Do Bananas Help You Get Better Sleep?

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Getting quality sleep is one of the most important but often ignored elements of a healthy lifestyle. Failing to get enough shut-eye can result in everything from irritability and lack of focus to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health risks. This has led weary people to try everything from relaxation techniques to medications. But what if one of the secrets to better sleep was actually sitting in your kitchen? It turns out bananas may contain some key compounds that can help you get better rest.

One of the benefits of bananas comes in the form of magnesium, which helps your body maintain more normal sleep-wake cycles known as circadian rhythms. Magnesium can also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol and create more melatonin, a compound that can help people sleep more easily and for a longer duration. A typical banana contains about 8% of your daily magnesium requirements, providing a helpful boost in a small snack.

Bananas also contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid often blamed for the "food coma" effect many feel after eating Thanksgiving dinner, as post-turkey sleepiness is linked to high levels of the substance. Inside your body, the compound changes to serotonin, which in turn promotes melatonin production. On its own, tryptophan is also linked to increased sleep efficiency and less trouble getting to sleep.

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Although magnesium and tryptophan do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to the bedtime benefits of bananas, they're just part of the fruit's overall sleep improvement profile. The fruit is also packed with potassium, which can relax over-stressed muscles. This food's overall carb-heavy nature might even allow the sleep-promoting chemicals to work more effectively in the brain.

Furthermore, while you should avoid consuming certain fruits, like oranges, at night due to the risk of heartburn, bananas are well-known to be easy on the stomach. In addition, along with helping you feel full, they contain beneficial compounds that improve digestion. Plus, at typically well under a dollar per pound, they're far more affordable than pricey sleep supplements or prescriptions, along with causing no side effects. These are all key reasons that even nutritionists think you should eat this fruit before bed. It may help you drift off far more easily than other late-night snacks.