Potassium as a Sleep Aid?

Insight from Clinical Professor and Chair for the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Mindy Haar, Ph.D., RDN, is featured in a Verywell Health article about the benefits of consuming potassium. Most notably, eating potassium-rich foods with dinner may benefit those who suffer from insomnia or have trouble staying asleep. Foods containing potassium are also frequently full of magnesium, another healthy sleep aid.

To best increase one’s potassium consumption, Haar recommends whole foods rather than over-the-counter products. “For most healthy adults, the safest and most effective way to increase potassium intake is through food rather than supplements,” she says.

Healthy sources of potassium include foods like spinach, sweet potatoes, bananas, salmon, nuts, and seeds. As with all vitamins and minerals, balance is key—Haar warns that potassium levels that are too high can dangerously affect the heart.