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Magnesium · dosage and timing

Magnesium Dosage and Timing: What Owners Report

About this entry (Magnesium (form not stated)): Comments that name magnesium without a form (or a multi-form blend). Counted separately from glycinate/threonate/taurate.

In 17 Reddit owner comments that give an amount, the typical Magnesium dose was 312.5 mg (middle half: 200 to 455 mg). The timing people mention most is at night or before bed (75 comments). These numbers describe what people with stress, anxiety or low mood say they take on Reddit (May 2026 to October 2026); they are not dosing advice. Follow the label and ask a doctor or pharmacist, especially if you take medicines.

Amounts owners mention

Unit	Comments	Typical (median)	Middle half	Most-mentioned amounts
mg	17	312.5	200 to 455	200 (4), 500 (2), 400 (2)

Counted from amounts written next to the name Magnesium in 19 owner comments (a comment can give more than one amount). Products differ in strength, so a number of capsules or scoops is not comparable between brands. Most-mentioned: 200 mg (4), 500 mg (2), 400 mg (2).

What studies and NIH sources say

The NIH upper limit for magnesium from supplements is 350 mg a day for adults; higher doses commonly cause diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramping.^{[NIH Office of Dietary Supplements]}
Magnesium can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics (tetracyclines, quinolones) and bisphosphonates, so the NIH advises spacing the doses apart.^{[NIH Office of Dietary Supplements]}

When people take it

Timing mentioned	Owner comments
At night or before bed	75
In the morning	20
With or after food	4

Phrases such as "before bed", "in the morning" or "with food" near the name Magnesium.

How long it takes, according to owners

Timeframe mentioned	Comments	Positive
Minutes to hours	1	1
Within the first week	3	1
1 to 4 weeks	3	2
More than a month	3	3

10 owner comments mention a timeframe such as "after 2 weeks", "within an hour" or "it took a month". A timeframe can describe when someone noticed a change or how long they tried it before giving up, so read it as a rough signal.

5/5 MoodTakes time
“I'd look to magnesium and/or perhaps a mood probiotic.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-09-15 · 2 upvotes

4/5
“I used to take Life Extension magnesium but stopped after like 2 weeks.”

owner comment via r/sleep · 2026-06-17 · 2 upvotes

4/5 Fast-actingMood
“I've been taking it for 3 weeks so far combined with a magnesium complex.”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-05-10 · 1 upvotes

In their words

4/5 Calming effectSide effects
“I used to have severe health anxiety and deal with stress daily, tried alot of stuff, Taurine in the morning and magnesium before bed helped mostly, I noticed less brain fog and more calm and focus during the day, idk is it directly…”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-07-13 · 9 upvotes

4/5 Calming effect
“I take magnesium in the morning to help relax my sore muscles which gives me a good natural start to the day and then again at night to help me sleep.”

owner comment via r/sleep · 2026-09-20 · 7 upvotes

4/5
“What helped me was targeting the source of my stress and ensuring I had a consistent pre-bedtime schedule (I take magnesium, always try to give myself at least 30 minutes with no screens or outside simulation to unwind before getting in bed).”

owner comment via r/sleep · 2026-10-14 · 7 upvotes

4/5
“one more thing to say, buy urself 500mg magnesium tablets if ur anxious..”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-05-16 · 5 upvotes

4/5 Side effects
“Only thing that's vaguely helped is I have an alarm that goes off at 8:30 pm every night reminding me to take my magnesium and turn the big lights off to put the red one on.”

owner comment via r/sleep · 2026-08-13 · 5 upvotes

3/5
“As someone else said magnesium is overused and overrated.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-07-03 · 1 upvotes

Magnesium (form not stated) overall: 4.1 from 438 owner comments.

Frequently asked

How much Magnesium do people take?

In 17 Reddit owner comments that give an amount, the typical Magnesium dose was 312.5 mg (middle half: 200 to 455 mg). That is what people report, not a recommended dose; follow the product label and your doctor's advice.

When do people take Magnesium?

The timing people mention most is at night or before bed (75 comments). In the morning: 20; With or after food: 4.

How long does Magnesium take to work?

10 owner comments mention a timeframe near Magnesium (for example "after two weeks" or "within an hour"). Minutes to hours: 1; Within the first week: 3; 1 to 4 weeks: 3; More than a month: 3. Individual experiences vary widely.