Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail: What Is It And Will It Actually Help You Sleep?

Does insomnia have you scrolling on your phone during all hours of the night? If so, then a tart cherry juice mocktail recipe may have graced your social media feed as the solution to all of your sleep struggles. Let’s take a look at what is in the viral tart cherry juice mocktail, aka the “sleepy girl mocktail,” and see if research supports the claims that it can actually help you get better sleep.

tart cherry juice mocktail and sleep health.

From counting sheep to late night stretching, there are plenty of suggestions out there to help support better zzz’s at night.

If you are looking for natural ways to better sleep then you may have had the recipe for a tart cherry juice mocktail come across your social media feed. Creators of the viral “sleepy girl mocktail” recipe claim that it helps promote better sleep… but is it true?

Hi, I’m Lauren, I’m a registered dietitian and I’m here to help you pick through fact or fiction on the latest health trends. As someone who also struggles with insomnia, a tart cherry juice mocktail caught my eye so let’s look at the research to find out if what it claims to do could actually be true.

Pour yourself a glass of tart cherry juice, pull up a chair, and let’s take a look at this sleepy drink together!

What is Tart Cherry Juice?

Cherries are a stone fruit which is a subgroup of fruits that have a the flesh of the fruit surrounding a large pit in the center. Other stone fruits include plums, apricots, and nectarines. Cherrys are rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, as well as antioxidants.

Cherry fruit is generally classified in two categories: sweet and sour/tart. Cherry juice itself is simply made from the juice of cherry fruit and tart cherry juice is made from the juice of sour cherries, specially coming from the juice of a tart cherry know as a montmorency cherry.

With its antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties, cherry juice consumption has long been studied for its effect on exercise performance and recovery. Lately, however, tart cherry juice consumption has also been explored as a natural way to potentially enhance sleep quality.

What is in the tart cherry juice mocktail recipe?

The tart cherry juice mocktail, deemed the “sleepy girl mocktail” on social media, is a simple drink containing tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and a bubbly drink like a probiotic soda or sparkling water.

While each recipe varies slightly, here is one simple recipe you could try :

Ice
1/2 cup tart cherry juice
1 tbsp magnesium powder of choice
1 can of sparking water or prebiotic soda like Poppi or Olipop

Pour these ingredients over ice, give it a stir, and you have yourself the viral sleepy girl mocktail recipe! You can always add other fun ingredients like freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice or change out your sparkling mixer for a fun twist on this popular mocktail recipe..

Proponents of this drink claim that it helps them relax and unwind in the evenings, ultimately leading to a better nights rest but will you actually sip your way to better sleep? Let’s see what the research has to say:

tart cherry juice mocktail and sleep review.

So will the tart cherry juice mocktail actually help you sleep?

We all know that social media can claim just about any health outcome from a recipe, making it incredibly difficult to find what’s true and what’s not true. The tart cherry juice mocktail sleepy claims are no different but research actually DOES show that there may be some truth behind them.

The two primary ingredients that could have make a difference in sleep length and quality is the tart cherry juice and the magnesium powder. Here’s why:

Tart cherries are a decently rich source of natural melatonin: We have all heard of melatonin and its critical role in regulating sleep patterns. While many people take supplemental melatonin, some foods do naturally contain melatonin and tart cherries are one of those foods.
Though the research studies on tart cherry juice and sleep are decently small, many of the studies have shown that by increasing your intake of melatonin through tart cherry juice increases the total amount of melatonin in your body and improved sleep outcomes!
Tart cherries may increase tryptophan availability: Tryptophan is an amino acid that can be used in a variety of ways in the body, including making melatonin. Fun fact… turkey contains tryptophan and is one explanation for why everyone feels SO sleepy after thanksgiving.
Anyway, back to cherries. Though the studies are small, some suggest that eating tart cherries could increase tryptophan availability in the body, increase melatonin production, and positively impact your sleep.
The magnesium powder MAY help with sleep: Research suggests that people with adequate magnesium levels are more likely to get longer nights of sleep. This has made magnesium supplementation very common for people looking into natural sleep aids!
For supplementation, note that magnesium comes in different forms. Magnesium glycinate is most commonly recommended for sleep (at 350 mg) while magnesium citrate and magnesium hydroxide are more commonly used to resolve constipation… milk of magnesia anyone?
Magnesium can also be found in foods like milk, nuts, soy products, and many whole grains. By eating a diverse diet and focusing on including magnesium rich foods, you can naturally increase your magnesium intake and status which could benefit your sleep without any supplements.

The combination of tart cherries and magnesium powder are the key sleepy ingredients in this drink. With them, you may actually be sipping your way to a better nights sleep with this mocktail recipe!

The pros of drinking a tart cherry juice mocktail:

Replaces other evening drinks… like alcohol!: Despite the hype, alcohol consumption actually lowers sleep quality. Replacing alcohol with this mocktail could lower calorie consumption and remove the sleep disturbing alcohol while adding in other benefits.
Tart cherry juice is full of antioxidants: Tart cherries are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which is great for health and your immune system. Plus, 100% fruit juice is a convenient way to add more color to your diet!
Helps with hydration: The tart cherry juice mocktail has roughly 8oz of fluid which helps with hydration. Some people prefer drinks that are fun and flavored to hydrate with and the tart cherry juice mocktail could be the perfect drink to reach for.
Could support better sleep: The combination of tart cherry juice and magnesium powder could help you get a better nights sleep!

Potential cons of drinking a tart cherry juice mocktail:

Sipping on evening sugars: Likely the biggest drawback of the tart cherry juice mocktail is its carbohydrate content being consumed right before bed. This could lead to a blood sugar spike while you are sleeping and, for some people, actually negatively impact their sleep because of it.
May not be IBS friendly: The type of carbohydrate found in tart cherry juice is known as a “polyol” which is tolerated by many people but could be harmful to those with IBS.
Extra calories in the evening: I’m definitely not one to recommend cutting out late night snacks and sweets in the name of saving calories but this is what works for some people.
The main calorie containing ingredient is the tart cherry juice contains, with one cup containing roughly 130 calories. If you are someone who monitors your calorie intake then remember that this drink will add some additional calories to your day.
Late night hydration could lead to more bathroom trips: Another consideration for you to have before you add this drink to your evening routine is how often you will wake up in the night to use the restroom. Do the pro’s of the potential sleep benefits overrule the con’s of waking up in the night because of the extra fluid?
Choose unsweetened tart cherry juice: Some juices can be secretly loaded with added sugar… which we definitely do not need right before bed. Be sure to find a tart cherry juice brand with no added sugar!

The takeaway:

With content creators spouting health claims of all different truths on the internet, it can be difficult to pick through fact and fiction when it comes to products or recipes. While many health claims can be debunked, there are some potential truths surrounding the sleepy girl mocktail.

With natural melatonin and its impact on tryptophan availability, tart cherry juice consumption may actually be one way to enhance your sleep quality at night. Paired with a sufficient amount of magnetism powder, and you have yourself a sleep girl drink!

As with most things, everyone may respond differently to the tart cherry juice mocktail. While some people may notice a benefit in sleep health, others may find that the late night carbohydrate and calorie consumption does more harm than good.

If you are someone who wants to minimize the late night fruit juice consumption, my dietitian recommendation to you would be to 1) focus on increasing magnesium rich foods in your diet and 2) try other sleep promoting behaviors like a bedtime routine, stretching, and shutting down your phone early.

Liked this review? Check out some of my other deep dives:

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