Turns out, the ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’ is the perfect mom nightcap

Maybe because it’s still Dry January, or maybe because sleep is just *so* precious (no matter what life stage you’re in), but an alcohol-free drink known as the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” has been taking over TikTok lately. If you haven’t yet seen the crimson-hued fizzy beverage in a wine glass (that’s decidedly not wine) gracing your FYP, you’re bound to soon. But the best part? Making the magnesium-based mocktail can be a form of self-care not just for tired girls everywhere but for moms looking for a way to unwind after kid bedtime—without the impending hangover. 

What is the Sleepy Girl Mocktail?

The tart cherry juice and magnesium drink was popularized by wellness influencers and is purported to give you “the best sleep of your life.” We know—that promise sounds so nice, especially as a mom—because once you enter motherhood, good sleep becomes a tenuous concept at best. 

@kaylagresh been in my sleepy girl mocktail era 😴💗✨ save mocktail recipe for later! Magnesium powder in my amazon SF under “kitchen” ✨ #sleepygirl #sleepygirlmocktail #mocktailrecipe #mocktail #thatgirl #satisfyingvideo #satisfyingsounds #asmr #asmrsounds #recipeasmr ♬ One kiss x i was Never There (薛易 Remix) – 薛易

But does it really work? Experts are divided. Magnesium is thought to calm the nervous system, but there is some conflicting scientific evidence that magnesium actually helps with sleep. What we do know is that magnesium is a trace mineral that is involved in numerous enzymatic processes in the body—and that many people are deficient. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to migraines, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and PMS. (Psst: Try taking 200-400 mg of magnesium in your luteal phase to relieve period cramps.) One form of magnesium, magnesium citrate, can help with bowel regularity (Ed. note: Avoid the tendency to take too much!). 

Tart cherry juice has long been praised for its melatonin content, but the juice contains far less of the sleep-promoting hormone than you’d find in a typical melatonin gummy. That said, the biggest benefits behind the Sleepy Girl Mocktail might be that it’s simply a way to wind down and treat yourself to a nightcap without resorting to alcohol, alongside a potent placebo effect. And that might be all you need. 

“If you start taking anything and you start believing that it allows you to go to sleep—that belief is really powerful,” Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School who studies supplements, tells The New York Times. 

It might be magical thinking, but if making this mocktail becomes part of your evening routine and that works for you, fantastic. (And yes, it should be safe to take while breastfeeding, but be sure to ask your doc just in case.) Sipping on the bubbly beverage might become something you look forward to that helps you chill out after putting the kids to bed—which, experts agree, having an intentional bedtime routine can help promote healthy sleep. 

“Maybe there’s something about the ritual of it—doing something for yourself, and feeling like you’re being intentional about trying to improve your sleep,” said Aric Prather, a psychologist and sleep specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, to The Times.

Because alcohol is a known sleep disruptor, filling a wine glass with juice, seltzer and minerals is a surely better way to go if sleep is your goal. Intrigued? Here’s how to make it. 

How to make the Moon Juice Sleepy Girl Mocktail for moms

The bedtime bevvy uses Moon Juice’s Magnesi-Om powder, which “enhances feelings of calm and relaxes muscles with 3 bioavailable magnesiums + L-Theanine,” Moon Juice says.

Ingredients

1 tsp Berry Magnesi-Om

2 oz tart cherry juice 

10 oz sparkling water (plain or flavored)

Process

Combine Berry Magnesi-Om and tart cherry juice in a glass. Top with sparkling water and ice.

Sip in bliss.

Moon Juice

Berry Magnesi-Om

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$42

SHOP MOON JUICE

R.W. Knudsen

Organic Just Tart Cherry Juice

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$5.99

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