Glycinate vs Bisglycinate vs Citrate: A Real Magnesium Showdown

"Just take magnesium" might be the most common advice I give clients, and also the least useful, because which magnesium matters a lot. So I ran a small experiment on myself: six weeks, three forms, two weeks each, same 300 mg dose taken 60 minutes before bed.

The setup

One variable per fortnight. No new supplements, no alcohol on test nights, same wind-down window. I logged Oura sleep score, deep sleep minutes, HRV, and a subjective 1-5 morning rating in a spreadsheet.

Round 1: Citrate

Cheap, easy to find, and the one most people already have in a drawer. Sleep score bumped by about 2 points on average. It also bumped something else - citrate is famous for its digestive effects and I can confirm the rumors. Not something I'd take nightly.

Round 2: Glycinate

The one everyone recommends on TikTok. It genuinely earned the hype for me - +4 average sleep score, noticeably calmer at bedtime, no GI effects. Deep sleep went up by about 12 minutes on average.

Round 3: Bisglycinate (chelated)

Very similar experience to plain glycinate, slightly better morning readiness. If I had to pick between the two, I would pay a little more for a well-made bisglycinate - but I wouldn't lose sleep over taking a good glycinate instead.

Verdict

Magnesium isn't magic, but a good form of it - taken consistently for two weeks - is one of the most reliable small levers I've found. The version I ended up keeping is inside the multi-ingredient blend I reviewed in the 2026 supplement comparison, which is where I would send you next if you want the full picture.