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Sleepy Girl Mocktail

Need help winding down at the end of the day? Or just want to get the best night of sleep you can? Try the sleepy girl mocktail! This tart and bubbly concoction is easy to make, made with simple ingredients, and will help you drift off to a great night’s sleep. Read below for all of the details on this drink, how to make the sleepy girl mocktail recipe, and, if it’s a good fit for you!

After I gave up drinking a few years ago, I found myself wanting some fun beverages to fill the place of my nightly wine. And I did! Now, I enjoy delicious and fun mocktails and more functional drinks like this one or my sleepy tea on a nightly basis.

Background

Like so many trendy recipes, this became really popular on TikTok initially when Calee Shea first posted about the combination of tart cherry juice and olipop. Then it went viral again after Gracie Norton posted about it and added in the magnesium powder.

I actually learned about using tart cherry juice for sleep a few years ago after Heartbeet Kitchen shared this pink moon milk sleep tonic, which is a great warm option for colder months.

Glass of sleepy girl mocktail with garnish

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

What You’ll Love About the Sleepy Girl Mocktail

  • Deliciously tart and bubbly
  • Easy to make
  • Made with just 3 simple ingredients
  • Helps to promote a sleepy night

Ingredients

  • Cherry juice – Look for a tart cherry juice that is 100% juice. Typically you’ll find this in the “natural” section of the shelf-stable juice section.
  • Magnesium powder – Magnesium is thought to help promote relaxation, which is why it’s easy to find magnesium powders, gummies, and more! This cherry juice mocktail for sleep calls for magnesium powder, which you should be able to find in the supplement aisle of your local Whole Foods, coop, or on amazon. I personally recommend a plain flavored powder, but you could also try some of the flavors if you prefer.
  • Soda water – You have a few options when it comes to the bubbles! Soda water, or sparkling water works well, but you could also use tonic water or lemon soda. Some also use kombucha or a prebiotic soda like Poppi, which would add a different and sweeter flavor.
  • Rosemary – This is an optional garnish, but not only does it look pretty, but it also adds an incredible scent with each sip.
Ingredients to make sleepy girl mocktail recipe

Why it Works

The viral drink is a simple combination of tart cherry juice and magnesium powder, both of which are thought to have properties to help promote sleep and relaxation. It’s topped off with soda water or your favorite soda.

While the results will of course vary, I do think it works for me – and whether that is partially placebo effect or not, I’m happy when I get a great night of sleep. It could also be the ritual aspect of it and the signal that it’s wind-down and relaxation time.

How to Make the Sleepy Girl Mocktail

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

  1. Mix magnesium powder and cherry juice. In a tall glass or wine glass, mix together tart cherry juice and magnesium powder. Stir with a spoon or a hand held frother.
Pouring tart cherry juice into glass
Spoon mixing magnesium and tart cherry juice for sleepy girl drink.
  1. Finish sleepy mocktail. Fill glass with ice and top with soda water or soda if using.
  2. Garnish. The rosemary garnish is totally optional, but also helps make this drink special.
Pouring soda water over the top of sleepy girl mocktail.
Sleepy girl mocktail in a glass with rosemary garnish.

FAQs

Does the sleepy girl mocktail work?

According to plenty of people who have tried it online, YES! And both cherry juice and magnesium have some properties that could benefit sleep and relaxation. Cherry juice does have naturally occurring melatonin in it, so if melatonin helps you sleep, it would make sense that the sleepy mocktail would also work for you. But like anything, results will vary!

When should you drink the sleepy girl mocktail?

It really depends on how long you need to wind down, and how much you need to do in between the drink and your head hitting the pillow! I would start with about an hour before you go to bed and see how you feel.

Can you make the sleepy girl mocktail without magnesium?

Yes, you can make the sleepy mocktail without magnesium, but you will be missing out on the relaxation piece that the magnesium adds. You will still get the melatonin from the cherry juice, but if it’s hard for you to sleep due to stress or anxiety, the magnesium can help.

What is the best magnesium powder for this drink?

As with any supplement, you should check with your Doctor and/or medical team and do your own research. Both melatonin and magnesium affect people differently and can have negative interactions with medications so it isn’t a good fit for everyone.

Glass of sleepy girl mocktail with garnish

More Mocktail Recipes

If you like this recipe for sleepy girl mocktail, you may also like some of these other easy mocktail recipes:

Want More?

Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.

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Glass of sleepy girl mocktail with garnish

Sleepy Girl Mocktail Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews

Description

Need help winding down at the end of the day? Try the sleepy girl mocktail! This tart and bubbly drink is easy, tasty, and sleep promoting!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup tart cherry juice
  • 1 serving/scoop magnesium powder
  • soda or sparkling water, to top
  • ice
  • rosemary sprig for garnish


Instructions

  1. Add cherry juice and magnesium powder to a tall glass and stir to combine. (Some people like to use a hand held frother to mix really well.)
    Spoon mixing magnesium and tart cherry juice for sleepy girl drink.
  2. Fill glass with ice and top off with soda and stir.ย 
    Pouring soda water over the top of sleepy girl mocktail.
  3. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig.ย 
    Sleepy girl mocktail in a glass with rosemary garnish.

Notes

  • Different magnesium powders will have different serving sizes, please use the proper serving according to the variety you are using. I recommend a plain powder unless you want to experiment with different flavors.ย 
  • Prebiotic sodas like Olipop are commonly used, but soda water or sparkling water will also work. It really depends on how sweet you like your drinks. I liked the lemon lime olipop, but really prefer plain soda water for a tarter drink.ย 
  • Nutrition facts do not include magnesium (calorie free) or soda.ย 

Recipe, video, and photography by Clara-Jane Photography.

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6 Comments

  1. I was so curious about this and like it best with a ginger olipop. I need a little sweetness and the soda added the perfect amount.

  2. Definitely going to give this a try. The link to the magnesium is going to magnesium citrate. You do mention to use magnesium glycinate; will this make a difference? Thanks-

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