This simple mocktail is a recipe for the best sleep of your life.
Sleep has never come easy to me. I have one of those brains that sees my head hitting the pillow as an unspoken cue to kick into overdrive. I’m not alone. According to a 2022 study, 81 percent of Americans report that their mental activity has prevented them from getting a good night’s sleep.
These particular sleep intrusions are something I’ve experienced since I was a child. I vividly remember my eight-year-old self lying in bed each night for what felt like hours, thinking about anything and everything. What will school be serving for lunch tomorrow? Will I be able to get to 200 skips on my Skip It? Did my mom wash my soccer socks for my game this weekend? Where in the house is my cat right now?
As an adult, racing thoughts at bedtime still plague me, and I’ve tried what seems like every trick in the book to quell them. Meditation, soundscapes, aromatherapy, supplements, reading, deep breathing. None of these techniques help much.
So when I stumbled on the Sleepy Girl Mocktail on TikTok, I figured I might as well give it a shot. For the uninitiated, this particular pre-bedtime mocktail is said to help relax the body, calm the mind, and allow you to drift off into sweet, deep slumber within minutes.
Read more: An Ode to Great Sleep
The mocktail’s secret to sleep is two key ingredients: tart cherry juice and magnesium. Tart cherry juice contains melatonin, a sleep hormone that naturally occurs in our bodies, and tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts the production of melatonin. Magnesium helps reduce stress and promotes relaxation. When combined, these ingredients offer a potent antidote for quality sleep.
After drinking the concoction for a week, one thing is abundantly clear: my endless stream of evening thoughts is no match for the magic of the Sleepy Girl Mocktail.
In addition to easing tension, the drink puts me out like a light within minutes of slipping under the sheets. No more mindless mulling or tossing and turning.
Ready to try out the Sleepy Girl Mocktail for yourself? Here’s the recipe.
Sleepy Girl Mocktail (one serving)
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 cup tart cherry juice
- 1 tsp. magnesium powder (I like Moon Juice’s Magnesi-Om in berry flavor)
- Splash ginger-lime sparkling water
Instructions
1. Add tart cherry juice and magnesium powder to a cup. Mix thoroughly using a whisk or fork until the magnesium is dissolved.
2. Add ice to a glass and pour the mixture over top.
3. Top off with a generous splash of sparkling water.
4. Drink and drift off to dreamland.
Pro tip: I recommend whipping up a mocktail about 40 minutes before bed to give yourself time to enjoy the ritual and still have time to initiate your wind-down routine before the effects start to take over.
Read more: Optimize Your Sleep: Choosing the Right Pillow for Comfort and Support
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