The Sleepy Girl Mocktail
It is common for your sleep to change during perimenopause; nearly 50% of perimenopausal women have sleep disorders (Salari et al., 2023). Symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats can wake you up from your sleep and can make it difficult to fall back asleep, while symptoms of insomnia can make it tough to fall asleep at all.
Recently, a social media trend started on TikTok called the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” claims to help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. The original idea for a bedtime drink to promote sleep was posted in January of 2023 by Calee Shea (username: caleeshea) but other videos such as one posted in March of 2023 by Gracie Norton (username: gracie_norton) have more recently gone viral.
The recipe for the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” varies but the original recipe contains ice, tart cherry juice, and sparkling water. Some recipes also have the addition of magnesium powder.
Tart cherry juice is made of sour cherries or Montmorency cherries. It can promote sleep because these cherries are naturally high in tryptophan and melatonin.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid involved in serotonin production, of which one of the byproducts is melatonin (Summer & Rehman, 2024).
Melatonin is a hormone produced in your brain’s pineal gland that helps to regulate the circadian rhythm (Suni & Wells, 2023). Melatonin is produced as it gets darker, signaling that it is time to go to bed (Suni & Wells, 2023). Your body produces its own melatonin, called endogenous melatonin, but you can also get melatonin through outside or exogenous sources, such as sour cherries (Suni & Wells, 2023). Supplementing melatonin may not help everyone sleep better, but consuming melatonin can help those with delayed sleep-wake disorder or who need to reset their circadian rhythm due to jet lag (Suni & Wells, 2023).
Tart cherry juice has other benefits including reducing inflammation in the body, helping with muscle recovery after a workout (Suni & Rosen, 2024). This can be especially helpful if you’ve started a new workout routine to help improve your sleep.
Magnesium is an essential mineral required by the body for nerve and muscle function among other things (Summer & Singh, 2023) . High levels of magnesium in the body is correlated with higher quality sleep, longer sleep time, and feeling less tired throughout the day (Summer & Singh, 2023). Magnesium supplementation has been shown to help older adults with insomnia as well as people with restless leg syndrome like perimenopausal women (Summer & Singh, 2023).
It is important to note that magnesium supplementation is not for everyone. Magnesium can cause indigestion and people with chronic conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease or a gastrointestinal disorder should consult with their healthcare provider before beginning any new supplements (Steinhilber, 2024).
Both tart cherry juice and magnesium have not been shown conclusively to improve sleep, however the routine of making the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” before bedtime can help you establish a relaxing bedtime routine. A set, relaxing bedtime routine can help signal to your body that it is time to wind down and get to bed. Additionally, substituting a mocktail in for an alcoholic beverage can improve the quality of your sleep.
Sleep during perimenopause can be challenging. Social media trends like the "Sleepy Girl Mocktail" on TikTok illustrate an interest in natural remedies for sleep issues. While the effectiveness of tart cherry juice and magnesium for sleep is not fully established, incorporating a drink with potentially sleep promoting ingrediants into your routine may contribute to better sleep hygiene.
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Sources
Steinhilber, B. (2024, January 18). Can the “sleepy girl mocktail” really help you fall asleep faster? TODAY.com. https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/sleepy-girl-mocktail-rcna81975
Summer, J., & Rehman, A. (2024, January 29). Does Turkey make you sleepy?. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/what-is-tryptophan
Summer, J., & Singh, A. (2023, December 20). Using magnesium for better sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/magnesium
Suni, E., & Rosen, D. (2024, January 29). Does tart cherry juice promote better sleep?. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/tart-cherry-juice
Suni, E., & Wells, A. (2023, December 20). Melatonin and sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/melatonin