The "Sleepy Girl Mocktail"

What is a "Sleepy Girl Mocktail?"

1. Pour a half-cup of tart cherry juice into a glass.
2. Stir in a tablespoon of magnesium powder.
3. Add fizz—prebiotic soda, plain seltzer, or sparkling water.
4. Drink an hour before bedtime.

That’s the basic recipe for a Sleepy Girl Mocktail.

It all began in 2023 when Calee Shea shared on TikTok her go-to sleep aid, unsweetened tart cherry juice mixed with prebiotic soda.

A few months later, Gracie Norton added magnesium powder to the recipe, posted a video on TikTok touting the drink, and the recipe went viral again (more than a million and a half views to date).

Can Tart Cherry Juice Improve Sleep?

“There’s good evidence that drinking tart cherry juice can improve sleep duration and quality,” Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, told TODAY.com.

When “you have adequate magnesium, you may feel calmer and have fewer physical symptoms of stress, making it easier to sleep.”

Cassetty recommends magnesium glycinate instead of magnesium citrate, which is more likely to cause digestive distress.

Cleveland Clinic dietitian Devon Peart, RD, MHSc, agrees that science supports the possibility that this beverage may help with falling asleep.

The melatonin and tryptophan in tart cherries may promote sleep, Peart says, “but some small studies suggest the main benefit is the anti-inflammatory properties.”

The bottom line, according to Peart, is making the mocktail part of “a routine that promotes sleep,” including:

• Maintaining a sleep-wake schedule.
• Using the end of the day to wind down.
• Avoiding screen use in the hour before bedtime.

Precautions

Consult your healthcare provider before trying the Sleepy Girl Mocktail, recommends Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic.

She also offers the following suggestions:

• Learn about the potential interactions of magnesium and tart cherry juice with medications and other supplements.
• Be mindful of the calorie count of the drink, especially if you need to watch your weight or sugar intake.
• Those who frequently get up to urinate in the night should know that drinking before bed could contribute to the problem.