Magnesium Supplement for Sleep Quality in Women With Poor Sleep

Poor sleep quality affects a substantial proportion of adults, and women are disproportionately affected, particularly during the perimenopausal and postmenopausal transition. While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) remains the gold-standard non-pharmacological treatment, access is limited. Pharmacological options such as benzodiazepines and common sleep aids carry risks of dependence, tolerance, and next-day cognitive impairment, while their objective sleep benefits are often modest. This has fueled interest in nutritional approaches to sleep support.

Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in numerous enzymatic processes relevant to neural and cardiovascular function. Suboptimal magnesium status is common and often undetected, and has been associated with shorter sleep duration and increased nocturnal awakenings. Emerging clinical trial evidence suggests magnesium supplementation may improve sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and subjective sleep quality, though the existing evidence base remains limited in scale and methodological rigor.

This study uses a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, in which each participant serves as her own control, receiving both the active supplement and a matched placebo in a randomized sequence separated by a washout period. This design offers greater statistical power than a parallel-group design for a within-subject outcome such as self-reported sleep quality, while controlling for between-person variability.

The study uses fully decentralized methods: recruitment, screening, informed consent, and all data collection occur remotely via a secure digital platform, allowing participation from across the United States without requiring in-person site visits. Objective sleep data are collected continuously via a wearable device (Oura Ring), complementing validated self-report instruments to provide converging evidence across subjective and objective measures.

An a priori age-moderator analysis will explore whether treatment response varies across the 35-60 age range, given known differences in sleep physiology across the perimenopausal transition. Analyses account for standard crossover trial considerations, including treatment sequence, period effects, and carryover, with a washout period and behavioral standardization instructions designed to minimize carryover between treatment conditions.

Inclusion criteria

• Women aged 35-60 U.S.-based, fluent in English Insomnia Severity Index score ≥8 (poor/subclinical insomnia) and <22 (excluding severe clinical insomnia) No formal sleep disorder diagnosis Consistent bedtime routine (+/-1 hr) Not currently using prescription sleep medications Owns a compatible smartphone (iOS or Android) capable of running the Oura Ring app and study digital platform Willing to wear the Oura Ring throughout the entire study period Nonsmoker Able to provide informed consent and complete all activities

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed sleep disorder Current diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder Current use of bisphosphonates (e.g., alendronate, risedronate) Shift worker or highly irregular sleep schedule Pregnancy or breastfeeding Known sensitivity to product ingredients Current use of supplements containing more than 25 mg of elemental magnesium Coffee intake greater than 3 cups per day (or equivalent caffeine from other beverages) External or lifestyle factors that may affect sleep patterns (e.g., infant/child regularly wakening, excessive noise, snoring partner, pain condition, variable work/study schedule, or mid-to-late afternoon/evening caffeine intake) BMI ≥32 kg/m² Current diagnosis of chronic kidney disease or renal impairment, or current use of prescription diuretics Use of melatonin >1 mg within 14 days of baseline Recent major life event or acute psychosocial stressor within 30 days of baseline (e.g., bereavement, job loss, separation) that may independently disrupt sleep Participation in other clinical trials in past 30 days

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