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7 min
26/11/2025
With a host of pseudoscience floating around social media, it can be hard to trust anything. The latest trend in the mocktail-verse is the Sleepy Girl Mocktail, which is the internet’s new sleep solution that comes in a glass. Some dieticians back this up, saying that it might help you relax and possibly help you hit the bed sooner too. Irrespective of your gender, the mocktail is a good thing to sip when you can’t seem to fall asleep.
Just three ingredients go into the Sleepy Girl Mocktail, and that is all you need to get that extra kick of melatonin to get the ‘best sleep of your life’. Research is limited when it comes to the effects of magnesium and tart cherry juice alone or in combination, but that hasn’t stopped influencers from promoting them. Sweet cherries are equally delicious and nutritious, but it is the tart cherries that are magic. But does that magic mean magical sleep? Does the mocktail actually work, or is it just a fad?
The drink contains three basic ingredients: tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and sparkling water or prebiotic soda. That's it. No complicated recipes or hard-to-find ingredients. Most people drink it about an hour before bed.
The recipe is simple: mix half a cup of tart cherry juice with a teaspoon of magnesium powder, add ice, and top with sparkling water.
Tart cherry juice is the star ingredient, and there's actual research backing its sleep benefits. Special cherries like tart Montmorency cherries contain melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. When you drink the juice, you're getting a natural dose of this sleep hormone.
In one study, 20 volunteers who drank tart cherry juice for 7 days showed significantly elevated melatonin levels and saw a significant improvement in their sleep duration and quality. But melatonin isn't the only reason tart cherry juice might help.
Researchers are investigating other nutrients in tart cherry juice, such as tryptophan and polyphenol antioxidants, that might play a role in supporting sleep. Tryptophan is an amino acid your body converts into melatonin. However, the research has limits. Only a handful of small trials have looked at tart cherry juice and sleep, and only two were in people with sleep problems. The studies are small and often funded by the cherry industry.
Magnesium is the second key ingredient, and its role in sleep is more complicated. Observational studies suggested an association between magnesium status and sleep quality, while randomised clinical trials reported contradictory findings. Some studies show benefits, others don't.
One recent trial found more promising results. Participants taking 1 gram per day of magnesium showed significant improvements in sleep duration, deep sleep, sleep efficiency, and heart rate variability compared to placebo.
Individuals with higher magnesium intake are more likely to have the recommended duration of sleep, though the association between magnesium supplementation and sleep disorders remains uncertain.
The type of magnesium matters. Magnesium glycinate is better for calming properties that can help with sleep, while magnesium citrate can cause diarrhoea, gas and bloating.
The honest answer: maybe. There's good evidence that drinking tart cherry juice can improve sleep duration and quality. The magnesium research is less detailed but still shows potential benefits for some people. Scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of the sleepy girl mocktail's ingredients remains inconclusive, with the placebo effect potentially playing a significant role. But that doesn't mean it's useless. If you believe it will help you sleep and it becomes part of a calming bedtime routine, that's valuable.
Before you start mixing up this mocktail every night, consider a few downsides:
Sugar content: Tart cherry juice contains natural sugars. Too much sugar before bed can actually hurt your sleep. Choose 100% cherry juice without added sugar.
Digestive issues: Some people reported gastrointestinal symptoms like acid reflux and an upset stomach from prebiotic soda. If this happens, switch to plain sparkling water.
Bathroom trips: Drinking a lot of liquid right before bed can increase the chances you'll wake up to pee, which might disrupt a good night's sleep.
Vivid dreams: Some people report that the melatonin in tart cherry juice causes intense dreams, which can be unsettling for those with anxiety.
Medication interactions: Tart cherry juice can interact with blood thinners and other medications. Check with your doctor first.
The Sleepy Girl Mocktail isn't a magic cure for sleep problems, but it's not complete nonsense either. If you're choosing between the sleepy girl mocktail or alcohol to help fall asleep, the former is definitely a better choice, as alcohol leads to sleep disruptions that impair sleep quality. If you want to try it, go ahead. It's safe for most people and cheaper than sleep supplements. Just keep your expectations realistic, watch for side effects, and remember that good sleep habits matter more than any single drink.
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