Have you heard about the viral TikTok Sleepy Girl Mocktail? I’m obsessed and it’s my new favorite part of my nightly routine. I can’t wait to tell you all the health benefits that come with this delicious drink! If you’re like me and are sick of how that glass of wine is affecting your health and hoping to find a healthier way to wind down at night, this sleepy girl mocktail recipe might just fit the bill! For a better night’s sleep and a delicious drink, read on to find out everything you need to know about this viral drink!
What is a Sleepy Girl Mocktail?
The Sleepy Girl Mocktail consists of tart cherry juice, sparkling water and a scoop of magnesium powder. Its purpose is to help improve sleep and relax the body. The combination of tart cherry juice and blue lemon Magnesia-Om is the key. However, the original recipe it calls for the mixed berry flavor. I personally haven’t tried it so I can’t say which one is better.
I drink mine with a ton of crushed ice. I like that it’s sour and fizzy. Its sweetness is a 3 on a scale of 1-10 which suits me very well.
You might be wondering where this viral recipe came from and I have to give credit where it’s due. From what I understand, it came from TikTok Health influencer, Calee Shea and it went viral after that Gracie Norton she shared it on her TikTok.
My alcohol journey:
Sometime after kids (13 years ago) I made great friends with wine. I enjoyed a few glasses anywhere from 2-4 nights a week. It was a relaxing ritual that made me really happy. Until he didn’t. Fast forward to about 3 years ago and I stopped enjoying my wine nights. I had developed a terrible habit of snacking while drinking and gained almost 15 pounds. My cortisol levels were high, hormones were about to change, and I was sleeping terribly. I didn’t feel the same excitement I had years ago. I knew it was time to let the wine go.
Quitting drinking was much easier than I expected. It was such a relief to make better decisions about my body and I actually enjoyed sleeping much better and waking up feeling good. I think doing the right thing for myself overcame the habit and enjoyment of snacks and wine. Additionally, cortisol is such an important hormone to watch out for. It is the “stress hormone” and can go into overdrive when someone experiences stress overload for a prolonged period of time.
There are several indicators of excess cortisol. One is excess belly fat and another issue is waking up at 3am most nights. Cortisol should start pumping around 6-8am to get you out of bed. This is normal. However, when you have too much, it starts to wake you up too early. About a year ago, I gave up coffee and alcohol among other lifestyle changes in order to reduce my cortisol overproduction. I learned a lot from the blog, Deliciously Organic. Depart THIS article for more on cortisol and how to curb overproduction.
About 2 months ago I heard about a mocktail drink that was low in sugar, helped with sleep and was supposed to taste good. I had to try it. At the time my daughters and I were watching The Bachelorette and it made me go back to drinking and snacking on Monday nights. Nothing had changed, in fact my body’s reaction to alcohol seemed worse and my guilt about it made it enjoyable. This prompted me to try the Sleepy Girl Mocktail with my Bachelor night snacks. I wondered if the mocktail would quench my need minus the alcohol buzz. Low and behold it did the trick and I was sold! I didn’t miss the alcohol at all and my snacking was much more controlled because the alcohol didn’t impair my judgement.
This is my middle-aged drinking story, and I have a feeling many of you can relate. I could talk about my journey with alcohol all day, so leave me a comment if this rings a bell. I really feel so relieved and happy that cutting drinking out of my routine was much easier than I expected.
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Sleepy Girl Mocktail Ingredients:
Tart cherry juice it’s full of vitamins and minerals, but most notably it’s an excellent source of antioxidants. It is known to help one recover from physical exertion and has anti-inflammatory properties. What makes it an obvious choice for this particular recipe is that it contains melatonin which is known as the ‘sleep hormone’! There isn’t a high concentration of melatonin, but it’s certainly what makes tart cherry juice an obvious choice for this mocktail. It is also an excellent source of tryptophan, which also has sleep-inducing properties. Yes, that’s in Turkey and the reason all the old people in your family are sleeping after Thanksgiving dinner! Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is converted to serotonin and then converted to melatonin. A few small ones studies show that tart cherry juice can improve sleep.
