Does the sleepy girl mocktail (magnesium with cherry juice) help you sleep?
Magnesium may make some difference for older adults with sleep problems or for people with a deficiency, but its effect has not yet been convincingly demonstrated in healthy adults. Cherry juice as an ingredient has barely been studied, so the sleepy girl mocktail as a whole has not been proven effective.
The sleepy girl mocktail (cherry juice with magnesium powder) is more popular on social media than the evidence warrants. Not a single study has tested this specific combination. Cherry juice as a sleep aid has not been examined in the available studies. The magnesium component has the most support, but even that is limited.
If you want to try magnesium for sleep, choose a tablet or capsule containing magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide: the label will list this as 'magnesium (elemental)' with the dose in milligrams per tablet. For healthy adults, the amounts studied are 320 to 500 mg of elemental magnesium per day, for at least 8 to 12 weeks. For older adults with sleep problems, studies used less than 1 gram per dose, up to three times a day, also for at least 8 to 12 weeks. One thing that does not matter: the calcium-to-magnesium ratio on the label makes no demonstrable difference for sleep.
The evidence is weak. Three small studies involving 151 older adults found that magnesium helped people fall asleep an average of 17 minutes faster than a placebo, but all three had methodological shortcomings. In one of those studies, the placebo group slept just as well as the magnesium group, suggesting a strong expectation effect. A large population study found that people with the highest dietary magnesium intake were less likely to sleep too little than those with the lowest intake, but it cannot be ruled out that people who eat a lot of magnesium-rich foods also lead healthier lives in other respects. For healthy adults without a deficiency, the effect on sleep has not yet been convincingly demonstrated.
In patients with diabetes who had sleep problems, one study of 290 participants showed an improvement in insomnia symptoms. In that study, people with diabetes received magnesium oxide tablets for 2 months. Always discuss this with your doctor, and never take magnesium on your own as a sleep aid if you have a medical condition or are using medication. The sleepy girl mocktail is not worth the money if you expect the cherry juice to add something: there is simply no evidence for that.
Based on multiple observational studies, a meta-analysis of 3 small RCTs (n=151), an RCT in patients with diabetes (n=290), and a large population study (n>20,000). No study tested the sleepy girl mocktail as a combined preparation. The quality of evidence for magnesium and sleep is low to moderate.
Does magnesium glycinate help you sleep better?
Magnesium may offer some benefit for sleep in certain people who are deficient or have a medical condition, but this has not been demonstrated for healthy people without a deficiency. If you have had poor sleep for years, first discuss with your doctor whether other causes may be involved.
Does magnesium really help you sleep better and keep your mind sharp?
Magnesium may be worth trying for sleep problems, but the evidence is limited and the studies are partly contradictory. At normal doses it is safe; in any case, make sure you get enough through your diet.
When should you take magnesium for sleep?
Take magnesium about an hour before bedtime, but do not expect a guaranteed effect: the evidence is thin and a substantial placebo effect is likely playing a role.
What does alcohol do to the quality of my sleep, and is there anything that can be done about it?
Alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, but measurably disrupts the rest of your night, even with just two drinks. If you want to sleep better, drinking less or no alcohol before bed is the most effective step.
Is it better to take magnesium in the evening?
Evening intake sounds logical given magnesium's role in melatonin and sleep, but no research directly compares evening versus morning use. Take magnesium at the time that is easiest for you to stick to consistently, preferably with a meal to limit stomach complaints.
Which form of magnesium is best to take?
Magnesium citrate has the strongest evidence for absorption into the body. Magnesium oxide, the cheapest option, demonstrably performs the worst and is best avoided.