Tart cherry juice is a key ingredient in TikTok’s ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’—but can it actually improve your sleep?

Published Sat, Apr 22 2023 10:00 AM EDT

Renée Onque@IAMRENEEONQUE

Graphic: Gabriel Cortes / CNBC

In the endless pursuit of better sleep, many people have turned to unconventional methods like mouth taping, which trended for months on social media, and even hotel rooms designed for the ideal sleep experience.

Now, TikTok users have moved on to the “sleepy girl mocktail” and they insist it’s the magic potion for a good night’s rest.

Dubbed “sleepy girl mocktales” on the app, the trending bedtime drink has over 124 million views.

The concoction, which consists of magnesium, prebiotic soda and, the key ingredient, tart cherry juice, first blew up when wellness influencer Gracie Norton said it gave her the best sleep of her life.

Tart cherry juice is often touted for its positive impact on sleep, but how true are those claims?

CNBC Make It talked to Azizi Seixas, a sleep and circadian sciences expert at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, to help decipher the fact from fiction about tart cherry juice’s effectiveness as a sleep aid.

Can tart cherry juice actually improve your sleep?

The truth is “it’s very complex, but I’ll make it quite simple,” says Seixas. “There has been evidence that it does, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Tart cherry juice has many different health benefits, and sleep can be one of them. This is because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that can prompt the production of melatonin, which induces sleep, says Seixas. A lot of us who suffer from sleep deprivation, don’t suffer from [it] because of underproduction of melatonin, it’s primarily because of all of these different lifestyle barriers like stress [and] poor eating. Azizi SeixasSLEEP AND CIRCADIAN SCIENCES EXPERT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

But that isn’t the only reason why tart cherry juice may positively affect sleep, he says. There are several indirect ways that tart cherry juice can possibly improve sleep based on its other potential health benefits like:

• Weight loss: Individuals with “a more average body mass index typically don’t have problems with sleeping” in the same way that people who are overweight may, says Seixas. Those with higher-than-average BMIs have a greater chance of developing disordered breathing that can lead to sleep apnea, he adds.
• Exercise recovery: Exercise can help to induce sleep, he notes, and people likely sleep better when their muscles are aching less.
• Stress reduction: “Several studies have shown that people who have emotional distress, or go through a very stressful day, or have a very stressful event just before bedtime, can have difficulties falling asleep [and] staying asleep as well,” says Seixas.
• Hydration: Feeling hydrated is “critical to ensure a good night’s sleep,” he notes.

Tart cherry juice will only improve your sleep if you’re lacking in natural melatonin

If the question is ‘who should drink tart cherry juice for sleep,’ Seixas says it should be people who aren’t able to produce enough melatonin, which doesn’t apply to most people who are dealing with sleep issues.

“A lot of us who suffer from sleep deprivation, don’t suffer from [it] because of underproduction of melatonin, it’s primarily because of all of these different lifestyle barriers like stress [and] poor eating,” he says.

Generally, our bodies produce the necessary amount of melatonin, Seixas notes: “I don’t believe we should take high degrees of [melatonin]. Usually, [it] should be at most three milligrams.”

Unless you’re one of the few people who aren’t able to naturally produce enough melatonin, drinking tart cherry juice before bed likely won’t help you sleep any better.

Lisaamc | Istock | Getty Images

Drinking tart cherry juice for sleep does have drawbacks

Seixas says it’s important for people keep in mind that tart cherry juice is high in sugar, which can have the opposite effect on sleep if you drink it too close to your bedtime.

For people who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, “that can significantly spike your glucose levels,” which can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep and have health consequences, he notes.

To avoid this, you should aim to drink tart cherry juice at least two hours before bed, says Seixas.

“Whatever glucose spike that you get, [time] would allow your body to produce the levels of insulin to reduce the glycemic spike, so that your glucose levels normalize by the time you go to bed,” which takes about two hours, he adds.

Tart cherry juices can also be very acidic, says Seixas, which can “impact the enamel of your teeth” and have adverse effects on people with acid reflux, or who are at risk of developing it.

With all of that in mind, the main concern for Seixas is this: “People won’t tackle and address the causes of their insomnia [and] the sleep deprivation that they go through. And, they might try and use this quick fix of tart cherry juice.”

“It might be helpful,” he says, “But it should not be seen as a primary, long-term solution.