Magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha are two of the most popular supplements for winding down. One is a gentle mineral many people take before bed. The other is an adaptogenic root linked to lower stress and better sleep. With so much overlap in why people take them, it's natural to wonder: can you take magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha together?
Short answer: yes, for most healthy adults there's no known reason to keep them apart. Here's what the research says about each one, where the evidence on combining them is limited, and how to build a simple routine.
The short version
| Question | What we know |
|---|---|
| Can you take them together? | Yes. We found no reported interaction between magnesium and ashwagandha |
| Has the combination been studied? | Only indirectly. The closest trial used a multi-ingredient formula and a different form of magnesium |
| Does taking both work better? | Evidence is limited. There's no proof the pair beats either one alone |
| Magnesium amount | Stay at or under 350 mg a day of supplemental magnesium |
| Ashwagandha amount | Follow the label. Ours is one capsule a day |
Why people combine magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha
The two work in different ways, which is why people like having both in their routine.
Magnesium glycinate: the evening mineral
Magnesium is a mineral your body uses for muscle function, nerve signaling and energy production. Glycinate is magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine, a gentle form many people take in the evening.
- Sleep: In a 2025 randomized trial, 155 adults who reported poor sleep took magnesium bisglycinate (250 mg of magnesium a day) or a placebo. After four weeks, the magnesium group had a bigger improvement in sleep scores. The effect was modest, and people with lower magnesium intake from food seemed to benefit most (Schuster et al., 2025).
- Falling asleep in older adults: A review of trials in older adults linked oral magnesium to falling asleep about 17 minutes sooner (Mah and Pitre, 2021).
- Feeling calmer: A systematic review of 18 studies suggested magnesium may support feelings of calm in people prone to feeling anxious, although the reviewers rated the overall quality of evidence as low (Boyle et al., 2017).
Ashwagandha: the stress adaptogen
Ashwagandha is a root with a long history in Ayurvedic tradition, and it's one of the most studied herbs for stress.
- Stress and cortisol: In a 60-day placebo-controlled trial, adults under chronic stress who took 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice a day had lower stress scores and lower blood cortisol than the placebo group (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012).
- Morning cortisol: In another 60-day trial, 240 mg a day of an ashwagandha extract was linked to lower morning cortisol compared with placebo (Lopresti et al., 2019).
- Sleep: A review of five placebo-controlled trials with 400 adults linked ashwagandha extract to better overall sleep and more alertness on waking, most clearly at 600 mg a day or more for 8 weeks or longer (Cheah et al., 2021).
What the research says about taking them together
The closest study we found
A 2026 trial in 103 healthy, active adults tested morning and evening supplement blends separately and together over two weeks. The morning blend contained 600 mg of ashwagandha plus rhodiola. The evening blend contained magnesium L-threonate (a different form from glycinate), L-theanine and apigenin (Mastrofini et al., 2026).
Here's what they found:
- The morning ashwagandha blend on its own was linked to lower weekly perceived stress and fewer sleep-related daytime problems, and the authors concluded it improved stress, sleep quality and mood compared with placebo.
- Taking both blends did not add extra benefit. On one sleep-quality questionnaire, the morning blend alone actually scored better than the combination in this short study.
What that means for you
This trial used multi-ingredient formulas and magnesium threonate, not ashwagandha alongside a separate magnesium glycinate supplement, so it isn't a direct match. Beyond it, the evidence on combining the two is limited. We didn't find studies reporting problems when magnesium and ashwagandha are taken together, but we also didn't find trials showing the pair works better than either one alone.
The honest takeaway: take each one for its own research-backed benefits, and don't expect the combination to do something special.
How to take magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha together
Option 1: split them (our favorite)
- Morning: one capsule of Ashwagandha with breakfast. The 2026 trial above gave ashwagandha in the morning, and morning use supports daytime balance.
- Evening: your Magnesium Glycinate serving with dinner or about an hour before bed.
