You may have heard of the “sleepy girl mocktail” while scrolling on TikTok. The viral drink recipe allegedly promotes relaxation before bedtime, but are the rumors true? The Tiger recently tested out the three-ingredient beverage.

The drink first gained popularity in March of 2023, when it was first posted on TikTok by wellness creator Gracie Norton. The three ingredients include tart cherry juice, magnesium glycinate powder and a splash of prebiotic soda (popular brands include Poppi and Olipop).

Tart cherry juice is known to help with insomnia or at least help you get to sleep. Nutritionist Melissa Pfeister told “Good Morning America” that tart cherries contain naturally high amounts of melatonin and are “packed with anti-inflammatory properties which lower our stress hormones, helping us to more fully relax.”

The other star ingredient, magnesium glycinate, is reported to relieve anxiety, manage blood sugar and lower blood pressure. It is also a form of magnesium with little to no side effects.
The New York Times recently published an article analyzing the effectiveness of the drink, concluding that it may just be a placebo; however, intentionally trying to improve your sleep cycle and creating a wind-down period may help you sleep.

When attempting to create the viral drink myself, there came to be a few issues. Firstly, powdered magnesium glycinate is not very easy to come by. If one wanted to recreate the recipe, I recommend ordering magnesium online instead of searching for it in-store. It was fairly easy, however, to find the soda and the tart cherry juice.

Creating the concoction was simple enough. Viral videos of the recipe across TikTok vary in exact numbers, but general guidelines are to use a half-cup of tart cherry juice, one tablespoon of magnesium powder and a generous pour of the prebiotic soda.

I found the flavor of the drink to be quite bitter and heavy on the stomach late at night. I do believe that making and drinking the drink put me in a relaxed state before bed, but I did not notice significant tiredness compared to taking melatonin or a bedtime tea.

Overall, the mocktail may be able to foster a nighttime ritual, but ultimately, there are better options out there for sleep remedies in terms of taste and effectiveness.