Magnesium glycinate and the 3am wake-up.

If you wake at 3am most nights with a racing mind, you are in good company. It is one of the most common patterns of perimenopausal sleep — and one of the most tractable.

Magnesium glycinate (also sold as bisglycinate) is the form most studied for sleep and anxiety. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and tends to be gentle on digestion, unlike magnesium citrate.

A common starting dose is 200–400mg taken about an hour before bed. Start at the lower end. It is not a sedative — it doesn't knock you out — but it helps the nervous system settle so you stay asleep through the early hours.

Not a substitute for advice from your clinician, especially if you take other medications or have kidney issues. But for a lot of women, this is the single change that breaks the 3am pattern.