Hype about “Sleepy Girl Mocktail”: does the trendy drink really help you fall asleep?

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There are many home remedies for better sleep. Especially popular is a non-alcoholic drink made from sour cherry juice, magnesium powder and soda or mineral water. What’s behind the hype surrounding the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail”. Can such a mocktail work?

“It is not so easy to judge in this case,” says nutritionist Luisa Hardt from the University Hospital in Erlangen. “It is not known how much and which juice and how much magnesium specifically was used.” At first glance, however, the components may make sense, she says. The body needs magnesium to produce the hormone melatonin from the amino acid tryptophan, which is responsible for the sleep-wake rhythm. The sour cherry juice, in turn, contains secondary plant substances that can inhibit the breakdown of tryptophan in the body, making more of this precursor available for the formation of melatonin.

Dietary supplements are often very highly concentrated

Nutritionist Hans Hauner from the Technical University of Munich is still sceptical. “The data on this is very limited. These often involve small studies with a selected group of test subjects.”

He especially doubts whether it is useful to take extra magnesium. “With an average diet we actually do not have a magnesium deficiency. No one needs this as a supplement if they are following a normal diet.”

In addition, the body can absorb magnesium better in smaller amounts during the day than in a higher dose, says Hardt. Dietary supplements are often very highly concentrated and exceed the maximum daily amount of 250 milligrams recommended by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. “This can lead to gastrointestinal problems, especially diarrhea – which can significantly disrupt your sleep.”

There is no juice available in supermarkets in this country

Tart cherry juice could have a similar effect on people who are sensitive to acid, says Hauner. The secondary plant substances that should promote sleep, on the other hand, are only in micrograms. “The concentration is so low that an effect is not plausible.”

Especially because the content of secondary plant substances can vary greatly, according to Hardt, from tart cherry juice to tart cherry juice. Research into its sleep-promoting effects mainly used juice from the Montmorency sour cherry, a special variety that contains a particularly high amount of phytochemicals and melatonin, she explains. However, it is mainly grown in the US and Canada. That is why the juice is generally not available in supermarkets in this country.

The ritual alone can help

According to Hans-Günter Weess, head of the interdisciplinary sleep center at the Pfalzklinikum in Klingenmünster in Rhineland-Palatinate, the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” has no effect whatsoever – at least if you only look at the ingredients. “What we find in studies of people with sleep disorders is that they respond strongly to placebos. So it may be that someone feels an effect of the drink if he or she firmly believes in it,” Weess explains.

Just the ritual of doing something good for yourself in the evening and relaxing can help you fall asleep. “You can make such a drink yourself, the ingredients don’t cost much,” says Weess. Therefore, the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” may not be effective, but also harmless unlike many other products that advertise a so-called sleep-promoting effect and sometimes spend a lot of money on those affected.

“It is unlikely that most people drink pure juice”

“It’s definitely something you can try if you have sleep problems,” says nutritionist Hardt. Compared to sleeping pills, significantly fewer side effects are expected. “The mocktail is always better than a glass of wine when you want to relax in the evening,” says Hauner. “Alcohol significantly disrupts sleep.”

Hardt still sees a negative point with the ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’. “Most people will not drink straight juice, which tastes very sour, but rather sour cherry nectar, which sometimes has a high sugar content.” However, in the evening you should avoid sugary drinks and foods, because otherwise your body will produce insulin at night, which can lead to weight gain in the long term, the expert emphasizes. Her advice: prefer to drink herbal tea or warm milk, which is also said to have a relaxing, sleep-promoting effect. (SDA)

Source: Blick