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Magnesium can calm overactive nerve cells and promote readiness for sleep.
July 23, 2025
Jana Ackermann
- Health
- Food
Magnesium L-Threonate - does the hyped mineral really improve sleep?
Anyone who sleeps poorly often notices it not only at night, but especially the next day: difficulties concentrating, mood lows, and a lack of energy are typical companions of sleep problems. For noticeably better sleep, a special form of the mineral is currently being highly praised in the USA: Magnesium L-threonate. What's behind it – and how does it work?
Magnesium has long been considered an essential all-rounder in the human body - indispensable for muscle function, cell energy, and over 600 enzymatic reactions. However, a particular compound is increasingly coming into focus in neuroscience: Magnesium L-Threonate (MgT). Unlike conventional magnesium compounds, this form is said to cross the blood-brain barrier particularly efficiently - and unfolds its potential there in areas such as sleep, stress regulation, and cognitive performance.
"The combination of magnesium and the organic compound L-threonate enables exceptionally good absorption in the central nervous system," explains Markus Schauer, nutritionist and founder of VerticalMedTyrol, as part of Sunday Natural's "Spring Reads." "This is crucial because many common forms of magnesium, such as magnesium citrate or oxide, are only absorbed by the brain to a limited extent." Recent studies confirm: Magnesium L-Threonate can significantly increase magnesium concentration in the brain - with potential effects on memory, neuronal plasticity, and emotional resilience.
How magnesium can improve sleep
Magnesium is directly involved in the regulation of GABA metabolism - the brain's most important inhibitory neurotransmitter system. It calms overactive nerve cells, promotes sleep readiness, and can help to relax faster. Additionally, it modulates NMDA receptors and the calcium balance in nerve cells - processes that are often disrupted in inner unrest and sleep-onset problems.
A recent randomized double-blind study with 80 adults provides concrete insights: Over 21 days, participants took either 1 g of magnesium L-threonate daily or a placebo. The MgT group showed significant improvements in REM and deep sleep phases, shorter sleep-onset times, and an overall higher subjective sense of rest. Daytime performance also benefited: participants felt more awake, emotionally stable, and better able to concentrate. These parameters were objectively measured using the Oura Ring, which records, among other things, heart rate variability and sleep architecture.
Who is magnesium L-threonate suitable for?
Schauer mainly recommends the compound for people who are cognitively highly demanding, chronically stressed or want to specifically improve their sleep. MgT is also gaining importance as a neuroprotective measure - for example in the case of genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative diseases. Preclinical studies suggest that magnesium L-threonate modulates the aggregation of beta-amyloid peptides and thus may play a role in the prevention of cognitive decline.
The dosage used in studies is about 1.5 to 2 g per day, which corresponds to about 144-200 mg of elemental magnesium. It is best taken in the evening to optimally support the sleep-promoting effects. Another advantage: Magnesium L-threonate is considered to be particularly well tolerated, even by sensitive individuals. Unlike other forms of magnesium, it is less likely to cause side effects such as diarrhea or bloating.
