy in the world of natural sleep remedies, but over the past few years, magnesium has taken over nightstands of those hoping for relief from stress- and anxiety-induced insomnia. In the era of doom-scrolling, it should come as little surprise that sleepless nights are becoming steadily common. “Insomnia, low-quality sleep and stress-related disorders are on the rise around the globe—this is further fuelled by common stressors associated with modern living, excessive screen time and erratic schedules. With most people looking for natural treatment options, magnesium has emerged as a safe alternative,” shares Dr Pujan Parikh, a Mumbai-based consultant in pulmonary medicine at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital.
Shaaz Ansari, a senior manager at a leading IT firm, was stuck in a vicious sleep loop thanks to work. “I was staying up late to get more work done, waking up late the next morning, inevitably leading to longer nights for completing the day’s pending workload—rinse, lather, repeat,” he rues. While the internet offered up everything from cinnamon and banana tea to hypnosis, the 30-year-old was excited to discover the neural benefits of magnesium for reducing anxiety, and thereby, improving sleep. “More importantly, I found that there were limited sources of magnesium in my daily diet, which pushed me to try supplements,” he says.
For those who are not particularly fond of swallowing chunky pills and oral supplements, the rise of magnesium-spiked skincare formulas offers a welcome alternative. According to Spate, the New York-based machine intelligence platform, oral magnesium pills and oral supplements have been assuming the spotlight for sleep enhancement, clocking in a steady 27 per cent growth in the last year. However, magnesium creams are laying their own claim to the throne, riding on the high of a 220 per cent rise in interest as compared to last year.
So, will that first whiff of a magnesium body lotion knock you out for a steady eight hours? Not really, but you can count on a better regulated sleep cycle. Dr Madhuri Agarwal, founder of Yavana Aesthetic Clinic, explains, “The recent rise in interest around this trend comes from the growing understanding of how magnesium plays a critical role in inducing quality sleep by influencing the nerves and muscles. With lifestyle factors such as work stress, poor sleep patterns and increased screen time contributing to mental stress, people are increasingly looking for natural alternatives to combat these changes in their sleep cycle.”
If you’d rather not have flashbacks to high school biology, Dr Agarwal offers up an explain-it-like-I’m-five guide to understanding how magnesium body lotions and creams can keep you from tossing and turning all night. For starters, magnesium helps balance melatonin levels (the sleep hormone) in the body, facilitating a proper sleep cycle. Next, it works on neurological pathways to reduce stress and improve relaxation. Dr Parikh adds, “Magnesium also helps modulate certain neuroreceptors in the brain to reduce brain activity and ultimately, promote feelings of relaxation for better sleep. Some studies suggest that it can also reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which can positively affect the onset of sleep.”
Sounds like something you’d want in on? With recent strides in bodycare, you’ll find a diverse array of magnesium-infused formulas to choose from. Hoop offers an oil and lotion, London-based wellness brand Neom has a range of luxe body butters, and you’ll probably find a few options at your local chemist and on Amazon. While there is something inherently soothing about the act of swaddling every inch of your skin in a luxurious body crème, Dr Agarwal prefers magnesium oil sprays for more convenient application over larger expanses of skin—especially for dry skin—with the added benefit of muscle relaxation after a long, tiring day. “Magnesium bath salts are also lovely to add to a relaxing nighttime bath for inducing deeper sleep,” she adds.
Hoping to go the conventional route instead? The good news is that the unappetising world of oral supplements isn’t your only option for a good night’s sleep. Dr Agarwal has found that magnesium melts and gummies are emerging as popular variations of the conventional tablet. By getting absorbed quickly, they work faster than pills for delivering better, quicker results. The issues of poor bioavailability and digestive issues are also reduced with gummies and melts. “However, the rule of thumb is to consult a physician to choose the right dosage before committing to any products,” she advises as she signs off.
