7 Magnesium-Rich Foods to Help Improve Your Sleep—and Your Mood

Besides supporting serotonin production, Dryden says that magnesium also impacts the neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA, which are important for reducing stress and promoting calmness. “If we don’t get enough magnesium, we’re hindering the processes of producing these neurotransmitters,” she says. On top of all that, Dryden says that magnesium lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Registered dietitian Serena Pratt, RD, explains that magnesium and GABA work together to lower the body’s fight-or-flight response, acting as a calming mineral that supports the nervous system. Kriegler adds that magnesium helps the body settle into the rest-and-digest parasympathetic state instead of jumping into the fight-or-flight state as easily.

If you are prone to experiencing seasonal affective disorder during the winter months, you may be wondering if adding more magnesium-rich foods to your diet can help protect against it. According to all three experts, it’s not a great primary solution, but it can help. When it comes to seasonal affective disorder, Kriegler says that what’s most important is getting enough vitamin D (according to a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, one in four U.S. adults don’t get enough). Magnesium helps with vitamin D absorption, which is why it plays a supporting role.

How magnesium impacts sleep

While magnesium hasn’t been proven to improve sleep, as indicated by a 2021 systematic review published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, it can help prime the body for sleep, similarly to how it can support mood. (After all, it’s easier to sleep when you feel relaxed versus anxious.) Pratt explains that magnesium boosts GABA production, which calms down the body’s nervous system and gets it ready for sleep.

On top of supporting GABA production, Dryden says that magnesium helps convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin, which then gets converted into melatonin, a hormone that’s crucial for sleep because it signals to the body that it’s nighttime and helps regulate the body’s internal clock (known as circadian rhythm).

“Even though magnesium doesn’t directly produce melatonin, it’s really important in helping that process get done and if we don’t get enough magnesium, that process might not happen as efficiently,” Dryden says.

Dryden says that research has shown that magnesium can help improve sleep efficiency, reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and decreasing the number of wake-up times throughout the night. A 2021 study published in Sleep taking into account roughly 4,000 people backs this up, showing that participants who supplemented with magnesium experienced higher quality sleep than participants who didn’t supplement with magnesium.

7 magnesium-rich foods worth adding to your diet

As mentioned earlier, it’s best to get magnesium through diet versus supplements because you’ll be consuming other important nutrients at the same time. The magnesium-rich foods included here all have other nutrients that either support sleep, mood, or both.

1. Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds top both Pratt and Dryden’s lists for the best magnesium-rich foods for better mood and sleep. It has more magnesium than any other food, with 156 milligrams per serving, or 37% of the recommended daily value. “Pumpkin seeds also contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid that’s important for relaxation and sleep,” Dryden says. If you don’t plan on carving any pumpkins this fall, pumpkin seeds are easy to find at most grocery stores. They make a nice, crunchy topper for salads, oatmeal, or yogurt.

2. Chia seeds

Another seed that’s high in magnesium is chia seeds. “Two tablespoons of chia seeds is going to give you a pretty decent amount of magnesium,” Dryden says. Besides magnesium, she says that these tiny seeds are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain function and decreasing inflammation—both important for avoiding depression and anxiety.

3. Leafy greens

One magnesium-rich food Kriegler recommends is leafy greens because it’s super versatile and high in many other important nutrients, including fiber. You probably already know how important fiber is for gut health. Due to the strong connection between gut health and brain health, a thriving microbiome is crucial for mood regulation. A 2023 scientific article published in Nutritional Neuroscience highlights a connection between a high-fiber diet and a lower risk of depression.