Does Eating a Banana Before Bed Help You Sleep?

Bananas are super delicious and make a perfect snack, jam-packed with essential vitamins and minerals. One medium-sized banana gives you 9% of your daily potassium requirements, 8% magnesium, and 33% vitamin B6. These minerals and vitamins also offer a perfect concoction to help you slip into a deep slumber. So, keep reading to know all the benefits of eating a banana before bed.

Benefits of Eating a Banana Before Bed

Bananas can be a perfect bedtime snack as this is one of the foods that help you sleep. In fact, eating a banana before bed can also satiate your cravings for something sweet. 

Helps With Muscle Cramps 

Do muscle cramps keep you awake or wake you up from sleep? Muscle cramps occur because of low potassium levels in the body, as it is an essential mineral to balance the sodium and electrolytes. Now, low levels of potassium can lead to nighttime cramps, which can interfere with your sleep. So, eating bananas at night can help you combat this condition as it acts as a muscle relaxant. 

Curbs Anxiety and Stress

One of the reasons why it sometimes becomes difficult to sleep is anxious thoughts. However, consuming a high magnesium diet is linked to stress and anxiety levels. Now, eating a banana before bedtime can offer you a good amount of magnesium. This affects the hypothalamus and combats the symptoms of mild anxiety.

Helps With Insomnia 

Is eating a banana before bed bad? No, in fact it can help you with insomnia as magnesium is a beneficial sleep aid as it helps maintain GABA levels. This helps slow down the brain waves and relax your mind. 

Elevates The Levels of Serotonin and Melatonin

Do bananas help you sleep? Yes. This is because of vitamin B6. It helps convert tryptophan into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. When the melatonin levels are high, you feel drowsy and can enjoy a good night’s sleep. 

Helps With Restless Leg Syndrome 

If you are suffering from restless leg syndrome, bananas before bed can benefit you because magnesium can curb the symptoms. Restless leg syndrome is when one experiences tingling or itchiness in the leg when the body is relaxed. 

Reduces Blood Pressure 

Potassium is excellent for controlling blood pressure. So, eating bananas at night can balance the sodium in your body by reducing the water in your kidneys. This lowers your blood pressure naturally. 

It Can Help You With Digestion 

Sometimes, indigestion or an upset tummy can keep you up at night. However, eating a banana at night can help you out. Bananas are starch resistant and act as a prebiotic food for the good bacteria in your gut. And chronic interstitial inflammation can lead to poor sleep quality.  

Can Make You Feel Full If you are someone trying to lose weight, a proper diet is something you need to stick to. But sometimes, it can lead to cravings and sleepless nights. However, bananas can help you out here. Is it good to eat bananas at night? Yes, because it contains pectin, which promotes fullness by delaying gastric delaying. 

How Do Nutrients in Bananas Help You Sleep

Wondering, do bananas make you sleepy? Yes, bananas and sleep go hand-in-hand and help with enhanced sleep and relaxation.

Magnesium 

One medium-sized banana contains 8% of the magnesium needed for your daily requirements. Magnesium helps with the circadian rhythm and is beneficial to enhance melatonin, reduces cortisol levels. Finally, low levels of magnesium can lead to decreased sleep time. 

Tryptophan 

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps with the production of melatonin. Now, since our bodies don’t make tryptophan, you must get it from other sources and bananas are great here. If your question is can you eat bananas at night, yes because it is rich in tryptophan. And as per research, tryptophan-rich foods can help you fall asleep faster and improves your sleep cycle. 

Potassium 

Low potassium levels can affect sleep. The right amount of potassium can help curb muscle cramping at night and provide good sleep.

Other Benefits of Eating a Banana Before Bed

Some other benefits of having a banana before are; 

Helps With Exercise Recovery 

Bananas are easily digestible by replenishing the electrolytes your body needs. So, having a banana before bed can help you with muscle cramps or soreness. 

Helps With Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight, bananas contain fewer calories and hence are a perfect snack before bed. 

Other Foods That Help You Sleep

If bananas are not something you enjoy, here are other foods that can help you sleep.

Turkey 

Turkey is high in protein and low in calories. It is good for sleep because it contains tryptophan, which enhances melatonin production. Also, the protein in turkey helps promote drowsiness and tiredness, which can help improve your sleep quality and ensuring you avoid waking up in the middle of the night. You can make sure you include turkey in your nighttime meals.

Chamomile Tea 

Chamomile tea is rich in flavones, which are known to reduce inflammation, often leading to chronic conditions such as heart disease. Now, chamomile tea can be a great sleep aid because it promotes sleepiness and insomnia due to apigenin.  It is known to improve sleep quality and ensure you fall asleep faster. 

In one study, 34 adults consumed 270 grams of chamomile extract twice a day. They could sleep 15 minutes faster than they usually did and also helped reduce any nighttime awakenings. Also, chamomile tea was able to reduce stress and depression. 

Kiwi 

Kiwis are great, especially if you are trying to lose weight and sleep on time. In one study, it was seen that 24 adults consumed two kiwis an hour before bed for 4 weeks. At the end of the study, it was seen that they were able to sleep 42% faster than they usually used to and their total sleep time increased by 13%.

White Rice 

A staple food in India, white rice can be excellent to help you with your sleep. Why does this work? Because foods with a high glycemic index enhance your sleep quality. In one study, the sleep habits of 1848 people were considered. People who consumed rice slept for longer and enjoyed better sleep. 

Milk 

A glass of warm milk can help you achieve a good night’s rest because of the presence of tryptophan, which promotes melatonin production. You can also opt for non-dairy milk with high amounts of calcium for the same benefits.

Foods to Avoid Before Bed

Now that you know what to eat before bed, let’s take a look at everything you must avoid before you sleep. 

Alcohol 

Consuming alcohol before bed is not suitable for you. While it makes you feel drowsy immediately, it can lead to several nighttime awakenings and adversely affect the REM sleep stage.

Caffeine-rich food 

Coffee, chai, and even chocolates have caffeine and can act as a stimulant, affecting your sleep cycle and keeping you up at night. 

Citrus Fruits 

While oranges or grapefruits can benefit your overall health, ensure you don’t add them to your nighttime meals. This is because citrus fruits can be hard on your digestive system, and indigestion can keep you up at night. 

Fried Food 

When late-night cravings strike you, something greasy or cheesy is what your brain demands. But consuming fried or fatty food can lead to indigestion and make it difficult to sleep. 

Spicy Food 

Spicy food can cause heartburn and also lead to acid reflux. So, if you thoroughly enjoy spicy delicacies, make sure you have them in the afternoon and not right before bed.

Do bananas make you sleep? Yes, bananas can be an excellent sleep aid and fetch other benefits, such as good digestion and stable blood pressure. You can just have one banana as a snack before bed to avail its benefits. Try it and see if it works for you.

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