Banana’s are a sleep superfood🦸♀️
Eating a banana before bed, will increase the amount of nutrients in your body, that will help you sleep longer and better.
When your magnesium, potassium, and tryptophan levels are low— this can develop into insomnia.
In this article, you’ll learn more about the ordinary banana and how it can aid your sleeplessness, for good!
You’ll find recipes, different ways to eat bananas, and lots of other informative facts on bananas.
Why bananas are awesome and sleep inducing…⤵️
The several nutrients in bananas:⤵️
- Protein
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Fiber
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Biotin
The many benefits that Bananas have:
Bananas can stabilize your weight, and they can also help people with high blood pressure (because of the 422mg of potassium they have).
“The other benefits of consuming bananas are countless, such as increasing exercise endurance.
Bananas are commonly consumed among athletes before and after a workout because they are packed full of energy and carbohydrates, that quickly convert into muscle fuel once it has been digested.
Eating one or two bananas before a workout will give you that extra kick, and having a banana after a workout will help against muscle pain and cramps.
Having a hard time keeping your eyes open at work?
Bananas also make a great snack at the office if you feel like you are lacking some energy. Bananas are also said to overcome depression and can protect you against heart attack, stroke, type II diabetes and many more.
If you have stomach problems, a banana will also help sooth your symptoms due to the high levels of fibre that can restore natural bowel movements.”—Source.
So which nutrients in a banana, make you feel sleepy? 🥱
Vitamin B6, Magnesium, and Potassium, are the hardworking, sleep-inducing nutrients, inside of a banana.
Vitamin B6 helps with producing, tryptophan, which is an amino acid that induces sleep and many other things (pictured below⤵️)…
Vitamin B6 also creates melatonin and serotonin in your body.
The melatonin makes you tired, and the serotonin uplifts your mood so you go to bed, and wake up, feeling cheerful.
Potassium relaxes your muscles..
(Click the image for the original article on preventing leg cramps at night)…
So if you suffer from restless leg syndrome, or you have gotten a painful Charlie Horse in the middle of the night..
This can be a result of potassium deficiency.
More potassium from bananas can keep your from fidgeting and tossing and turning throughout the night.
Magnesium works with your body to regulate muscle function and improve bone mass.
But that’s not all it does…
Magnesium can also stabilize your mood, by maintaining the GABA in your brain.
GABA is a neurotransmitter that supports regular sleep levels…
So if you’re constantly feeling stressed, anxious, and restless..
You may need to take a supplement of these nutrients, or eat more bananas.
Magnesium all around, keeps your body’s stress response system, at a reasonable level.
Less panic attacks—more sleep!
Insomnia is linked to magnesium deficiency.
Disturbed, sleepless nights are a result of low magnesium levels.
Foods that you can easily and deliciously pair with bananas:
These are some ideas so that you can get creative in your own kitchen.
Bananas can be paired with a lot of different breakfast/snack foods, and it works even better, when that paired food is sleep inducing too!
You could try:
Almonds, Banana Slices, and Oatmeal—
This combo is packed with magnesium, carbohydrates, and all the potassium you need for an effective bedtime snack that will put you to sleep.
Warm Almond Milk, Bananas, and Honey—
Honey relaxes your nervous system, while the almond milk provides you with magnesium, as well as, the bananas doing their sleep inducing work too!
Try this out if you want:
Banana and Bread Combos—
Add bananas to your muffins, or bread recipes.
The extra carbohydrates before bed, will keep you full throughout the night, so you will toss and turn less.
Check out this recipe for banana bread toast— you could eat this for breakfast or a bedtime snack (you could substitute the sugar for Blackstrap Molasses for more sleep inducing and health benefits).
Balance all your sleep inducing, nutrient levels, with these banana recipes, down below⤵️
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
“Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
Instructions:
1. Mix together butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and mashed bananas until well combined.
2. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and cornstarch and mix until combined.
3. Stir in oats.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Spoon tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Flatten dough a little bit, into thick discs. They will spread a little when baked.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges just start to golden.
7. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes, then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.”—Source.
Simple and Quick: 2-ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookie Recipe⤵️
“Ingredients:
2 Bananas
1 cup oats
Raisins, nuts, cinnamon (optional)
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Step 2: Mash the bananas and mix in the oats until well blended.
Step 3: Add a handful of the optional ingredients such as raisins and nuts, or add a teaspoon of cinnamon to give the cookies that extra flavour.
Step 4: Grab a tray and place a baking sheet on top. With a spoon, create cookie shapes with a decent amount of mixture. This mix will make up to 9-11 banana oatmeal cookies.
Step 5: Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.”— Source.
Sweet Sleep Banana Elixir Recipe
“Ingredients:
- 1 cups almond milk
- ¼ tsp. ashwagandha powder (https://amzn.to/2GTCDWv)
- ¼-inch ginger knob, peeled cut into slices
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. cloves
- 1 whole organic **banana, sliced
- Add all the ingredients except for the banana into a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.
- Quickly reduce to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend the banana with liquid till smooth. Cool in fridge until cool enough to drink (or enjoy warm if you like ☺ ).“-Source.
Banana Bedtime Smoothie
“Ingredients:
- 3/4 c unsweetened almond coconut milk
- 1/2 c frozen pineapple chunks
- 1/4 banana, frozen
- 1 scoop French Vanilla IdealLean Protein
- 5 small mint leaves
- 2 drops liquid stevia
Instructions:
- Blend all ingredients and enjoy!”—source.
Sweet Dreams Banana Smoothie
Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup Warm milk
– 1 Banana
– Teaspoon honey
– 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
– 1/2 cup pitted cherries (optional)
Step 1: Place all ingredients in a high-speed food processor (like a blender)
Step 2: Blend for around 30 – 45 seconds.
Step 3: Pour smoothie in a glass and add flax seeds, almonds and cacao powder on top.”—source.
