Struggling to fall asleep? Drinking a “sleepy girl mocktail” before bed could be exactly what you need, according to a recent TikTok trend. Originally shared in January 2023 by creator and hormone coach Calee Shea Sciotto, the TikTok-viral mocktail contains a combination of tart cherry juice, sparkling water, and magnesium powder. But does it actually work? To find out, I decided to try the sleepy girl mocktail myself.
With its aesthetically-pleasing appearance, fruity flavor, and alleged sleep benefits, it’s no wonder people are still re-creating the drink over a year since Sciotto’s video was first posted. After making the drink myself, I wondered if it actually helped me sleep better, or if I was just experiencing a placebo effect. To be sure, I consulted two experts for more information. Here’s what to know about the sleepy girl mocktail — and whether or not it actually helps you sleep.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Brenna Larson, MS, RDN, is a nutrition specialist at Factor.
Emily Tills, MS, RDN, CDN, is a New York-based nutrition coach
Can the Sleepy Girl Mocktail Help You Fall Asleep?
Fruit juice, sparkling water, and a small scoop of magnesium powder might now seem like an obvious sleep aid, but it appears to have some potential. Tart cherry juice, for example, is a natural source of magnesium, melatonin, and tryptophan. “Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle, and tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps to produce melatonin,” says Brenna Larson, MS, RDN.
Magnesium, both in the tart cherry juice and the added powder, may also promote relaxation by regulating your melatonin levels and parasympathetic nervous system. “It is actually a mineral that most people don’t get enough of in their diet,” says Emily Tills, MS, RDN, CDN. “However, having appropriate amounts in our diet can aid in sleep and recovery.”
As for the sparkling water? Technically a sleepy girl mocktail doesn’t need it — but a few bubbles do make the drink more enjoyable, even if it doesn’t directly impact sleep.
How to Get the Most Out of a Sleepy Girl Mocktail
You’ll find lots of sleepy girl mocktail variations across TikTok. Some call for collagen instead of magnesium. Others use an orange slice garnish or plain water instead of sparkling. But to get the most out of your sleepy girl mocktail, it’s best not to get too creative with substitutions.
Perhaps the most important difference to be mindful of is between magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate. “Magnesium citrate is a highly absorbable form of magnesium,” Tills notes. “However, it can cause more gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea if taken in high doses.” Therefore, magnesium glycinate is a safer bet for a sleepy girl mocktail. The other popular supplement substitution, collagen, has its benefits, but they’re mainly for skin, not sleep.
When it comes to the cherry juice, make sure you’re using tart cherry juice and not black cherry juice (and no, they’re not the same). Tart cherries contain more melatonin and tryptophan, which is precisely what promotes better-quality sleep. And for the sparkling water, any flavor will do, though Larson recommends a prebiotic seltzer like Olipop or Poppi, for the added benefits. “The addition of Olipop provides prebiotic fiber to promote gut health, and the fiber also delays absorption of the natural sugars in the tart cherry juice to prevent blood sugar from spiking,” she says.
Should You Try the Sleepy Girl Mocktail?
It may be made with ingredients that are readily available at the store, but let’s not forget that magnesium is a dietary supplement, and it’s always best to consult with your doctor before taking any, even in the form of a trendy drink from TikTok. In terms of effectiveness, the ingredients of the sleepy girl mocktail are linked to improved sleep, but every body is different and yours may not respond to the bedtime beverage in the same way that other people have. That being said, both experts agree it doesn’t hurt to try it — in fact Tills describes it as “safer than taking excess doses of melatonin, which the body then becomes reliant on for sleep and melatonin levels in the body.”
Speaking from personal experience, the sleepy girl mocktail won’t knock you out immediately like a sleeping pill might. But as someone who is no stranger to taking melatonin, I found the sleepy girl mocktail to feel extremely similar. I definitely felt relaxed while drinking it and more rested the next morning. I’m still not entirely sure whether to credit these effects to the actual mocktail, or to the act of drinking it, but either way, I’d definitely do it again. To see how well the sleepy girl mocktail works for you, check out our expert-approved recipe below.
— Additional reporting by Chandler Plante
Kalea Martín writes primarily about food and cooking for PS, but as a former figure skater and hockey player, she covers fitness, too. Prior to becoming a lifestyle writer, Kalea covered hotels, restaurants, and travel for Luxos Magazine in Milan and worked in marketing at HarperCollins Publishers.
Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for PS Health & Fitness. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributed to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she overshares on the internet, creating content about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.