Magnesium powder it really helps relax muscles and is known to improve sleep. It is an essential mineral that must be taken daily as a dietary supplement. Magnesium is a nutrient that every cell in the body needs to function.
According to Moon Juice (my favorite source for magnesium), the best magnesium supplement is one that is highly bioavailable and easily absorbed in the gut, such as magnesium citrate, magnesium gluconate, and magnesium acetyl taurine. Each type of magnesium affects the body differently.
- Citrate draws water into the intestines to support regularity.
- Magnesium gluconate can help regulate blood pressure and cardiovascular function.
- Magnesium acetyl taurine supports muscle relaxation and cognitive function.
I have taken magnesium for years to keep things regular and improve sleep. In fact, a great way to increase your magnesium levels is to take an Epsom salt bath! Talk about relaxing your muscles!
I recommend using it Moon Juice’s Magnesi-Om Blue Lemon.
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Sparkling water: I use Lacroix, but many people swear by prebiotic soft drinks like Poppi or Olipop. Carbonated water is absolutely necessary because using whole tart cherry juice would be too sour and, even if no extra sugar is added, the juice is still high in sugar and can raise blood sugar.
Ingredients
- Crushed ice
- 1/2 cup pure tart cherry juice (no sugar added)
- 1 tsp. Blue Lemon Magnesi-Om Powder
- Top up with sparkling water
Instructions
- Add crushed ice to a glass.
- Pour in the tart cherry juice
- Add a teaspoon of magnesium powder
- Top up with sparkling water.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Using a Magic Bullet blender or frother isn’t necessary, but it makes a great, frothy lather!
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Where to find Mocktail ingredients?
Tart cherry juice can usually be found at your local grocery store. Make sure you find pure tart cherry juice with NO ADDED SUGAR.
Magnesium powder can be found on Amazon or at Moonjuice website.
Mocktail Tips:
- I like to drink mine in a wine glass. In fact, being the wine geek that I was, I have a set of boring stemless wine glasses and a set of large, purple glass wine glasses with a thin stem. I use my fancy wine glass every time. I found it too some beautiful cocktail glasses at Anthropologie and use them occasionally too. And yes, I only bought one of many different collections. I think it is very important to make this a special ritual. That was wine for me. It was my own form of self-care, so in order to find a replacement, it was important to make the drink special.
- I don’t usually use a magic bullet or bubble bath, but I have used my foam and the bubbly, bubbly goodness is worth it. I’ve tried a cocktail shaker and while it produced more foam, it wasn’t worth the extra glass I had to clean.
- You could add lemon or lime juice for extra vitamin C and more sourness.
- I highly recommend going for it Moon Juice Magnesium-Om Blue Lemon Magnesium Powder. I think it makes the drink very special. I took one for the team and tried a more easily accessible and affordable magnesium powder, Calm (cherry flavored) and the mocktail was not good. I think you could also use an unflavored magnesium powder and that would be better than Calm. I will say that I hate the taste of Calm. If you like it, I’m sure it would be a decent alternative.
- I prefer to use unflavored water like Lacroix, Pellegrino or Perrier, but many people like to add prebiotic soda like Olipop or Poppi.
- Moon Juice has a brand new magnesium powder containing a micro dose of melatonin. If you have trouble sleeping, I think this would be a great product to try in your mocktail!
- Don’t forget a fun garnish like mint leaves or a sprig of rosemary!
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How long does it take for Sleepy Girl Mocktail to start?
I recommend making your drink about an hour before going to bed. I can feel the relaxing effects immediately, but that may be because the enjoyment and ritual of drinking it lets my body know I’m done for the day. As for knocking you out, it won’t be a dramatic need to sleep.
I will say that this mocktail may be an acquired taste. The first time I tried it I thought it tasted different but interesting. The 2nd night I liked it more and the 3rd night I loved it and really craved it all day. I have calmed down for the most part, but I look forward to drinking my “drink” almost every night.
This tart cherry mocktail gets 2 thumbs up from me. Not only did it improve my sleep, it was a tool to kick my wine habit. I believe it has calmed my nervous system too and I love the ritual of it. If you try it let me know!
xx, Jenny