It's Time To Ditch Your Melatonin Supplement — What To Take Instead
Melatonin has become the default sleep supplement for millions of people. It’s often framed as a gentle, natural way to fall asleep faster. For short-term situations like jet lag or occasional late nights, it can be helpful. But when melatonin becomes a nightly habit, it may actually work against the body’s natural sleep rhythm rather than support it.
That’s because melatonin isn’t a sleep nutrient. It’s a hormone. And using it long-term deserves a closer look.
The problem with using melatonin long-term
Melatonin’s primary job is to signal darkness and help regulate circadian timing. Your brain naturally releases very small amounts of melatonin in the evening (measured in micrograms), yet many supplements deliver doses in the milligram range—often 10 to 100 times more than what the body typically produces.
Over time, regularly taking high doses of melatonin may blunt your body’s own production or disrupt normal circadian signaling. Instead of reinforcing a healthy sleep-wake cycle, it can create mixed signals about when your body should feel alert versus ready for rest.
People who use melatonin frequently also report side effects like next-day1 grogginess, vivid dreams or nightmares, and mood changes. For some, sleep becomes more fragmented rather than more restorative.
Perhaps most importantly, melatonin doesn’t address a common reason people struggle to sleep in the first place: stress. A wired nervous system, elevated evening cortisol, muscle tension, and mental overstimulation all make it hard to wind down, even when the lights are low.
Quality control can also be iffy
Why magnesium supports sleep without forcing it
That’s where magnesium comes in. Magnesium supports the systems that allow sleep to happen naturally, especially the nervous system.
Magnesium plays a key role in activating GABA2, the brain’s primary calming neurotransmitter. GABA helps quiet racing thoughts, reduce physical tension, and shift the body into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state.*
It also helps regulate the stress response by supporting healthy cortisol rhythms and relaxing muscles3, both of which are critical for deeper, more restorative sleep.*
So instead of forcing sleep, magnesium helps create an internal sense of calm to make falling asleep easier and nighttime awakenings a thing of the past.*
A smarter nighttime routine
What does this mean for your nighttime routine? A magnesium supplement may be a smart choice to help you unwind an hour or two before bed. And mindbodygreen’s sleep support+ is a great place to start.
This nonhormonal sleep aid features magnesium bisglycinate (a gentle and readily absorbable form of the mineral), as well as PharmaGABA® and jujube extract to further support calm and relaxation.*
Overall, it's a product that has helped thousands of customers achieve the sleep of their dreams for years.*
It’s an essential
The takeaway
If your poor sleep is driven by stress, tension, or an overactive nervous system, magnesium is the more supportive choice than melatonin (and pairing it with jujube and PharmaGABA® is even better).*
