Vitamins for Kids: Should You Include Iron in a Kid's Vitamin?
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When most parents think about helping their kids get all the necessary vitamins and minerals, they’re mostly focused on things like function, growth, and development.
But parents sometimes overlook the impact of vitamins and minerals on sleep. One mineral in particular - magnesium - has a few bedtime tricks up its sleeve. If your little one isn’t getting enough sleep, here’s how magnesium can help.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is a vital mineral that helps with many important functions of the human body. Your body only needs a small amount of most minerals, but magnesium is different.
Magnesium is a major mineral, which means your body needs a lot of magnesium on a daily basis. The body can make some of the things it needs on its own, but it can’t make magnesium. You can only get magnesium through your diet or supplements.
What Does Magnesium Do for the Body?
Magnesium may be a small mineral, but it plays a big role in your child’s overall health. It’s involved in hundreds of tiny processes that keep larger systems—like the brain, muscles, and nervous system—working smoothly. Here are just a few of the essential functions that depend on magnesium every day.
Maintain Heart Rhythm
Magnesium is an electrolyte. Electrolytes are minerals that help your body with “electrical” signals, like nerve impulses. Your heart needs magnesium to find a regular rhythm and beat consistently.
When you’re dehydrated, your body loses electrolytes, and your heart rhythm can become dangerously out of sync. Magnesium, in conjunction with a good old-fashioned glass of water, literally keeps the human heart beating.
Support Muscle and Nerve Function
Electrolytes are vital for all muscles, not just the heart. Every time you move a muscle, magnesium plays a role in the transmission of the signal between your muscles, nerves, and brain.
A lack of magnesium can even cause your muscles to twitch or jerk because the body and brain can’t properly relay information to each other.
Support Bone Density
Calcium tends to get all the credit when it comes to building strong bones—but magnesium plays an equally important role. In fact, about half of the body’s magnesium is stored in the bones, where it helps support bone structure and density. While calcium is needed to build bone, magnesium helps regulate how calcium is used and absorbed. Getting enough magnesium in childhood helps lay the foundation for strong, healthy bones that last a lifetime.
Gentle Relief for Tummy Issues
Magnesium is often used to support digestive health—especially when kids are struggling with occasional tummy issues. Certain forms of magnesium, like magnesium citrate, can help draw water into the intestines, making stools easier to pass. Pediatricians sometimes recommend magnesium as a gentle, well-tolerated option for kids who need help getting things moving. As always, it’s best to talk to your child’s doctor before trying any new supplements or remedies.
Mood Modulation
Research suggests magnesium may impact mental health. One way is by regulating cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Magnesium also regulates neurotransmission, which may impact the stress pathway brain response.
Can Magnesium Help Kids Sleep Better?
Magnesium plays a key role in how the brain and body wind down for rest. It helps regulate neurotransmitters like GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which promote calm and support the body’s natural sleep cycle. In adults, research suggests that adequate magnesium intake may support better sleep quality, particularly in those experiencing stress or difficulty falling asleep.
There’s limited direct research on magnesium supplementation and sleep outcomes in children. Still, ensuring kids meet their recommended daily magnesium intake is essential for overall health, and may gently support more restful nights. If better sleep happens to be part of the payoff, that’s a welcome bonus.
How Much Sleep Does My Child Need?
Kids need a lot more sleep than adults, even if they try hard to convince you otherwise. Sleep is prime time for growth and development.
Naps count towards kids’daily sleep goal. Older children often benefit from naps, but you should make sure their naps aren’t replacing the sleep they should be getting at night.
Here’s how much sleep the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for kids, by age:
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Newborn to 3 months: Between 14 and 17 hours daily
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3 months old to 1 year old: Between 12 and 16 hours daily
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1 year old to 2 years old: Between 11 and 14 hours daily
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3 years old to 5 years old: Between 10 and 13 hours daily
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6 years old to 13 years old: 9 to 12 hours daily
How Much Magnesium Does My Child Need?
Magnesium needs increase with age as children grow and develop. While most kids get enough through a balanced diet, some—especially those who prefer processed foods over whole foods—may fall short.
Here are the current daily magnesium recommendations by age:
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0–6 months: 30 mg
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7–12 months: 75 mg
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1–3 years: 80 mg
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4–8 years: 130 mg
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9–13 years: 240 mg
Children with higher growth demands—like those experiencing growth spurts or who are taller for their age—may benefit from closer monitoring of their intake. If you have concerns, especially about supplements, talk with your child’s pediatrician for personalized guidance.
While magnesium deficiency is relatively uncommon thanks to the body’s ability to conserve it, diets high in ultra-processed foods may increase the risk. Whole foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains remain some of the best natural sources.
What Foods Contain Magnesium?
Small amounts of magnesium can be found in many foods. The most abundant sources of magnesium are nuts, seeds, soy, and leafy greens.
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1 oz roasted almonds: 80 mg magnesium per serving
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½ cup cooked spinach: 80 mg magnesium per serving
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1 cup soy milk: 60 mg per serving
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½ cup cooked black beans: 60 mg per serving
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2 tablespoons of peanut butter: 50 mg per serving
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½ cup cooked brown rice: 40 mg per serving
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1 cup dairy milk: 25 mg per serving
Helping Your Child Get Enough Magnesium
Helping your child get enough magnesium can be challenging. Nuts, soy, and dairy are among the richest sources of magnesium. They’re also some of the most common food allergens. If someone in your family has a serious allergy to any of these foods, you probably don’t keep them in your home.
That leaves behind foods like spinach and black beans. Picky eaters often adamantly oppose spinach. Plant-based households can incorporate more staples like beans and brown rice into their family’s diet. They’re excellent from a nutritional standpoint, versatile when preparing meals, and among the least expensive staple grocery items. If your child eats them, a single serving of each every day can help them meet their daily recommended value of magnesium.
For help winding down at night to get a full nights rest, try a supplement such as Hiya Kids Bedtime Essentials, which is formulated specifically for kids and includes magnesium instead of melatonin.
Magnesium, Kids, and Sleep
There’s some evidence that suggests that magnesium may play a role in promoting better sleep, but there is no definitive conclusion for how magnesium can affect a child’s sleep. Even still, it’s important to ensure your child gets enough magnesium daily for healthy growth and development. If they just so happen to sleep well when they’re getting enough magnesium, that’s even better.
Sources:
An Update on Magnesium and Bone Health | Biometals
Constipation in Children | American Academy of Pediatrics
The Role and Effect of Magnesium in Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review | Nutrients
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) | Cleveland Clinic
Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need? | American Academy of Pediatrics
Magnesium Deficiency | MedlinePlus
Magnesium | United States Department of Agriculture
Food Allergies: The “Big 9” | United States Department of Agriculture
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