Credit: Ellissa Bain

The Sleepy Girl Mocktail is taking over TikTok as people strive to get a better night’s sleep. It’s made up of three key ingredients, which are supposed to make you feel more tired, fall asleep quicker and stay snoozing all night.

However, a sleep expert has exclusively told The Focus one item in the recipe could be the reason it’s not working for you. They actually recommend ditching one of the ingredients as it can have negative effects on your stomach. Here’s how to make the perfect Sleepy Girl Mocktail that will ACTUALLY help you sleep and avoid those pesky digestive issues.

Viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail

The Sleepy Girl Mocktail is made of tart cherry juice, magnesium powder and soda water and supposed to be consumed around half an hour before bed to help you sleep better. It has been circling TikTok since 2023, but suddenly gone viral this month.

People are swearing by the bedtime drink, with one person saying “It really helps you get the best sleep of your life,” and another adding: “I was yawning at 8:30 okay. I felt so relaxed and sleepy and went to sleep at 9:30.”

Australia’s number one sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo told The Focus tart cherries are rich in melatonin, which can “promote deeper sleep”. Melatonin is a hormone which rises at night and returns to normal during the day, controlling how and when you sleep.

She also said magnesium is our main muscle relaxant, which “can help us feel more calm,” but you have to make sure you’re using the right type because otherwise, you might experience some nasty side effects.

Use the right magnesium

A number of people have been reporting horrible stomach cramps, gas, bloating and diarrhea after drinking the mocktail.

“DO NOT drink the sleepy girl mocktail if you have a sensitive stomach. Fought for my life today,” one person wrote on Twitter/X.

Another TikTok user explained she had a great night’s sleep after making the cocktail, but had a really “unwell” stomach at work the next day.

Arezzolo said the issues are due to the magnesium used. Magnesium oxide is a gastrointestinal relaxant, which aids constipation, and too much can actually have a laxative effect.

In the Sleepy Girl Mocktail, you need to be using Magnesium glycinate instead, which “does not have such an impact” on the stomach.

Magnesium oxide is an “inorganic salt of magnesium formed with ions of magnesium and oxygen,” Healthline explains, whereas Magnesium glycinate is more easily absorbed by the body.

Ditch the soda

Our sleep expert also recommended ditching the soda because it has no nutritional value at all and “can also contribute to digestive issues”.

Soda is heavily carbonated, and the bubbles can cause a buildup of gas which can lead to bloating, cramping, and discomfort, Quench Water explains.

It can also increase stomach acid production, which upsets your stomach lining and cause heartburn and acid reflux.

Plus, your stomach can be further upset by aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in diet soda that disrupts your gut’s microbiome.

“If you abide by these rules: Stick to the serving sizes suggested, have magnesium glycinate not oxide, and avoid soda – this should have a sleep-supportive impact,” Olivia concluded.

Originally featured on The Focus