So, Does the Sleepy Girl Mocktail Actually Work?

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I’m just a girl…who can’t sleep at night. Whether it’s looming deadlines taking over my mind, remembering I never texted that one friend back from a month ago, or my usual ol’ night owl shenanigans, ample things regularly keep me from getting the recommended 8 to 9 hours of Zzz’s every night. So when I saw that the girlies over on the Tok were touting an ~alleged~ remedy that could help me count some sheep, I was intrigued.

By now, you’ve seen the sleepy girl mocktail all over your FYP, too. It’s tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and your favorite seltzer water (or prebiotic soda) mixed together in the chicest glass your cabinet contains. And the wellness influencers are saying it’s helped them get some high-quality shut eye.

NGL, I am one for a good little wellness fad, but as a health editor, it is quite literally my job to side-eye these things. My biggest question: Is it giving placebo? Like, have the girls finally just started creating a cute nighttime wind down routine and *that’s* why they’re sleeping better? Because they finally put a cease and desist on the late-night Instagram scroll before rolling over in bed? Since you’re here, you probably have the same burning questions. So, scroll on to hear from two sleep experts on if the viral sleepy girl mocktail actually works.

Wait, so does magnesium help with sleep?

Well, the science behind taking magnesium for sleep hasn’t been definitive, so it’s hard to say, explained Michelle Drerup, PsyD, director of behavioral sleep medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center. “Some research has shown it’s associated with improved sleep, while other research hasn’t identified a link,” she explained. “If magnesium does help someone sleep better, it may be because it is acting on certain receptors to quiet down brain cell activity,” she said.

Okay, so how does cherry juice help with sleep?

“Tart cherries are naturally rich in anti-inflammatory properties and melatonin,” explained Wissam Mansour, MD, director of the sleep medicine program at Duke Health. Cherries also have a good amount of an amino acid called tryptophan, which is used in the production of serotonin, aka the mood-boosting chemical known to help regulate mood and sleep, explained Dr. Mansour.

The combo of all these things could improve sleep quality, but likely not be enough to see a huge impact. “The content of melatonin and tryptophan in tart cherries is low compared to the effective doses recommended for sleep promotion,” he said.

Gotcha. So, does the sleepy girl mocktail really work?

In short, it could! But! It’s not a magic solution nor a one-size-fits-all remedy. “It is possible that this combination may help improve sleep for a select number of individuals, but it is surely not the long-awaited antidote for everyone’s sleep problems,” said Dr. Mansour. Sleep regulation is complex, and a lot of external and internal factors play a role, he explains, so “no single intervention, supplement, or drug could offer a magical solution for everyone’s sleep problems.”

How to make the sleepy girl mocktail

That said, creating a relaxing bedtime routine is essential in getting better sleep. This can look like turning off your big light, firing up those expensive candles, ending screen time earlier, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol at night. So, if making a tasty (and generally safe) drink in a super cute glass is a part of your ~nighttime wind down vibes~, then I, for one, am in complete support.

  • 1/2 cup of tart cherry juice
  • 1 tbsp of magnesium powder
  • Splash of seltzer water or prebiotic soda
  • Ice
Everything You Need to Make a Sleepy Girl Mocktail

Organic Pure Cherry Tart Juice

Lakewood Organic Pure Cherry Tart Juice

Magnesium Bisglycinate

Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate

Sunday Highball Glass Sets

Estelle Colored Glass Sunday Highball Glass Sets

Raspberry Rose Prebiotic Soda

Poppi Raspberry Rose Prebiotic Soda

Also! It’s important to know that not all magnesium supplements are the same. Some forms of magnesium can cause stomach issues and diarrhea, like magnesium oxide, which is a stool softener and works like a laxative (!!). Magnesium carbonate, chloride, and gluconate are said to have gastro impacts, too. Magnesium glycinate (also called magnesium bisglycinate, like the one above) is known to be gentle on your stomach and may help with sleep.

Of course, always consult your medical provider before starting a brand new supplement, especially since some magnesium forms could interfere with medications.

What are a few ways I can get better sleep?

If incorporating the sleepy girl mocktail isn’t of any interest to you, but you still want to create better sleep habits, the experts have some tips below on how to do just that.

Have a consistent wake time

Both Drerup and Dr. Mansour are emphatic about keeping a pretty tight wake-up schedule, since without one, “this would confuse our internal clock and lead to circadian rhythm disruptions,” explains Dr. Mansour.

Trust me, I know this can be hard, especially if you have to work late to finish a big project or are just having a great Friday night out. But “it is nearly impossible for your body to get accustomed to a healthy sleep routine” without a consistent wake-up time, says Drerup. Even if you’re able to sleep in sometimes, she says, try to keep your schedule the same and with minimal differences, if possible.

Move your body

By now, we’ve all heard about the benefits of doing regular, enjoyable movement, and lo and behold, sleep is one of them. “Exercise and activity help build sleep pressure and can help manage stress, both of which can lead to better sleep,” explains Drerup.

Put boundaries on your bed

I get it—we do so much in our beds these days, from reading and lounging to eating and even working! But this could all potentially cause some disruptions when it’s time to sleep, explained Drerup. “You want a strong mental and physical association between your bed and sleep, so try to keep activities in your bed limited strictly to sleep and sex.”

Overall, if you’re having sleep difficulties that are feeling extreme, frustrating, and impacting your health, Dr. Mansour suggests making an appointment with your physician to discuss this.

Headshot of Christen A. Johnson

Christen A. Johnson is the lifestyle editor at Cosmopolitan where she covers health and wellness, money, career, home, pets, food, travel and more for print and digital. A true lifestyle generalist, Christen spends her day writing about the best throw pillows and champagne glasses one minute, to editing stories about yeast infections, toxic family members, and ethical pet products the next. Christen was previously on Cosmo’s culture team, where she covered celebrity and entertainment news, awards shows, and interviewed some of your faves, like Megan thee Stallion and Queen Latifah. She wrote Cosmo’s first-ever digital cover story featuring Chlöe Bailey. Before joining the magazine, Christen spent the first four years of her career at the Chicago Tribune, starting out as a life and culture editorial assistant on the lifestyle, entertainment, and food & dining teams. Her last position at the newspaper was a features reporter for the Living section, where she specialized in health, pets, home, design, style, and relationship content. Several of her health and style stories made the legacy paper’s front page. When Christen isn’t digging through antique stores, she’s likely drooling over home renos on HGTV, asking her friends and family about their feelings, sharing her latest therapy revelation, redoing old workouts from her college basketball days, or trying to perfect her homemade buttermilk biscuit recipe. Follow her on Insta for BTS ~ editor life ~ tingz!

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