If you’ve recently found yourself scrolling through TikTok in the wee hours of the night when you really should be getting a good night’s sleep, chances are you might have found yourself on the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” side of the app. From lifestyle influencers to registered dietitians, creators all over TikTok have been pouring themselves up fancy, tasty-looking drinks that they say lull them off to better sleep and sweeter dreams.
But what’s a sleepy-time drink, exactly? And most importantly, are they actually good for helping you fall asleep faster?
As it turns out, there’s plenty of science-based evidence that these trending mocktail recipes can help you feel sleepy and drift off into a night of higher-quality sleep! Think of Sleepy Girl Mocktails as a healthier approach to your nightcap: with a slew of sleep-promoting ingredients and tasty, refreshing flavors, you’ll love reaching for these delicious drinks again and again as part of your bedtime routine.
What’s in a Sleepy Girl Mocktail?
There are plenty of soothing, comforting drinks you can sip on before bed that are thought to promote relaxation (think: chamomile tea, green tea, or warm milk). But the most popular — and viral — version of the Sleepy Girl Mocktail is made of three main ingredients: magnesium supplements, tart cherry juice, and a healthy soda or carbonated water. There’s plenty of science-based evidence that this combination of ingredients can help you relax, unwind, and ultimately improve sleep quality.
Magnesium
No matter what kind of sleepy girl drink recipe you’re following, a magnesium supplement is likely going to be the star of the show.
Magnesium is an electrolyte, which is a group of minerals that are used to contract and relax your muscles. As a result, magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer that is thought to promote relaxation and reduce stress. Most importantly, in this case, studies have found evidence that magnesium supplementation is associated with better, longer sleep quality.
If you go shopping for a magnesium powder, you might find that there are plenty of different options out there in many different forms. Magnesium glycinate, which is sometimes called magnesium bisglycinate, is a good option here since it’s easy for your body to digest and is best known for helping promote relaxation.
Outside of your sleepy girl mocktails, magnesium can also be found naturally in a variety of foods including nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains. There’s some evidence that Americans aren’t eating enough magnesium in general, so you should also consider adding these dietary staples on during the day (and maybe drinking a warm glass of almond milk at night as a sleepy girl mocktail alternative to help you fall asleep).
Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is another common ingredient you’re likely to find in many mocktail recipes — and as it turns out, it’s good for more than just the taste!
Tart cherry juice is actually a great functional ingredient if you’re trying to fall asleep because it’s thought to significantly increase your body’s melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that is responsible for making you feel drowsy at the end of the night. Unsurprisingly, many cases of insomnia and sleep troubles can be linked back to melatonin insufficiencies.
Another bonus for athletes: tart cherry juice is also thought to promote muscle recovery and reduce soreness, likely thanks to its high antioxidant content!
When you’re shopping for the right juice to add to your nightcap, keep in mind that pure tart cherry juice is an ideal option here when compared to other options like concentrates. While pure cherry juice may be a little tarter and less sweet, it also is made with fewer added sugars that can mess with your blood sugar and leave you feeling wired.
Prebiotic sodas
Finally, no mocktail is complete without effervescence and flavor, so top it all off with a soda to add some flavor and fizz to your drink! However, if you really want to maximize the health benefits of your drink, not just any soda will do here.
Again, it’s a good idea to minimize your added sugar intake, especially when you’re approaching bedtime, so traditional sodas aren’t going to be your best option. If you just want to add a little bit of flavor and carbonation, sparkling water is a decent option. But if you really want to get the most sleep-inducing benefits of your mocktail, consider reaching for a prebiotic soda instead!
Prebiotics are special fibers that feed probiotics, aka the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. Not only does a healthy gut promote general digestive system health, but it also links directly to your brain. Some gut bacteria species are thought to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid that is chiefly responsible for slowing your central nervous system activity and therefore helping you relax. As a result, there’s some evidence that taking prebiotics can help promote sleep.
How to make your own Sleepy Girl Mocktails
One of the best parts about making a Sleepy Girl Mocktail is that it’s really quick and simple (in many cases, even easier than making a real cocktail). All you really need to make a Sleepy Girl Mocktail on your own are a fancy cup, a large ice cube or two, and your prebiotic soda, tart cherry juice, and magnesium powder.
Another fun aspect of these sleepy-time drinks? You can customize them to your own tastes! Many magnesium supplements are flavored, so you can mix and match your flavors to suit your tastebuds. Some good flavor combinations to try in your Sleepy Girl Mocktail recipes include:
- Fireside Infusion: Apple-flavored magnesium, cherry juice, vanilla cola, and a splash of cinnamon
- Cozy Cherry Berry: Cherry juice, berry magnesium powder, and strawberry-vanilla soda
- Lime Melon Chill: Watermelon magnesium, lime, cherry juice, and grapefruit soda
- Lullaby Lemonade: Pink lemonade magnesium, tart cherry juice, and strawberry soda
Finally, don’t forget that you can always take magnesium on its own! For the nights that you don’t quite feel like whipping up an intricate drink, you can always mix your magnesium supplement with clean, filtered water from the LARQ Pitcher PureVis. You can reap all of the rewards of your magnesium supplement while keeping yourself hydrated.
Are there any downsides to magnesium supplements?
Magnesium supplements are generally considered safe to use for most healthy adults. However, there are also some side effects to consider if you’re going to incorporate it regularly into your sleep routine.
Because magnesium is a muscle relaxer, it can also affect other muscles like those in your digestive system. Some people report experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, or stomach cramping.
There’s also such a thing as too much magnesium, called hypermagnesemia, with symptoms like nausea, confusion, weakness, and headaches, and confusion. As a result, it’s important to follow your dosage instructions closely when using magnesium supplements.
Conclusion
Healthy sleep can sometimes feel hard to come by, especially if you struggle to fall and stay asleep. This trending “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” recipe is full of sleep-promoting ingredients that can help you kick back, relax, and unwind more holistically. Cheers!