Option 2: both in the evening
If stress at night is your main concern, taking both with dinner is fine too. There's no research showing you need to separate them, so choose the routine you'll keep.
Start one at a time
If both are new to you, start one, then add the other a week or two later. That way you'll know how each one feels.
Our formulas
Magnesium Glycinate. Our Magnesium Glycinate provides 275 mg of magnesium per three-capsule serving, under the 350 mg daily upper limit for supplemental magnesium set by the Institute of Medicine (Institute of Medicine, 1997). Most people take it in the evening. For more, see the best time to take magnesium.
Ashwagandha. Our Ashwagandha is one capsule a day of organic ashwagandha root with a touch of organic black pepper. Sixty capsules last two months, which lines up with the eight-week window in the sleep research. See the best time to take ashwagandha.
Tips to get the most from both
- Be consistent. The magnesium sleep trial ran for four weeks and most ashwagandha trials for about eight.
- Add up your magnesium. If your multivitamin or another product also contains magnesium, keep your total supplemental magnesium at or under 350 mg a day.
- Eat magnesium-rich foods. Pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, black beans and dark chocolate all count.
- Build a wind-down routine. Dim lights, a regular bedtime and a screen-free last half hour make a good partner for any evening supplement. Read magnesium for sleep for more.
Is it safe?
Both supplements were generally well tolerated in the trials above. The 350 mg upper limit for supplemental magnesium was set mainly to avoid loose stools and stomach upset (Institute of Medicine, 1997), so stick to the label. Rare cases of liver problems have been reported in people taking ashwagandha supplements (Björnsson et al., 2020), so stop and see your doctor if you notice unusual tiredness, itching or yellowing of the skin. Skip ashwagandha if you're pregnant, and check with your doctor first if you're breastfeeding, have a thyroid, liver or kidney condition, or take any regular medicine, including sleep or blood pressure medicines.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha at night?
Yes. Many people take both with dinner or before bed. You can also take ashwagandha in the morning and magnesium at night.
Will taking them together make me too drowsy?
Both are linked to better sleep at night. If you feel drowsy during the day, move your ashwagandha to the evening.
Does magnesium make ashwagandha work better?
Evidence is limited. The closest trial found no extra benefit from adding an evening magnesium blend to morning ashwagandha over two weeks.
Can I add other supplements to this routine?
Many people add creatine in the morning or lion's mane for focus. See can you take creatine with magnesium glycinate and lion's mane vs ashwagandha.
The bottom line
Yes, you can take magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha together. Research on the combination is limited, and there's no proof that the pair beats either one alone, but each has its own research: magnesium glycinate for sleep quality, ashwagandha for stress, cortisol and sleep. Try ashwagandha in the morning and magnesium glycinate in the evening, and give both a few weeks.
Ready to build your routine? Shop Ashwagandha and Magnesium Glycinate.
References
- Schuster et al. Magnesium Bisglycinate Supplementation in Healthy Adults Reporting Poor Sleep: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2025. doi:10.2147/NSS.S524348 (PubMed 40918053)
- Mah et al. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2021. doi:10.1186/s12906-021-03297-z (PubMed 33865376)
- Boyle et al. The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress—A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017. doi:10.3390/nu9050429 (PubMed 28445426)
- Chandrasekhar et al. A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Safety and Efficacy of a High-Concentration Full-Spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2012. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.106022 (PubMed 23439798)
- Lopresti et al. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract. Medicine. 2019. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017186 (PubMed 31517876)
- Cheah et al. Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. 2021. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0257843 (PubMed 34559859)
- Mastrofini et al. Modulating stress and sleep through a multi-compound dietary supplement: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2026. doi:10.1080/15502783.2026.2740227 (PubMed 42829807)
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. 1997. doi:10.17226/5776 (PubMed 23115811)
- Björnsson et al. Ashwagandha‐induced liver injury: A case series from Iceland and the US Drug‐Induced Liver Injury Network. Liver International. 2020. doi:10.1111/liv.14393 (PubMed 31991029)
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.
