Melatonin or Magnesium for Sleep: How to Choose

Melatonin helps with the timing of sleep, so it suits nights when your body clock is off. Magnesium is a mineral your muscles and nerves use, so people reach for it when they are tired and still wound up. We make both. Our melatonin gummy has 5 mg per serving, and our magnesium gummy has 60 mg of magnesium and 50 mg of L-theanine with no melatonin. I am Jan, I own Be Happy Be You, and this is how I explain the choice to customers who write in.

Key takeaways

• Melatonin is a hormone your brain makes in response to darkness, according to NIH. Our gummy has 5 mg, taken about 30 minutes before bed.
• A Cochrane review recommends melatonin for adult travellers flying across five or more time zones.
• Our magnesium gummy has 60 mg of magnesium and 50 mg of L-theanine and no melatonin, so you can take it at any hour.

What does melatonin do?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of NIH, has a plain page on melatonin. It says "Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness." It goes on, "It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep."

That is why people take it when their sleep hours have moved.

When is melatonin the better choice?

Reach for melatonin when the clock is the problem. That means jet lag, or a bedtime that has drifted to 1 a.m. and will not come back.

Jet lag is where the evidence is strongest. A Cochrane review of jet lag trials found melatonin reduced jet lag for travellers crossing five or more time zones, and that occasional short-term use appeared to be safe.

Our Melatonin Gummies with Vitamin B6 have 5 mg of melatonin in one gummy. Take it about 30 minutes before the bedtime you want. If you are wondering whether 5 mg is the right amount for you, I wrote about that in how much melatonin should you take.

When is magnesium the better choice?

Magnesium suits an evening wind-down routine.*

The NIH magnesium fact sheet says magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems, including "protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function." It also says magnesium is part of "a process that is important to nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm."

Our Magnesium and L-Theanine gummies have 60 mg of magnesium from magnesium glycinate and 50 mg of L-theanine per serving. There is no melatonin in them, so they are our non-melatonin option next to traditional sleep gummies, and you can take a serving in the afternoon as well as at night.* I go through both ingredients in magnesium and L-theanine together.

Melatonin vs magnesium at a glance

	Melatonin Gummies with Vitamin B6	Magnesium and L-Theanine Gummies
What it is	A hormone your brain makes in response to darkness	A mineral, plus an amino acid found in tea leaves
Per serving	Melatonin 5 mg, vitamin B6 0.7 mg	Magnesium 60 mg, L-theanine 50 mg
Serving	1 gummy	2 gummies
When to take it	About 30 minutes before bed	30 to 60 minutes before bed, or during the day
Contains melatonin	Yes	No
Servings per bottle	90	45
Price for one bottle	$19.99	$24.99

Both are pectin gummies, made in the USA and third-party tested.

Can you take melatonin and magnesium together?

Yes, you can take them on the same night. Magnesium goes with the evening routine on most nights, and melatonin comes out for travel or a week when the schedule is off. If you take prescription medicine at night, ask your doctor before combining them.

Our melatonin gummies are for adults 18 and over. Keep them out of reach of children, and do not give melatonin to a child unless their doctor says so.

Our Be Rested bundle is one bottle of each for $40.48. For a wider look at magnesium labels, see Magnesium Gummies Compared.

This article is general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.