“I am a big fan of magnolia for sleep,” says Michael Breus, Ph.D., a board-certified sleep specialist. “It works as an anxiety reducer, and several of my patients have commented to me that it helps them ’turn off their brain.’” Here’s what you need to know about magnolia—where it comes from, what it does, how to take it, and more. Among other bioactive compounds, the bark contains magnolol and honokiol, which are largely to thank for many of magnolia bark’s benefits. There are several mechanisms behind its sedative effects. Notably, magnolia bark boosts the neurotransmitter GABA1, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid. “GABA is like the brakes of the brain,” says Breus. “When GABA is elicited, then your whole being starts to slow down, which obviously is something that you want for sleep.” This is the same way that powerful prescription sleep aids like Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata work. “They are all GABA receptor agonists, meaning they increase the amount of GABA in your system, and magnolia bark basically hits the same receptors that Ambien does,” says Breus. Magnolia bark also helps promote better sleep through the body’s internal endocannabinoid system, which is a system of neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors to tell the brain to slow down. Magnolia bark actually activates these cannabinoid receptors2, says Breus. This is similar to the way CBD oil works (CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the non-psychoactive properties found in cannabis that helps the body and brain relax). Another way magnolia bark aids in sleep is by reducing the stress hormone adrenaline3, which helps control the fight-or-flight response (which, hopefully, doesn’t need to be in action when you’re dozing off). “Right as you’re falling asleep, you really want adrenaline to be as low as possible,” says Breus. By reducing adrenaline and other stress hormones like cortisol, magnolia bark can help you doze off peacefully. Thanks to its powerful properties, magnolia bark also has health benefits that are independent of its ability to improve sleep (and all of the associated health benefits that come along with that). Here are some of the main benefits of magnolia bark: This may make magnolia bark a promising natural remedy for stress and anxiety, without the side effects of certain prescription anti-anxiety medications. One study4 done on mice found that honokiol, one of the anti-anxiety (or anxiolytic) properties found in magnolia bark, doesn’t carry the same side effects as the anxiety medication diazepam (including Valium), such as physical dependence, central depression, and amnesia. Other studies6 have found that the combination of honokiol and magnolol with ginger may have similar antidepressant properties (a common combination in Chinese medicine to treat depression), possibly by regulating both serotonergic and gastrointestinal system7 functions (so both the brain and the gut are involved). If you’re having surgery, you should also stop using magnolia bark for two weeks leading up to the day. Magnolia bark calms the central nervous system, so adding anesthetic on top of it can slow the nervous system down too much when they’re combined, says Breus (and anesthesiologists may not be aware of magnolia bark use when they’re determining proper dosage). Magnolia bark may also slow blood clotting16, which isn’t good news in surgery. Magnolia bark also has some interactions with certain medications. According to Breus, it may interact with anticoagulant medications (or blood thinners). It also may interact with central nervous system (CNS) depressants, including benzodiazepines (such as Xanax and Valium), sleep medications (such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata), and barbiturates (such as Mebaral, Luminal, and Nembutal). Magnolia bark can also interact with other herbal remedies that have similar effects to magnolia, so take caution when combining them. According to Breus, other herbs and supplements that aid in sleep include 5-HTP, calamus California poppy, catnip, hops, Jamaican dogwood, kava, St. John’s wort, skullcap, valerian, and yerba mansa. Herbs and supplements that prevent blood clotting should also be used with caution when you’re also taking magnolia bark. These include angelica, cloves, danshen, feverfew, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, Panax ginseng, horse chestnut, red clover, and turmeric, says Breus. Finally, large doses of magnolia bark taken with alcohol may also magnify the drowsy effects of both. “A typical starting dose for magnolia bark for somebody is probably somewhere between 200 and 250 milligrams,” says Breus. He recommends starting low and working your way up, and you shouldn’t exceed 400 milligrams, in order to reduce the risk of side effects or drug interactions. “The higher you go, the more likely it is to interact with other medications you may be taking, even other herbal supplements,” says Breus. And, of course, because magnolia bark is a sleep aid, it should be taken at night (definitely not in the day, when you’re driving a car or doing important tasks). Save it for when you’re winding down at night, cozy up, and enjoy the restful, calming benefits of magnolia bark.
