Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium Powder | Lemon Flavored Supplement | Non-GMO, Vegan & Gluten Free Formula | 16oz

I have a lot of trouble sleeping but hate taking sleeping pills -- great combination, right? When someone recommended magnesium, I assumed it was some homeopathic thing that 'totally worked' for believers and left the rest of us yet again staring at the ceiling at 4 am. But after some research and reading reviews, I decided to give this a shot since the benefits of magnesium are actually backed up with scientific research. In general, it does help with my sleeping trouble and it doesn't leave me drowsy the next day, so that's a pretty big win. Plus it's not so extreme that I worry about being unable to wake up in the middle of the night if I have to, which has been a problem with other sleeping aids I've tried. [Effectiveness] This stuff definitely works. I generally start to feel relaxed about 15 minutes after taking it and feel able to fall asleep in another 15 minutes or so (so 30 minutes after drinking it total). Some nights it seems to work better than others, but I don't mind that it doesn't put me in a coma every time. I like that it's easy to wake up from and that I can fight off the effects if I have to (like if I get a late work email that needs an answer). [Taste] I get the sweet lemon flavor, and it's fine. I wouldn't sit down and savor a glass of the stuff, but it's not too bad. I just mix it with cold water and stir for a moment, and it dissolves very easily. As long as I drink the glass quickly I don't need a chaser or anything. [Side effects] Sometimes I wake from unexplained extreme 'discomfort' -- both overall feelings of physical unease and specific and intense pain in my limbs -- and this sorts that right out. I've spoken with my GP about these pains but because they're not frequent enough to merit an extended sleep study, they're basically a mystery. Pain killers, stretching, and massage don't work to alleviate the discomfort, but drinking this does. In terms of the laxative properties, occasionally this does 'help things along' so to speak, but I've never experienced cramping or discomfort. It's something to be aware of the first few times you take it and when adjusting dosage levels, but I haven't had any issues. As I mentioned before, this doesn't leave my drowsy or hungover feeling the next morning. I tend to experience a lot of brain fog from other sleep aids (probably because I'm always some degree of sleep deprived) and I don't have any issues with that after taking this the night before. On the contrary, I feel as though I wake up more easily when my alarm goes off, and need less caffeine to start feeling human. [Daytime use] Some people are able to use this to help manage anxiety, which is awesome for them. Personally, taking it during the day makes me feel spacey and unmotivated. I'd recommend trying daytime use when you don't have anything super important coming up, because I decided to give it a spin when I had a huge deadline looming and that was not a great idea. I'll be sticking with night time use, but I do see how this could be really useful for general, non situation-specific anxiety management. [Cost] A few reviewers have mentioned that the liquid magnesium citrate you find in the laxative sections of drug stores is a cheaper alternative to this product. I haven't tried that so I can't speak to the effectiveness, but I do appreciate that this container is a pretty normal thing to just have out on the counter, whereas a bottle of liquid magnesium citrate isn't really, particularly when they tend to say "GENTLE LAXATIVE" on the label. Plus, Natural Calm is really convenient for me -- there's a scoop included, and I don't have to worry about being too precise with measurements. Is that worth paying a lot more? Personally, yeah. One container lasts me over 6 months with regular use, so it's actually a very small expense over time. I'm an incredibly forgetful person (adult ADD doesn't help) and I entertain at home a lot, so having this out where I'll remember it and not having to worry about stashing it when there are guests over is pretty nice. When I kept this in my cabinet, I forgot to take it all the time. Now I keep it right out where I can see it, and as silly as it sounds, it really helps me remember. Also, I feel like I can recommend it to people without having an awkward "It's a laxative, yeah, but not like that" conversation. Overall, for the effectiveness, lack of negative side effects, and convenience, I think Natural Calm is more than worth the price.

This magnesium changed my routine; it gives me a good night's sleep and I feel lighter because it helps regulate my digestive system. The flavor is super delicious.

