Magnesium or melatonin? Choosing between Magnesium Foundation and Rest Balance

Our sleep collection has two formulas, and they’re easy to mix up. Both are capsules, both are taken in the evening, and both sit on the same shelf. But they do different jobs, and only one of them contains melatonin.

Here’s how Magnesium Foundation and Rest Balance differ, who each one suits, and how to choose.

Side by side

Magnesium Foundation: for calm evenings

Magnesium Foundation is one mineral in one form. Magnesium is involved in muscle contraction and relaxation and in normal nervous system function.* Three capsules give you 275 mg, 65% of the Daily Value, from magnesium glycinate, which pairs magnesium with the amino acid glycine.

It isn’t a sleep aid, and it has no melatonin. It’s a daily mineral you can take any evening, as part of how you wind down. Magnesium is a steady habit, not a switch you flip on a hard night, and results vary, so give it the whole bottle.

It may suit you if:

• your evenings feel tense and you want a simple daily mineral
• you’d rather not take melatonin
• you want one ingredient, with the dose printed

For more on the form, read magnesium glycinate explained.

Rest Balance: for restful nights, after your doctor’s yes

Rest Balance is a fuller formula. Alongside 10 mg of melatonin, the hormone your body makes as it gets dark, its 905 mg blend includes L-tryptophan, 5-HTP, St. John’s wort, ashwagandha, chamomile, lemon balm, passion flower, GABA, L-theanine and more. You take it 20–30 minutes before bed.

It may suit you if:

• you have nights of occasional sleeplessness and want a formula made for bedtime
• your doctor has looked at the label and said yes
• you don’t take other melatonin products

Ask your doctor first, especially if you take any medication. Rest Balance contains 10 mg of melatonin, a strong dose, plus St. John’s wort, 5-HTP, L-tryptophan and ashwagandha, and St. John’s wort in particular interacts with many medicines. Ask too if you’re pregnant or nursing, under 18, or have a medical condition. Take it only when you’re ready for bed and can give yourself a full night, and skip other melatonin products while you take it. For every line on the label, read what’s in Rest Balance.

Can you take both?

Yes. Magnesium Foundation in the evening and Rest Balance before bed is the Sleep Pair. Ask your doctor before Rest Balance, as always.

Both labels contain magnesium: 275 mg in Magnesium Foundation and 13 mg in Rest Balance, 288 mg together. Daily Foundation adds 50 mg more. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements sets an upper limit for adults of 350 mg a day of magnesium from supplements; magnesium from food doesn’t count toward it. If you take other magnesium too, ask your doctor about your total.

How to choose

1. Start with your evenings. Habits come first: a steady bedtime, dimmer lights, screens out of the bedroom. See when your mind won’t switch off at night.
2. If you want a simple daily mineral with no melatonin, start with Magnesium Foundation.
3. If you want a formula made for bedtime, talk to your doctor about Rest Balance first, and bring the label.
4. Start with one. Give it the whole bottle before you add the next, so you know what each one does for you.

And if sleep is hard most nights, or has been for weeks, talk to your doctor before choosing either.

Your next step

Not sure which fits? Answer a few questions in Find your formula.

References

1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Melatonin: What You Need To Know.
3. Magnesium Foundation and Rest Balance Supplement Facts labels.