Tried everything under the sun to fall asleep to no avail? We get it. (So much so that we made a whole guide to all the sleep-enhancing products we’ve tried.) If you’ve spritzed every pillow mist on offer, invested in a weighted blanket without success, and attempted every breathing technique on Google in your quest for a good night’s rest, there could be a much simpler solution.
As always, the girlies over on TikTok think they have the answer to helping them fall asleep in the form of a sweet drink they’re dubbing the “sleepy girl mocktail.” The sleepy girl mocktail is going viral on the social media platform after wellness influencer Gracie Norton tried it and claimed the drink gave her “the best sleep of [her] life.”
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The trend was actually started by TikToker Calee Shea, who shared the recipe back in January, but it’s been gaining momentum again as hundreds of thousands of people spread the non-alcoholic drink recipe on TikTok in an attempt to nod off at night.
So what exactly is the sleepy girl mocktail? The three main ingredients in the drink are pure tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and some Olipop soda to top it off and add a little fizz. The theory is that tart cherry juice naturally contains tryptophan and melatonin, which can both contribute to sleep, while magnesium evokes feelings of relaxation.
So, does it actually work? Says David Wiener, nutritionist at fitness app Freeletics, “Tart cherry juice and magnesium are renowned for their sleep-enhancing properties and having them both in one drink seems to make perfect sense before bedtime, if you want a deep sleep.
“Tart cherry juice contains amino acid tryptophan, which, when consumed, can be converted to melatonin and serotonin, both essential neurotransmitters which help to reduce stress levels and encourage relaxation.
“Magnesium is another helpful supplement for better sleep by helping our inner sleep-wake cycles by starting your parasympathetic nervous system which helps you to relax. Furthermore, magnesium supplements can help stabilize blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and your muscle and nerve function, which altogether encourages a better sleeping pattern. However, this largely depends on what kind of magnesium supplement you’re taking, so I would suggest avoiding magnesium oxide and opting for magnesium citrate or carbonate
“When it comes to the soda, it doesn’t have much effect on your sleep but generally adds a nicer taste. Originally, the trend encourages people to drink a prebiotic soda. However, people have been adding a sugar-heavy soda to the drink, which can have opposite effects to the sleep enhancing benefits, so make sure to pick a sugar-free option. Similarly, if you add too much tart cherry juice to your mocktail, it can spike your blood sugar levels, which can be detrimental to a good night’s sleep.”
