If sleep is a constant struggle, you are far from alone. Research consistently finds worse sleep in both ADHD and autism: a 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis pooling 42 studies found higher sleep onset latency, poorer sleep efficiency, more awakenings during the night, and lower self-reported sleep quality in adults with either condition compared to neurotypical controls. Roughly half to two thirds of ADHD adults report clinically significant insomnia, and the large majority of autistic people, children and adults, report ongoing sleep problems.
With that backdrop, magnesium and taurine come up constantly as things to try. Here is what the actual evidence supports for each.
Magnesium: real, modest human evidence
Magnesium has genuine randomized controlled trial support for sleep, more than most supplements can claim. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis pooling 3 RCTs in 151 older adults found magnesium supplementation reduced sleep onset latency by about 17 minutes compared to placebo, a real, measurable effect (a minor correction was issued in 2024, fixing PRISMA reporting numbers and terminology, it did not change this core result). More recent trials extend the picture: a 2025 randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 155 adults aged 18 to 65 found magnesium bisglycinate (250mg elemental magnesium daily) significantly reduced insomnia severity scores over 4 weeks compared to placebo. A separate 2024 trial of magnesium-L-threonate in 80 adults found sleep quality and next-day functioning held steady over 21 days, while the placebo group's sleep quality declined.
The honest caveats: effect sizes are modest, not dramatic, the strongest trial was in older adults specifically, and the form matters, better-absorbed forms like glycinate, bisglycinate and L-threonate performed better in these trials than cheaper forms like magnesium oxide.
Taurine: a real mechanism, thinner human proof
Taurine has a genuinely well-established biological mechanism relevant to sleep. It activates GABA-A receptors, the same inhibitory system many sleep medications target, supports melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland, and can suppress cortisol and other stress hormones. That is real, published neuroscience, not marketing.
What is missing is the same caliber of direct human evidence magnesium has. Most of the research demonstrating taurine's sleep-promoting effects comes from animal models and cell-level mechanistic studies, not large randomized trials in humans specifically testing it against insomnia. The mechanism is credible. The direct proof that taking taurine before bed reliably reduces human insomnia is thinner and mostly extrapolated.
What neither of these studies actually tested
None of the trials above were conducted specifically in ADHD or autistic samples, they studied general adult populations. That does not make the results irrelevant, but it means the effect sizes seen in a general 35 to 65 year old sample may not translate exactly to a neurodivergent brain, especially since ADHD and autism involve their own distinct sleep mechanisms: delayed circadian rhythms, disrupted natural melatonin production and timing (especially well documented in autism), racing thoughts at bedtime, and sensory sensitivity to light, sound or bedding that a mineral supplement cannot fix on its own.
Bottom line
Magnesium, particularly in a well-absorbed form, has genuine, modest, human-trial-backed support for improving sleep onset and quality. Taurine has a credible mechanism but weaker direct proof for insomnia specifically. Neither replaces addressing the circadian and sensory factors that often drive sleep problems in ADHD and autism, and either is worth discussing with a doctor before starting, especially alongside any existing medication.
If you want to understand your own neurotype and sleep patterns better, our free ADHD, autism and sleep screenings are a starting point for self-understanding, not a diagnosis or treatment plan.
Sources: Lugo, J., Fadeuilhe, C., Gisbert, L. et al., "Sleep in adults with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis," European Neuropsychopharmacology (2020). Mah, J. and Pitre, T., "Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 21:125 (2021, correction 2024). Educational summary, not a diagnosis or medical advice.