Sleepy Girl Mocktails
Sleepy Girl Mocktails took social media by storm this past winter, launching a movement away from melatonin and similar sleep related supplements and moving towards pre-bedtime drinks.
While there is a variety of accessible mocktails, the focus of this trend has been a tart cherry and magnesium concoction. Mocktails don’t have to be exclusively sleep-related; there are a wide variety of recipes online that have additional health benefits and are a great alternative to alcohol-based drinks.
Mocktails are a great addition to your next girls' night. Mocktails are highly customizable and allow mixologists to experiment with different flavors and aromatic elements. Mocktails can cater to individual preferences. They can also be elevated with fun glassware and garnishes.
Sleepy Girl Mocktails have dominated For You Pages on TikTok for the past few months. First posted by health and wellness influencer Calee Shea, Sleepy Girl Mocktails has come to dominate TikTok For You Pages.
Brands like Olipop and Poppi have since endorsed this trend and encouraged the use of their prebiotic sodas. Influencers use flavors like Lemon Lime or Cherry Limeade as great additions to this mocktail. Olipop challenged users to engage in the Sleepy Girl Mocktail using Olipop sodas and participating in Dry January.
Olipop's Ginger Lemon soda has been used by many in their mocktail creations. During this past January, Olipop saw over 900 videos of mocktails created using their drinks.
Influencers like Gracie Norton have collaborated with Olipop to post their own spin on the mocktail trend, including, most recently, a Blue Bliss Mocktail and the classic Sleepy Girl Mocktail. The Blue Bliss Mocktail prioritizes digestive health with its fiber-heavy ingredients.
Sleepy Girl Cocktail Ingredients
Tart cherry juice has many benefits, including key antioxidants that help boost immune systems and fight future viruses. There are also anti-inflammatory elements of the juice that help with muscle relaxation and, in turn, better sleep. Tart cherry juice also already has melatonin, helping us fall asleep faster.
Cherry juice alone can be a post-workout drink as it helps maintain blood pressure and hydration and supports muscle recovery and digestion. Cherry juice has the amino acid tryptophan, which can be converted naturally into serotonin and melatonin.
Cherry juice, in general, is taking over social media with the release of Sofia Richie Grainge's new cherry-based smoothie at Erewhon. Erewhon combines cherry juice, vanilla colostrum, magnesium Calm powder, maple syrup, and various toppings.
The two most popular forms of magnesium are magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate. Magnesium glycinate is used as a remedy for insomnia, depression, and anxiety, as well as a calming substance that can help induce more profound sleep.
Magnesium citrate is used to promote more regular digestion. There are more types of magnesium, but for this article, we will focus on magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium glycinate can work in various ways, including "reducing the stress hormone cortisol, increasing a sleep-promoting hormone called melatonin, and helping to regulate neurotransmitters for the central nervous system (CNS)."
Compared to melatonin, magnesium has less effect on the sleep-wake cycle. It is more directed towards the relaxation of the nervous system and muscles.
There are a lot of foods with naturally high amounts of magnesium that can be alternatives from taking magnesium pills or powders. Fruits like avocado, banana, and raspberries are naturally magnesium-rich. Spinach, kale, nuts, and seeds are also good sources of magnesium.
How to Make a Sleepy Girl Mocktail
Ingredients
Ice
½ cup pure tart cherry juice
1 tablespoon of magnesium powder
Sparkling water or non-caffeinated soda
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a cup with ice
Pour ½ cup of tart cherry juice over the ice
Add 1 tablespoon of magnesium powder and mix the powder into the juice with a spoon
Top off with sparkling water or soda. Lemon-lime soda or water is recommended for taste.
Enjoy!
The Science Behind the Claims
It is expected to be skeptical about Sleepy Girl Mocktails, given its rise to popularity over TikTok and Instagram. While doctors and physicians have addressed the trend and credited the ingredients to induce better sleep, it is not a cure for sleep disorders.
Tart cherry juice and magnesium powder have been scientifically proven to help induce sleep and facilitate deeper sleep.
Tart cherry juice increases natural melatonin production as well as serotonin levels. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits making it a great addition to fighting flu and allergy seasons.
Beyond the Hype: A Holistic Approach to Sleep
Approaching better sleep holistically can naturally improve deep sleep and reduce drowsiness caused by melatonin or other sleep inducers. Psychological benefits to improving your sleep include its role in how our nervous system is functioning.
If you have a disruptive night of sleep, you are more likely to face challenges handling stressors. So why are mocktails viable alternatives to melatonin and other sleep drugs? Melatonin can affect the sleep-wake cycle as we have naturally high melatonin levels at night.
Melatonin can lose its effect if taken regularly and become less responsive. An alternative to the sleepy girl mocktail wind-down method is taking a bath or warm shower close to bedtime.
Also, drinking a non-caffeinated herbal tea is another excellent option. Limiting your amount of screen time and journaling or reading a book can also be great options to wind-down.
The Verdict on Sleepy Girl Mocktails
One of the downsides of the Sleepy Girl Mocktail is the recommendation to take the drink at least 2 hours before bedtime.
This time constraint limits various lifestyles but drinking the mocktail too close to bedtime can affect sleep-wake cycles as you may wake up to use the bathroom. Ensuring your ingredients are low-sugar or zero-sugar is also essential, as consuming too much sugar before bedtime can disrupt your sleep schedule.
Sleepy Girl Mocktails are worth trying as an alternative to melatonin, as a way to decrease dependencies on melatonin, and as a fun pre-bedtime beverage. Sleepy Girl Mocktails are a great alcohol-free alternative to cocktails. They can have sleep benefits but are not a cure for sleep disorders like insomnia.
TL;DR
Sleepy Girl Mocktails have become a popular, natural sleep remedy as an alternative to melatonin. This mocktail recipe calls for tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, ice, and sparkling water or soda.
Influencers and brands have had fun customizing these mocktails and adding twists. Sleepy Girl Mocktails are a tremendous pre-bedtime drink and alternative to sleep.
About the Writer: Maeve Sullivan is a student at Georgetown University studying English and Government. She is a west coast enthusiast and loves all things reading and writing. You can learn more about Maeve on LinkedIn.
