Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Sleep Quality and Cognitive Function in Saudi Adults

March 31, 2026 updated by: Essra Noorwali, Umm Al-Qura University

Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Sleep Quality and Cognition in Saudi Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether magnesium citrate supplementation improved sleep quality and cognitive function in healthy Saudi adults. It also assessed the effects of magnesium on selected blood markers.

The main questions it aimed to answer were:

Did magnesium supplementation improve sleep quality? Did magnesium supplementation improve cognitive function?

Researchers compared participants who received magnesium citrate to a control group that did not receive any intervention to evaluate its effects.

Participants:

Took magnesium citrate (400 mg daily) for 90 days (two capsules: one in the afternoon and one 1-2 hours before bedtime)

Visited Umm Al-Qura University twice (before and after the intervention) for:

Sleep quality assessment Cognitive function assessment Blood sample collection to measure serum magnesium and HbA1c

The control group did not receive any supplementation during the study period.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Participants were instructed to take magnesium citrate supplements daily for 90 days and were provided with a diary to record their supplement intake and adherence throughout the study period. Any unconsumed capsules were left in the original bottle and returned during the follow-up visit to assess compliance. Participants were also asked to report any symptoms experienced during the intervention period. In addition, participants received reminders every two weeks via WhatsApp to encourage adherence to supplement intake.

Randomization codes were generated in advance using the RAND function in Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, USA). Following confirmation of eligibility at the screening visit, participants were sequentially assigned to the next available intervention based on the pre-generated allocation list.

At baseline and after the intervention, participants completed a comprehensive assessment that included dietary intake using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and physical activity using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). All questionnaires were administered in English. Anthropometric data, including weight and height, were self-reported by participants. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and cognitive function was assessed using the Trail Making Test Parts A and B. Blood pressure measurements were also recorded using standardized procedures.

Blood samples were collected at baseline (prior to the intervention, during the second visit) and again after 3 months (at the final visit). Participants were instructed to fast for 8 hours before both visits, with only water permitted, to standardize conditions and minimize the influence of dietary intake on serum magnesium levels.

Approximately 10 mL of blood was drawn via venipuncture by a qualified laboratory specialist using red or yellow-top tubes. The collected samples were processed and stored at -80°C for subsequent analysis of nutritional biomarkers, including serum magnesium and HbA1c.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

41

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18 years and above
  • Poor Sleep Quality (>5 PSQI score)
  • Living in Saudi Arabia

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children less than 18 years old
  • Good Sleep Quality (5 or less PSQI score)
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Current smoker
  • History of sleep disorder
  • History of cognitive impairment
  • Diagnosed with a disease (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, celiac, psychiatric disease)
  • Acute phase of diseases (e.g. cardiovascular)
  • History of head injury (e.g. accident) or neurological disorders (e.g. seizures)/neurodevelopment disorders
  • Use of prescribed medications within the past 3 months that may influence sleep
  • Current use of hormone therapy (e.g. thyroxine, insulin, growth hormone, contraceptives)
  • Use of dietary supplements within the previous 3 months (e.g. vitamin D, omega-3..etc)
  • Food allergies/intolerances (e.g. eggs, nuts, milk)
  • Excessive caffeine consumption (>450 mg/day, more than 4 cups)
  • Shift worker or work schedules that cause irregular sleep patterns
  • History of travel to a different time zone in the previous month
  • Experiencing events that may cause severe stress for the previous 6 weeks from baseline (e.g. divorce or death or acute illness of a family member)
  • Has children between 0-2 years

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control
Eligible participants in the control group, identified as having poor sleep quality, did not receive any intervention during the study period. All outcome measures, including sleep quality, cognitive function, anthropometric data, questionnaires, and blood samples, were collected at baseline and again after the 90-day study period.
Experimental: Magnesium Citrate
Eligible participants received magnesium citrate (400 mg elemental magnesium/day) for 90 days, administered as two divided doses (afternoon and 1-2 hours before bedtime). Compliance was monitored through participant diaries and returned capsule counts.
Dietary supplement: Magnesium 400Mg

Magnesium supplementation was administered to eligible participants using magnesium citrate tablets (Solgar®, USA), a highly bioavailable form commonly used in research. The supplements were purchased from Al Nahdi Pharmacy (Saudi Arabia) and selected based on previous studies demonstrating good absorption and effectiveness. Participants received a total daily dose of 400 mg elemental magnesium.

Eligible participants were instructed to take the supplement for 90 days, divided into two doses: one in the afternoon and one 1-2 hours before bedtime. The supplement was provided in bottles containing 120 tablets. Participants were asked to maintain their usual diet and lifestyle.

Compliance was monitored using participant diaries and by counting remaining capsules returned at the follow-up visit.

Other Names:
  • Magnesium
  • Mg
  • Magnesium Citrate

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Sleep Quality from Baseline to 90 Days as Measured by PSQI Between Intervention and Control Groups
Time Frame: Participants were considered to have improved sleep quality if PSQI scores decreased from baseline to 90 days, especially if ≤5. Sleep outcomes were also compared between intervention and control groups after 90 days.

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a widely used and validated instrument for assessing sleep quality in both clinical and healthy populations. Both the English and Arabic versions were used in this study, and both have been previously validated. It consisted of 19 items divided into seven sleep-related components: sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each item was rated on a 4-point Likert scale based on frequency or severity.

The component scores were summed to yield a global PSQI score ranging from 0 to 21. A score greater than five indicated poor sleep quality, while a score of five or less indicated good sleep quality. Participants were considered to have improved sleep quality if their PSQI scores decreased over time, particularly if their scores reached five or below
Participants were considered to have improved sleep quality if PSQI scores decreased from baseline to 90 days, especially if ≤5. Sleep outcomes were also compared between intervention and control groups after 90 days.
Change in Cognitive Function from Baseline to 90 Days as Measured by Trail Making Test (Parts A and B) Between Intervention and Control Group
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 90 days
Cognitive function was assessed using the Trail Making Test (Parts A and B). The test measured processing speed, attention, and executive function. The primary outcome was the time (in seconds) required to complete each part, with longer times indicating poorer cognitive performance. Changes in completion time from baseline to 90 days were evaluated and compared between intervention and control groups.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 90 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Blood Pressure from Baseline to 90 Days Between Intervention and Control Groups
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 90 days
Blood pressure was measured using standardized procedures at baseline and after 90 days. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) were recorded. Changes from baseline to 90 days were evaluated and compared between intervention and control groups.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 90 days
Change in Serum Magnesium and HbA1C Levels from Baseline to 90 Days Between Intervention and Control Groups
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 90 days
Blood samples were collected at baseline and after 90 days to measure serum magnesium and HbA1c levels. Serum magnesium (mmol/L) and HbA1c (%) were analyzed using standard laboratory methods. Changes from baseline to 90 days were evaluated and compared between intervention and control groups.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 90 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Umm Al-Qura University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 25, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 31, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 31, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HAPO-02-K-012-2025-01-2441

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality considerations, as the dataset contains sensitive information that could potentially identify participants. Data will be presented in aggregate form to ensure participant anonymity.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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