As of: March 15, 2024, 8:49 p.m
By: Felix Herz
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Sleep problems are common and many are looking for solutions.
A new trend promises to help, but experts are skeptical.
Erlangen - It's late and sleep just won't come.
You lie awake, tossing from side to side and looking at the clock becomes torture. The next morning you feel like you've been wiped out.
Insomnia is a common problem.
So it's hardly surprising that the "Sleepy Girl Mocktail" has become a trend on social media.
In numerous clips, for example on the video platform TikTok, you can see young women in pajamas or jogging suits mixing a non-alcoholic drink from sour cherry juice, magnesium powder and either lemonade or mineral water.
This is supposed to improve sleep, is quick to prepare and definitely looks trendier than a cup of chamomile tea.
But what does science say about this?
Can a mocktail like this actually work?
One look at TikTok with the hashtag “#sleepygirlmocktail” – you get almost 7,000 results.
The drink is trending and is said to help you fall asleep.
But is that actually true?
© Screenshot TikTok / picture alliance/dpa |
Monika Skolimowska / Mercury collage
Experts classify trendy drinks – at first glance it makes sense
“It’s not that easy to judge in this case,” says nutritionist Luisa Hardt from the University Hospital in Erlangen.
“You don’t know how much and which juice and how much magnesium were specifically used.” At first glance, however, the ingredients could definitely 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 tart cherry juice also contains phytochemicals that could inhibit the breakdown of tryptophan in the body, so that more of it is available for melatonin production.
Nevertheless, nutritional doctor Hans Hauner from the Technical University of Munich is skeptical.
“The data on this is very thin.
These are mostly small studies with a selected group of test subjects.” He particularly doubts whether additional magnesium intake makes sense.
“With an average diet, we don’t actually have a magnesium deficiency.
No one needs this as a supplement if they eat a normal diet.”
In addition, the body can absorb magnesium better in smaller amounts throughout the day than in a higher dose, adds 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 night's sleep."
“Effect not plausible”: Cherry variety is also an important factor – but it is hardly available here
Sour cherry juice could have a similar effect on people who are sensitive to acid, says Hauner.
The secondary plant substances that are supposed to promote sleep, on the other hand, are only contained in microgram amounts.
“The concentration is so low that an effect is not plausible.”
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In addition, the content of secondary plant substances in sour cherry juice can vary greatly, explains Hardt.
Studies on the sleep-promoting effect mostly used juice from the Montmorency sour cherry, a special variety that contains a particularly high amount of phytochemicals and melatonin.
However, this variety is mainly grown in the USA and Canada, which is why the juice is unlikely to be found in supermarkets here.
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Many people suffer from sleep problems - the mocktail will not solve them
Sleep problems are common.
Six to ten percent of people in Germany suffer from a sleep disorder that requires treatment, says Hans-Günter Weeß, head of the interdisciplinary sleep center at the Pfalzklinikum in Klingenmünster in Rhineland-Palatinate.
“That’s at least five million people.
That’s why we can speak of a widespread disease.”
Many of those affected have had problems falling asleep and staying asleep for years and are therefore desperate.
They are often very susceptible to pseudo-medical offers, expensive lifestyle products, nutritional tips and apps or smartwatches that are intended to measure and monitor sleep, says Weeß.
“But you won’t be able to treat a real sleep disorder with this.”
In his opinion, the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” also has no effect - at least if you only look at the ingredients.
“What we find in studies with people with sleep disorders is that they react strongly to placebos.
So it could be that someone feels an effect from the drink if they firmly believe in it,” explains Weeß.
In some respects, the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” can help – as a ritual
The evening ritual of doing something good for yourself and relaxing could help you fall asleep.
“You can make a drink like this yourself, the ingredients don’t cost much,” says Weeß.
Therefore, the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” could be ineffective, but harmless compared to many other products that advertise their supposed sleep-promoting effects and for which those affected sometimes spend a lot of money.
“It’s certainly something you can try if you have sleep problems,” says nutritionist Hardt.
Compared to sleeping pills, significantly fewer side effects are to be expected.
“The mocktail is always better than a glass of wine if you want to unwind in the evening,” says Hauner.
“Alcohol significantly disrupts sleep.”
However, Hardt sees a disadvantage 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.” In the evening you should avoid sugary drinks and food, otherwise the body will release insulin overnight, which can promote weight gain in the long term , emphasizes the expert.
Her recommendation: It's better to drink a herbal tea or hot milk, which is also said to have a relaxing, sleep-promoting effect.
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The editor Felix Herz wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
Find out more about our AI principles here.