(Photo by Look Studio from Unsplash)
If you look up ways to get better sleep, you’re going to come across tons of different tips. However, you will likely find that a lot of the information is contradictory, which can make getting answers just that much harder. One tip that’s been around for a long time is to simply eat a banana before bed, but how true is that?
Bananas are the most eaten fruit in the United States and have been a big part of the history of American produce for nearly a century. Why wouldn’t they be? They’re affordable, easily portable, and tasty. Not to mention they come with gut-benefiting fiber, magnesium, vitamin B6, and more. They’re also really hydrating, as bananas are around 75% water!
Why do people say bananas help you sleep?
This is a commonly discussed idea because of the potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6 content in bananas. There are just a few problems with this concept, though. First, although bananas are most associated with being high in potassium, they aren’t in reality.
Depending on the size of the banana, you’re not likely to get more than 10% of your daily potassium needs from a single banana. The 10% estimation also comes from one really large banana! To further put things in perspective, there’s almost double the amount of potassium in plantains than in bananas. Higher potassium intake has been associated with better sleep quality, but the amount in a single banana likely isn’t doing much.
Next, one banana contains a bit under 30 milligrams (mg) of magnesium. The daily recommendation is closer to 400 mg. Through food, we also have to account for a decreased absorption rate. Research shows that we absorb 30-40% of the magnesium from the food we eat, meaning you’d receive around 9-12 mg at most from the fruit. This is a really small amount that isn’t likely to make or break your sleep. It makes sense as to why the association would be made, however. Magnesium is known to help calm and promote relaxation.
Vitamin B6 is critical for mood regulation, particularly because of its involvement with serotonin metabolism. It can also definitely support better sleep quality. Around 1.3 mg of vitamin B6 per day is recommended, and bananas can provide 0.4 mg of that. Since the overall requirement isn’t very high, this is a realistic way of obtaining this nutrient. If there was any nutrient in bananas that had the potential to influence sleep, it would be vitamin B6. Still, whether it does or doesn’t for you is pretty up in the air.
Bottom Line
Bananas are a nutritious food, so there is no problem at all with having them in your diet. There also isn’t any harm in trying to eat a banana before bed to see if it helps your sleep, unless you have some blood sugar regulation issues, then you may want to be more cautious. From an objective viewpoint, bananas have nutrients that can support sleep, but only one of them is provided in decent amounts to do that in theory. While some people claim bananas are their personal key to getting shut-eye, don’t feel bad if it does absolutely nothing for you.
