Why TikTok's Viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail Might Actually Keep You Up at Night

There's nothing worse than losing sleep over, well, sleep.

That's why TikTok has people dreaming up a delicious new drink called the sleepy girl mocktail to help them hit the hay faster. The recipe—tart cherry juice, magnesium powder and a prebiotic soda—was originally posted by influencer Calee Shea in January 2023, and has since made a comeback on the For You Page after influencer Gracie Norton shared her own version.

As she declared of the nighttime drink, "This is working WONDERS!!"

But before you pull out your favorite glass-wear from the cupboard, we got the tea from integrative nutritionist Karina Heinrich about the claims that the sleepy girl mocktail is a cure-all for restlessness. 

"People are overwhelmed by what's healthy and what isn't," she exclusively told E! News, "I know it's easy to go on TikTok and someone's telling you this works and it's amazing. But you have to ask yourself what you're willing to try and who the source is."

So, let's break down the positives and negatives of adding this mocktail to your nightly routine.

How to make TikTok's sleepy girl mocktail

The recipe for the viral drink is quite easy to put together. All you'll need is:

1/2 cup of pure tart cherry juice
1 tablespoon of magnesium powder
Prebiotic soda or sparkling water

Does the TikTok's sleepy girl mocktail work?

Technically, yes. As Karina noted, "A lot of these ingredients potentially support a better night's sleep."

"If people are finding that this mocktail is helping them fall asleep and stay asleep, then I say cheers," the sports health coach shared. "Try what works for you because none of it is unhealthy, per se."

But there are some caveats. For one, it might not be ideal to drink a sugary beverage right before bedtime. Plus, some of the ingredients could upset your stomach when consumed in excess—more on that in a minute.

Karina added, "More research needs to be done to conclude that this combination is going to be the magic potion for sleep."

What are the pros of drinking the sleepy girl mocktail?

There are several perks to whipping up this viral recipe.

First, there's the tart cherry juice. "Tart cherries are amazing for anti-inflammatory benefits, and they have melatonin," Karina explained. "Melatonin is a hormone and contributes to sleep, so it guides your sleep-wake cycle and kickstarts your body's feeling of sleepiness."

In theory, as the nutritionist put it, a "cup of sugar-free tart cherry juice one hour before bed could help sleep quality."

As for the magnesium powder, Karina pointed out more research needs to be done. "The few studies that have been done, have shown that it helps you fall asleep easier," she shared. "It can improve the quality of sleep and it can help reduce symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome." (A condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, per Mayo Clinic).

Prebiotic sodas or sparkling water, she noted, "promote good bacteria, and having a healthy gut is related to a good night's sleep."

What are the cons of drinking the sleepy girl mocktail?

But of course, there's nothing worse than trying to combat your sleep troubles with a recipe that might add to your insomnia. And that could be the case with the sleepy girl mocktail.

After all, tart cherry juices might have "32 grams of sugar and 160 calories," according to Karina. Plus, she added, "Drinking too much tart cherry juice can cause an upset stomach."

The Karina Method founder also cautioned against magnesium powder. "It can interact with some prescription drugs, so you really need to talk to your doctor before taking magnesium," she noted. "It's not something to be haphazardly about and add to your diet."

Another potential downside of magnesium powder is the type of supplement you choose. Karina recommended looking for: magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate, "and staying away from magnesium oxide, which is basically a stool softener."

She also warned against taking more than 350 milligrams of magnesium powder because it can lead to an upset stomach and interfere with medications.

As for prebiotic sodas or sparkling water, "One big negative is the gassy side," Karina simply put it, before adding, "They're usually sweetened with cane sugar, stevia or other fruit juices. So, you've just added more sugar and more calories."

Instead, she recommended eating your prebiotics through foods like asparagus, bananas, barley beans, edamame, garlic, honey, milk, onions, peas, rice and tomatoes. 

Overall, the biggest factor to consider is how close to bedtime you're consuming food and liquids. "You're going to wake up to go to the bathroom," Karina shared. "Close the kitchen down at least one hour before bed."

What are some alternatives to the sleepy girl mocktail?

Instead of whipping up a drink, Karina offered another recipe before bedtime. "Have banana with almond butter on top of it," she suggested. "Right there, you've just created a really high melatonin, high magnesium [meal]."

She continued, "There's a more diet-friendly and digestive-friendly way to get all of these sleep promoting ingredients."

What are the takeaways?

"Be your own advocate before you take these magic potions," Karina said. "If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is."

Karina's best advice for getting some zzzs? Figure out what's holding you back from falling asleep in the first place.

"Changing a few lifestyle habits," she continued, "like going to bed 30 minutes earlier than you normally would, making sure your room is cool, getting a sound machine, reading a book instead of your device could potentially give you 10 times better sleep."

We'll cheers to that.