Magnesium Glycinate vs. Melatonin: Which helps you sleep, not just doze?

TL;DR

• Magnesium glycinate may help people who are low on intake or feel muscle tension/anxiety at night. It’s not a sedative.

• Melatonin mainly helps with timing (jet lag, late body clock, shift changes) and sleep onset—it doesn’t deepen sleep for everyone.

• If your issue is “wired at night, groggy mornings,” fix light and routine first; supplements are optional helpers.

What each one does

• Magnesium glycinate: a mineral bound to glycine, often gentler on the stomach. People use it for general calm/relaxation. Mechanism isn’t “knockout”—it may reduce perceived tension.

• Melatonin: a hormone your brain releases in darkness. Supplemental melatonin shifts or reinforces circadian timing and can shorten time-to-sleep for some.

Quick chooser

• Pick magnesium first if: you suspect low intake, have evening muscle tightness, or want a non-sedating helper with a wind-down routine.

• Pick melatonin if: your bedtime is late by habit/biology, you’re crossing time zones, or you need help starting sleep after a schedule change.

• Skip both for now if: loud environment, caffeine late, bright nights/dim mornings = address those causes first.

Starter amounts (placeholder)

• Magnesium glycinate: try 100 mg elemental 1–2 hours before bed; increase slowly if tolerated.

• Melatonin: try 0.3–1 mg 60–120 min before target bedtime (earlier if you’re trying to shift your clock). More is not necessarily better.

Introduce one change at a time for 1–2 weeks so you can judge effects.

Pros & Cons

Magnesium glycinate

Pros

• Often well tolerated; non-sedating; available in many forms.
  Cons

• GI upset at higher amounts; not a quick knockout; label math can be confusing (elemental vs total compound).

Notes & Caveats

• Check with a clinician if you have kidney disease or take meds like some antibiotics/bisphosphonates (separate by several hours).

• If stools loosen, reduce amount or split dosing.

Melatonin

Pros

• Good for sleep timing (jet lag/shift), may reduce sleep latency.
  Cons

• Next-day grogginess or vivid dreams in some; higher doses don’t mean better sleep.

Notes & Caveats

• Talk to a clinician if pregnant/breastfeeding, managing epilepsy, autoimmune conditions, or taking anticoagulants or other interacting meds.

• In some countries, melatonin is regulated; follow local guidance.

“Sleep vs. doze” (why results vary)

Melatonin nudges your circadian signal; it’s not a blanket “sleep quality” booster and may not extend deep sleep.
Magnesium doesn’t sedate—benefits, when present, are usually from reduced tension + better routine.

Can you combine them?

You can, but test one at a time first. If combining, keep both low (e.g., 100 mg Mg + 0.3–1 mg melatonin) and track sleep onset and next-day alertness for a week.