Can’t get to sleep? Try TikTok’s Sleepy Girl mocktail

When it comes to getting the best night’s sleep, I’ve tried pretty much everything, from upgrading to the best mattress to testing viral sleep hacks from TikTok. Surprisingly, the majority of TikTok’s questionable sleep hacks actually work to help you fall asleep quickly and feel more refreshed when you wake up… which is why I was so intrigued by the Sleepy Girl mocktail.

Recently, a new sleep hack did the rounds on TikTok in the form of the Sleepy Girl mocktail. TikTok-er Calee Shea originally shared her Sleepy Girl mocktail recipe on the app in January and since then, everyone’s been trying it and crediting it as giving them the best night’s sleep of their life.

So, what is the Sleepy Girl mocktail? And can it actually help you sleep? I decided to find out.

What is the Sleepy Girl mocktail?

The Sleepy Girl mocktail is packed full of sleep-inducing vitamins and minerals to help you wind down for the night and drift off to sleep quicker. It’s also a tasty and refreshing drink to have before bed and takes hardly any time to make as it only has two ingredients.

Here’s how to make the Sleepy Girl mocktail. As Calee Shea shows in her video, first fill up a glass with ice before pouring in plain tart cherry juice. Shea fills hers just above the ice so about ¾ of your glass. When trying this drink, make sure you buy cherry juice that has no sugar – the distinction here is very important but I’ll explain more later. Finally, top off your drink with some sparkling water, ginger ale or a prebiotic soda for a bit of fizz and flavour.

@caleeshea

♬ original sound - Calee | Hormone + Period Coach

And that’s it! It’s a very simple drink to make and it’s said to do wonders for helping you fall asleep at night… Let's look into why.

Does the Sleepy Girl mocktail work?

The main reason why the Sleepy Girl mocktail works is because of the cherry juice. Cherries are one of the many foods you should eat for a better night’s sleep as they’re full of beneficial properties, like melatonin. As Shea says in her video, “tart cherries can increase melatonin in the body, a hormone that your body makes in response to darkness.” Having increased levels of melatonin in the body helps regulate your circadian rhythm, improve sleep quality and quantity, and can make you feel sleepier overall.

As I mentioned above, you need to choose plain tart cherries to get their full sleepy benefits. The main reason for this is that normal cherry juice contains a huge amount of sugar which can affect how long it takes you to fall asleep – the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.

The sparkling water in the Sleepy Girl mocktail doesn’t do too much except add a nicer taste, but like the cherry juice, you should avoid ones that are too sugary to avoid a sugar spike. If you choose a prebiotic soda, this can help improve your gut health and immunity levels. Other than promoting sleep, the Sleepy Girl mocktail can also help with period cramps and stomach issues like constipation.

While the Sleepy Girl mocktail has only two ingredients, many people vouch that adding a pinch of cinnamon or a small glug of apple cider vinegar can help regulate blood sugar levels. Overall, the Sleepy Girl mocktail gets the thumbs up from me for its sleep-inducing qualities and as a tasty drink before bedtime.