What is the ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’ that is helping Gen-Z fight insomnia on TikTok?

Sleep is crucial to our well-being, but these days, restless nights and insomnia are unfortunately commonplace. On TikTok, some internet users think they’ve found the miracle solution in the “sleepy girl mocktail,” a drink that combines tart cherry juice, magnesium and prebiotic soda. But does this mocktail really help you drift off to sleep? Experts aren’t so sure.

On TikTok, wellness influencers are currently promoting a remedy that’s supposed to help people fall asleep more easily. Called the “sleepy girl mocktail,” this concoction requires just three ingredients: tart cherry juice, magnesium powder and prebiotic soda. This creation was popularised by Gracie Norton, an American influencer, whose video has attracted over a million curious viewers. According to her, these ingredients are the perfect blend for a good night’s sleep. And she’s not alone, since the #SleepyGirlMocktail hashtag has over 50 million views on TikTok.

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What is the ‘Sleepy Girl Cocktail’ that is helping Gen-Z fight insomnia on TikTok?

https://www.tiktok.com/@gracie_norton/video/7215025334532574506

At first glance, this bedtime cocktail seems harmless to health. But does it really live up to its promise? While tart cherry juice and magnesium contain melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, their real effectiveness in helping people drift off is still open to debate. At present, there are still too few studies on the subject to draw definitive conclusions, and those that are available have been carried out on limited samples.

Is the Sleepy Girl Mocktail a placebo effect?

According to Marie Pierre St-Onge, a professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University, interviewed by the New York Times, tart cherry juice does contain melatonin, but in tiny quantities compared to products specifically designed to promote sleep. One study found that 100 grams of tart cherry juice contained around 0.01% of a milligram of melatonin.

As for magnesium powder, although it is recommended to improve sleep, there is no solid scientific evidence to support its sleep-inducing qualities. A 2022 analysis of nine papers on this supplement showed links between magnesium intake and better sleep, but randomised controlled trials have often concluded that there is no significant effect.

As for prebiotic soda, such as the Olipop used in the TikTok recipe, its usefulness for better sleep is uncertain. “While there is some evidence that prebiotics can support better sleep, prebiotic sodas are pricey, and it’s hard to say if they’d have any immediate impact,” dietician Samantha Cassetty told Today. “The ingredients in prebiotic sodas can trigger digestive discomforts like bloating, gassiness and diarrhea, and they don’t come with the benefits that prebiotic-rich whole foods offer.” Other TikTok videos suggest alternative recipes for the mocktail, replacing the soda with sparkling water, for example.

According to Dr Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, this mocktail is unlikely to be harmful to health. However, he told the New York Times that its effectiveness could be due to the placebo effect, highlighting the power of conviction.

This story is published via AFP Relaxnews.