TikTok is obsessed with the sleepy girl mocktail – but here's what a nutritionist wants you to know about it
Another day, another 'girl' trend – and this time, our FYPs are dominated by one thing and one thing only: sleepy girl mocktails (or sleepy girl cocktails, depending on your choice of wording).
And given the vast importance of getting good sleep, it's safe to see we're intrigued. Plus, cherry juice and seltzer or sparkling water, with a cheeky dash of magnesium powder, doesn't sound too bad on the old taste buds hey?
But, as with any social media-spawned health trend, we wanted to exercise some caution before diving right in and chatted to expert nutritionist, Amie Charraudeau (a Nutritionist Resource member), about sleepy girl mocktails.
Here's everything you need to know about magnesium and cherry concoctions when it comes to bedtime...
What is a sleepy girl mocktail?
As mentioned, this bright red beverage has been making waves on social media recently and is essentially a drink comprised of tart cherry juice, little scoop of magnesium powder and a dash of fizzy water. Oh, and if you're feeling fancy you can top with ice, pomegranate seeds, a sprig of rosemary and a slice of orange.
"I believe this originated on Tiktok early last year from wellness influencer Gracie Norton who claimed it would help induce calm and a sleepy feeling," says Charraudeau – however the sleep-inducing properties of cherries and magnesium have been known for some time prior to this.
Since Norton's video, many other TikTok users have rushed to the app to share their own takes on the recipe, mixing up the variety of juice brands they use. Some have even said they're just sticking to drinking a cherry juice and soda water before bed and popping a magnesium supplement, rather than adding magnesium powder in.
Is it safe to make a sleepy girl mocktail?
One TikTok user shared that after trying a sleepy girl mocktail, she experienced bad stomach issues the next day (whilst at work, no less)... which has left us, ahem, concerned. So, what does Charraudeau say on the safety front?
Well, apparently it's all about ensuring you get the right ratio of ingredients.
"It's safe depending on quantities of ingredients," she confirms. "The daily recommended intake of magnesium for women is 270mg. Anything above 400mg is not recommended due to potential laxative effects." So maybe the TikTokers complaining about becoming besties with the bathroom just had a tad to much magnesium, it'd seem.
Does a a sleepy girl mocktail actually work?
Well, there's evidence that some of the suggested ingredients have sleep-inducing properties to them, says the expert, but quality and quantity also come into the equation.
Charraudeau notes that "lower magnesium levels have been linked with reduced melatonin levels (a hormone produced by the body when it’s dark that promotes sleep) [and] the supplement most commonly associated with aiding sleep is magnesium glycinate (magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine)." Apparently it may also have a calming anti-anxiety effect too, which is a nice bonus if that's something you experience.
"Whilst we know magnesium is an important mineral that carries out many functions in the body, robust research is limited to support the use of magnesium supplements to aid sleep," she explains "Many studies combine magnesium with other supplements, use animal subjects or small sample sizes."
Tart cherry juice, however, is thought to help support sleep due to its melatonin content. "But there is limited evidence that there is an association between improved sleep and tart cherry juice consumption. The research that exists shows mixed results in terms of its effectiveness."
So, the bottom line? "The [mocktail's effects are] currently theoretical with one serving of tart cherry juice containing far less melatonin than the 0.5 - 5mg recommended dose required to aid sleep," says Charraudeau.
How do you make a sleepy girl mocktail?
Well, the measurements are pretty open to interpretation right now/can be tweaked according to your taste, but whatever cherry juice, magnesium powder and sparkling mineral water combination that you opt for, please do keep in mind Charraudeau's words of warning about the level of magnesium that is safe to consume daily. Don't forget to take into account the rest of what you've drunk or eaten that day too!
Charraudeau adds: "It’s best to stick with the montmorency cherry – a variety of sour cherry which has been researched [for sleep benefits]. In terms of ratios, I wouldn't exceed the dose on the packaging of magnesium powder (1 teaspoon or whatever it might be) and one serving of cherry juice. You could add as much cherry as you liked for flavour but it's very expensive and full of sugar so not recommended!"
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