I follow a ketogenic diet, which depletes magnesium (along with sodium and potassium). I also have a long-standing tendency toward constipation, which gets much worse on the keto diet. I depend on Natural Calm for regularity and to prevent the muscle cramps and weakness and "keto flu" symptoms. I like Natural Calm because I can more closely titrate the dose to my needs, unlike tablets where you are locked into a certain dose. I've also had problems with magnesium tablets passing right through my digestive tract intact, while Natural Calm is already dissolved. I take 4-5 measuring teaspoons (yes, that's a lot, most people don't need anywhere near that much - start with 1/2 teaspoon and increase by 1/2 teaspoon daily to bowel tolerance) in 16 ounces of water after dinner and usually have a bowel movement in the morning. I mix the powder directly into cold water straight from the refrigerator and it dissolves very nicely without the messy fizzing that comes with mixing with hot water. I also prefer the taste when it's cold over when it's more lukewarm from the hot water mixing process. I also mix my potassium chloride powder into the same glass and the Natural Calm helps cover the salty/bitter taste of the potassium. I prefer the lemon flavor, which tastes rather like fake lemonade from a powdered mix (a bit of a guilty pleasure, I don't think of it as real lemonade). Stevia doesn't bother me. The orange tastes like off brand artificial orange drink and I find raspberry lemon too sweet, haven't had the cherry. I didn't care for the unflavored when I couldn't put juice in it to cover the taste anymore, I used to dissolve it in 8 oz water and add an equal amount of juice but now can't have the sugar (although I suppose the Ocean Spray diet cranberry juice would work, or something like Stur or Mio).

I have been taking this for years. It’s great for sleep aid, sore muscles, and regularity.

I have restless leg syndrome and issues with regularity, a friend recommended this. I had been putting this in hot water from the tap and sipping it, it didn't seem to be doing the trick. I'd been using for a week or two when one night my husband was making tea and used the leftover boiling water to mix up some Natural Calm for me. Well, within a few minutes, there was some rumbling in my tummy as Pooh likes to say, I was in the bathroom 30 minutes later and I slept like a log that night. So, yes, it works, but you must prepare it right. THIS MUST BE DISSOLVED IN BOILING WATER no matter how you prepare it after that. The label says you can drink cold over ice, but it won't be as effective unless it's fully dissolved in boiling water first. Once my body got used to this stuff, the results were not so, erm, volcanic. I like to sip it hot with a little honey added to take the edge off, but it's still tough for me to gag down. The magnesium has an overwhelmingly bitter flavor. I took off a star because it is not tasty at all, no matter how you prepare it, but in the end (fnar! Pun intended), totally worth it and part of my nightly ritual.

This powdered drink is so much better than the capsules I’ve tried. My favorite is the straight lemon flavor, which dissolves easily in water. It’s easy to determine how much you need on the spoon by how your body responds. I can’t recommend this product enough.

Really good, my husband and I drink it every night before bed, no more leg crambs

Yep lemon is the best flavor. I had the raspberry one for the longest time and it just made my skin craw after chugging it down. Something about it was just weird. Lemon tastes like lemonade to me with only a tiny bit of that aftertaste. Very yummy. I use magnesium to help my digestion, my sore muscles, to sleep easier, to give me more energy through the day and to help my body overall. I was really stressed in college and developed an irregular heart beat that would knock the wind out of me. I was only 19 and thinking what on earth was happening. I was too young for that!! I thought it was the stress of my retail job during the holidays, finals and family conflicts. I quit my job and my heart was a little better but it still did a weird and violent rapid beat every few hours. I saw a doctor and she was no help at all. I didn't want to be on medication anyway-too many chemicals in all that. I wanted to live and enjoy my life. I found a natural blogger Mama Natural and started doing some research. I also read The Magnesium Miracle-wonderful read. I bought a container of this stuff (the small container for 20$ and *cough* rip off.) but low and behold! my heart went back to normal and my typical hyper active personality calmed down a little. my muscles after hard workouts also recover faster and I sleep better. I started buying this stuff off amazon because I can get the big container for the same price as the small container at GNC. Happy customer! Been using this stuff now for about 3 years :D