If You’ve Experienced Trauma and Can’t Sleep, Read This…

4 Jul

How Magnesium Glycinate Can Help You Sleep — Especially If You’ve Experienced Trauma

Sleep can be one of the hardest things to reclaim if you’ve experienced trauma. Even after therapy, it’s not unusual to lie awake with a racing mind, a nervous system that won’t settle, or dreams that feel more like battles than rest. I’ve lived this too — and I know how much it matters to find small things that help.

One supplement I take every night is magnesium glycinate. It’s a form of magnesium that’s especially calming for the body and gentle on the gut. Unlike other types of magnesium that can cause digestive upset, glycinate is well-absorbed and less likely to cause loose stools.

But what’s more important is how it supports the nervous system.

Magnesium is involved in over 300 functions in the body — including how we respond to stress. It helps regulate the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” system), encourages GABA production (a calming neurotransmitter), and can ease tension in muscles and nerves. If your body often feels stuck in fight-or-flight mode — something very common if you’ve experienced trauma — magnesium can help guide you back toward rest.

The glycinate part also matters. Glycine is an amino acid that supports deeper sleep and helps quiet the mind. So when these two are combined — magnesium and glycine — the result is often a feeling of more grounded calm, especially before bed.

This isn’t a miracle cure. But it’s one of the things that has made a real difference for me — especially when paired with quiet routines, dream journaling, and body-based practices.

If you’ve experienced trauma and you struggle with sleep, you’re not alone. You’re not broken. And there are gentle supports that can help, night by night.

I use Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate because it’s free from fillers, binders, and unnecessary additives. When it comes to supplements — especially if you’ve experienced trauma or have a sensitive system — it’s really important to choose a high-quality, practitioner-grade brand. Look for products that are third-party tested, and avoid those with added colours, sugars, or synthetic fillers.

You can also try sleep hypnosis to see if it works for you. It’s a very powerful adjunct in the healing journey — especially when it comes to calming the nervous system and working gently with the unconscious mind. I’ve found that listening to soothing, guided recordings at bedtime can help create a sense of safety, reduce intrusive thoughts, and encourage more restful sleep over time.

Here’s a link to a sleep hypnosis audio — you might be surprised by how powerful these can be. This stuff really works. When the body feels safe enough to let go, even just a little, healing can begin in ways that words alone sometimes can’t reach.

https://youtu.be/Mkp2Y3Ca61k?si=lLKxYVd_hs7Sbb3l