Magnesium & Potassium for better sleep...?

There were a number of posts from members here about sleep issues, restless leg syndrome, and sharing of recipes and tricks to have better sleep.

I have come across some articles about a surprisingly simple idea - which I think might be worth trying: Banana Peel Tea!

I have read quite a number of articles, but post a summary from one site only, with some additional references added:

(yes, it is not a medical site - but it’s well written and in line with what I have read elsewhere)

So here it goes:

“”"
Essentially, bananas as a whole are linked to promoting good sleep. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409706/) are full of various sleep-promoting nutrients, specifically the natural muscle relaxants magnesium and potassium" says registered dietitian Eliza Savage, RD, (https://www.elizasavagenutrition.com/). “They also contain an amino acid called tryptophan (L-TRYPTOPHAN: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews), which is a precursor for the sleep hormone, melatonin, and the mood-influencing neurotransmitter, serotonin.” So incorporating a banana into your dessert or as your bedtime snack, could work in your favour when you turn the lights off later.
"
Based on some research reports (http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/medwelljournals/jftech/2008/263-266.pdf), banana peels do have high concentrations of potassium and magnesium," Savage says. But since eating a whole peel sounds…unappealing, you can make tea out of the banana peel instead.

HOW TO DO:
To make banana peel tea, start with a ripe, organic banana. It doesn’t take much of the banana peel to get the positive effects of the tea; between a quarter and a half of the peel is enough. You may also choose to include a bit of the banana flesh for flavour as well. (however: for the people with type 2 diabetes you might want to exclude the flesh to avoid the natural sugar of the banana)

Once you have the portion of the banana peel you’re using—and banana, if applicable—put it in a small saucepan and submerge them in water. Let the water boil, then reduce the heat let the tea brew for about ten minutes. Then remove the peel, pour the water into a mug, and enjoy.

Savage recommends also incorporating spices such as nutmeg (Chemical diversity and pharmacological significance of the secondary metabolites of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.)), cinnamon, or turmeric (Efficacy of Curcumin in the Modulation of Anxiety Provoked by Sulfite, a Food Preservative, in Rats) into your brew.
“They complement the taste of the banana peel, but also promote relaxation and good sleep,” she says. If you do so, add them while the water and banana peel are brewing, or sprinkle them right into your mug at the end.

Next time you’re up counting sheep, check your kitchen to see if you have any bananas. With any luck (and a little hot water), you’ll be drifting off to dreamland in no time.
“”""

Sorry - this post got a bit longer than planned. But maybe it helps you get inspired with another trick how to get to a good nights sleep.
OR… it’s maybe such a boring read that many of you are already sound asleep by now :slight_smile:

have a good nights sleep!!

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I am definitely going to try this and will let you know how I get on. :blush::+1:.

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I definitely have most of these, also an issue where I constantly need some sort of sound or movement to sleep, looking into one of those mattresses that have vibration.

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I will definitely have to try this!! Curious if @pamelaspence or @MJB ecer came across this. Thx for sharing @laurent.rossier! And may I wish you and everyone here with us an amazing, productive and healthy 2022. It’s going to be a big one for our sofi. xx

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Yes! I have come across it but I have to admit… never tried it. It never a-peeled :grin: Tryptophan is also found in cow milk and oat milk for anyone that doesn’t fancy banana skin so the old tradition of a milky drink before bed absolutely has merits (discussion on this in the thread on Golden Milk).

A very happy Hogmanay from here and all best for the new year - excited to see in 2022 with sofi!

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… just be mindful of the merits of milk on it own. After all we are the only specie that drinks the milk of other animals…
but then again, that is a whole new topic on its own…

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Glad to find out I can just continue having oatmilk instead of boiling up some bananas. :blush::+1:. Happy New year all the best.

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just not much of magnesium in your oat milk…
(at least your potassium is also well covered) :slight_smile:

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I guess putting some milk in your banana tea might just be the perfect combination.

As @pamelaspence said, banana peel tea doesn’t appeal to me either but it’s certainly worth a shot. Some nights my legs get so bad they are involuntarily jerking around not letting me sleep. Forcing me out of bed and do some squads (it’s mostly my upper legs it affects).

Although restless legs seem to affect me only during the evening, the moment I sit down in a plane, it starts immediately. Which makes for an incredibly awful flight.

I always thought it might have something to do with the vibration in a plane. I wonder if anyone else has the same experience on planes…

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Never experienced that… might be linked to the class of travel :joy:

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Hah! Show off! Business class only for you eh? :wink: :laughing:

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good one, but not at all the case… economy class seats are so tiny my legs are firmly squeezed into place… so this doesn’t leave any room for restless legs. :joy:

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If you have restless legs regularly then the easiest way to try and resolve that is to take a magnesium supplement for a week and see if it works. It’s the most common cause and easy to remedy. If it’s not that then it wasn’t an Mg issue. :blush:
Worth a try!

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Alright, I’ll definitely try some @pamelaspence and will let people know the results :grin: Certainly worth a shot!

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Cool. Let us know. It is always the first step for my patients in figuring out whether their restless legs have a simple solution. Often it really is that simple. Mg comes in many forms - Remember Magnesium glycinate is best for aiding sleep. And some people find it best to take after food.

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I started taking magnesium for nocturnal leg cramps over 12 months ago after my doctor took me off quinine as apparently its only given short term now as it can cause damage to your liver and kidneys. My doctor said he couldn’t prescribe anything else as there was nothing he could recommend??? I did a bit of research and magnesium kept coming up so I tried it and have only had a few ‘bad’ cramp nights since. I can’t say I’ve noticed any difference in my quality or quantity of zzzzz’s though, has anyone else seen an improvement?

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I’ve been eating a banana just before going to bed to give me my magnesium boost, rather than in pill form. (Couldn’t get it anywhere here and no Holland & barret for miles)

Bananas apparently work just as well?

I’ve had a couple of nights where my sleep has improved it has to be said. But early days yet as last night was a fail to say the least. Woke up at 4 and didn’t sleep much after that. Although was able to doze a bit which normally doesn’t happen. Babysteps?

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Dito…I tried banana before bed but to no avail, but maybe its one of those things - works for some, not for others, ill keep everything crossed for you ! :crossed_fingers:

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@catherinehope0 maybe something in here could help :slight_smile:

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@Kaveh: I was reading through many posts again… which got me thinking…
There have been a number of recommendations (to avoid snoring; to fight restless legs; to calm the mind; to count sheep (thanks again for those wonderful photos @sonja.ekkers.77 ) by Treehouse members and some participants wanted to give some of these solutions / idea a try… The questions then are: who holds the members “accountable”; how could progress be made visible…?

Could it make sense to help keep track of those attempts in the following way:.
Let’s say, I wan’t to give magnesium supplements a try to fight restless leg syndrome. So I start and make an entry in the Treehouse, and voila… on day 1 a branch within the Treehouse starts to grow. Just a short tiny branch coming out from the tree.
On day 2 it grows a little larger and stronger. If someone else starts on the same topic, the branch’s colouring is split in 2, and with every new person trying a little color scheme is added. So every new person can see someone has been there and how far they got.

Sorry if the above is confusing - kind of the best way I found to describe the idea…
The rational for the idea:
I find that many individuals today are struggling on many fronts. Yet, many are willing to try to make life better - but it is just so incredibly hard, especially when going it alone. IF there could be a visualization of progress (for everyone to see) it might give that little extra motivation needed to stick with change.

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