Every night before bed, I chowed down on the common banana to see if it would aid my sleep.
Snacking just before bed isn't advised and can actually keep you awake for longer but following a viral video that suggested otherwise, I was keen to give it a go.
Dr Michael Breus, also known as the ‘Sleep Doctor’ spoke to his 80k TikTok followers about the positive impact a banana at night time can have on your sleeping pattern.
READ MORE:Pub quiz - test your skills with these 20 general knowledge questions
He said: "People ask me all the time, 'What are some good positive foods for sleep?' So I've assembled a few here, let's check them out."
Dr Breus went on to list foods and how they could help including:
- Kiwis: They help to promote serotonin in the brain which is the calming hormone, helping to relax you a little bit before bed.
- Bananas: Believe it or not, they are actually called nature's sleeping pill, as they're loaded with magnesium.
- Greek yoghurt: A lot of people are low in calcium, and we can get calcium from things like Greek yoghurt. Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan which your body uses to make the sleep-inducing melatonin.
- Pineapple: This fruit naturally contains a lot of melatonin, and after eating it melatonin markers in the body could increase by 266%
With such high praise flying online, I made a beeline for the supermarket to stock up on bunches of bananas that will do me the entire week - even a few kiwis for good measure.
I decided not to overcomplicate how I ate them. There was no late-night banana on toast or fruit salads, it was a simple singular banana and kiwi eaten within an hour of going to sleep. The last time I had a kiwi was when I was a child and decided there and then they weren't for me. Bananas on the other hand, are my favourite.
The sleep test wasn't difficult by any means but I was willing to jump head-first into it if it meant a solid night's sleep. Every day came and went, and every night I'd eat a banana and accompanying kiwi before bed.
I would have the fruit around 11pm every night, hoping to fall asleep by midnight to prepare for a 7am wake-up call. Looking back on the week, my sleep pattern didn't change. I still fell asleep around 1am despite my best intentions.
The Kiwi and banana combo did nothing to aid my sleep in terms of length so all attention was turned to the quality of sleep - and there was no change there either.
I didn't sleep any better or sleep for longer. The fruit before bed suggestion may affect people differently, but for me it was a dud. There's absolutely no love lost by taking this test because at the very least I ate more fruit than I typically would but I don't think I'll recommend it myself to aid others in their sleep struggles.
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
