I guess you have to blame it on something, but do bananas give you weird dreams?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to know the source of these strange and wacky dreams I’ve had lately.
And it appears that the main culprit could well be our beloved yellow fruit.
Say it isn’t so.
However, after further investigation, allow me to reveal the truth about bananas and weird dreams.
Bananas can indeed give you weird dreams. Research conducted by the University of Adelaide in 2018 found that vitamin B6 could help people recall their dreams. It just so happens that one medium-sized banana contains up to 33% of the daily value of vitamin B6. Furthermore, the tryptophan content of bananas can increase the production of serotonin. And serotonin enables the brain to remain somewhat alert during REM sleep, which leads to more vivid and intense dreams.
1. What is the Connection Between Bananas and Vitamin B6?
Before I get into whether bananas give you weird dreams, I think it’s important to talk about being able to recall your dreams.
I mean, if you think about it, most of us have trouble remembering our dreams.
In fact, I’m sure many of you will categorically state that you either never dream or that you simply can’t remember them.
As it turns out, a study conducted by the University of Adelaide found that taking vitamin B6 could help people to recall their dreams.
The study took 100 participants and gave them a high dose of vitamin B6 prior to going to sleep.
The results concluded that taking vitamin B6 dramatically improved people’s ability to recall their dreams when compared to a placebo.
So, what does this all have to do with bananas, I hear you ask?
Well, it just so happens that bananas are a major source of dietary vitamin B6.
In fact, just one medium-sized banana contains approximately 33% of the recommended daily value of vitamin B6.
In other words, if you’re eating bananas on a daily basis, you have a much higher chance of remembering your dreams.
2. What are the Sleeping Benefits of Tryptophan, Potassium, and Magnesium?
Bananas are typically viewed as one of the best foods for sleep.
This is all down to their high levels of tryptophan, potassium, and magnesium.
Each one of these nutrients has the ability to relax the muscles as well as calm the body.
This is, of course, the perfect precursor to a great night’s sleep.
Additionally, these nutrients, in conjunction with vitamin B6 help to increase the production of serotonin and melatonin.
Serotonin is often referred to as the “happy hormone,” whereas melatonin is known as the “sleep hormone.”
Therefore, you’re ingesting various nutrients which will not only put you in a great mood but will also help you to get a great night’s sleep.
Furthermore, serotonin release actually helps to keep the brain more active.
Now, if this happens at bedtime, it will ensure that the brain is especially active during the REM cycle of sleep.
It just so happens that you do the vast majority of your dreaming during REM sleep.
Plus, the release of serotonin during REM sleep will typically give you more vivid and intense dreams.
Let the weird dreams commence.
Eat a Banana Every Night, and This Will Happen to You
3. What Is a Sugar Spike?
Personally, I’ve never been completely sold on the fact that bananas are good for helping you sleep.
I mean, bananas are also seen as a great way to get an instant hit of carbs and spike blood sugar levels.
So, they’re seen as an ideal pre and post-workout food.
They’ll give you a burst of energy before your workout, as well as help restore your glycogen levels after your workout.
So, in reality, energy food shouldn’t actually aid sleep.
With that being said, a spike in blood sugar levels during sleep could actually be the cause of your weird dreams.
Basically, your mind is running all over the place due to the sugar high.
Then as you experience that crash in energy afterward, your dreams may get a little kookier.
The up-and-down in blood sugar and energy levels will undoubtedly have an impact on your mind as you’re trying to sleep.
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, bananas can give you weird dreams.
Firstly, the fact that bananas contain vitamin B6 will improve your ability to recall your dreams.
Plus, tryptophan, potassium, and magnesium levels will aid in good sleep.
However, vitamin B6 can also increase the production of the happy hormone serotonin.
And it is this that will make the mind more alert during REM sleep, which generally leads to more intense and vivid dreams.
Finally, your blood sugar levels will both spike and fall after eating a banana, and this could also impact your dreams.
This popular yellow fruit undoubtedly affects us in different ways, and if you have an allergy, perhaps you have wondered why it’s safe to eat plantains but not bananas.