If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, there might be an oddly simple solution sitting in your fruit bowl. Dr. Michael Breus, widely known online as the Sleep Doctor, has been promoting a warm banana drink that he claims can help people wind down before bed. According to him, the drink contains key nutrients that positively influence sleep quality, and it is best consumed about 30 to 40 minutes before hitting the pillow. It sounds unusual, but his reasoning is grounded in the mineral content found in bananas and their peels.
Dr. Breus appeared on the podcast The Diary Of A CEO, where he stressed the importance of magnesium as a mineral that many people simply are not getting enough of. He pointed out that magnesium plays a central role in the body’s ability to relax and prepare for sleep, and that getting more of it through diet can make a noticeable difference. Bananas, he explained, are a solid natural source of magnesium, but what makes his recipe unique is that he uses the whole fruit, peel and all. Most people toss the peel without a second thought, but according to Breus, that is where a lot of the beneficial compounds are hiding.
The preparation is about as simple as it gets. “Take a regular banana, cut off the stem, slice it in half, and drop it into boiling water,” he described. He recommends letting it cook for around five minutes, after which the banana will darken from the heat. Breus clarified that the result is not really a tea in the traditional sense: “It’s not actually tea, it’s just warm banana water.” The peel, he said, releases compounds during the cooking process that may support better magnesium absorption in the body, and the effects can typically be felt roughly 25 to 35 minutes after drinking it.
One thing Breus does caution about is portion size. Drinking too much liquid close to bedtime can lead to middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, which obviously defeats the purpose of trying to get a solid night’s sleep. He recommends keeping the amount moderate and pairing the drink with a relaxing pre-sleep routine such as reading a book, dimming the lights, and stepping away from screens. For those who are not fans of banana flavor, he notes that the cooked fruit can be repurposed or mixed with other drinks that are already part of an evening routine, making it a flexible option rather than a rigid prescription.
Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body and is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, including those that regulate the nervous system and muscle function. Despite its importance, studies suggest that a large portion of American adults do not meet the recommended daily intake of 310 to 420 milligrams, depending on age and sex. Deficiency in magnesium has been linked to sleep disturbances, increased anxiety, and muscle cramps, all of which can make restful sleep harder to achieve. Bananas are also rich in potassium, vitamin B6, and tryptophan, an amino acid that the body converts into serotonin and eventually melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. This combination of nutrients makes bananas one of the more well-rounded sleep-supportive foods available without a prescription.
Insomnia affects roughly 30 percent of adults in the United States at some point in their lives, with about 10 percent experiencing chronic insomnia that significantly impacts daily functioning. Sleep doctors and researchers have long encouraged people to look at lifestyle and dietary habits before turning to medication, as many sleep issues can be addressed through behavioral changes and nutritional adjustments. The idea of using whole foods as part of a wind-down ritual aligns with broader trends in sleep hygiene, which emphasizes consistency, a cool and dark sleeping environment, and limited exposure to blue light in the hours before bed. While a boiled banana drink is unlikely to be a cure-all, it represents the kind of low-risk, evidence-informed approach that sleep specialists like Dr. Breus tend to advocate for as a starting point.
If you struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep, share your experiences and any natural remedies you swear by in the comments.
