If you’re not the best sleeper, you’re likely always searching for ways to improve your bedtime routine to promote more restful Z’s. There are plenty of home remedies, soothing beverages, apps, and devices out there that claim to help you get your best sleep yet. For example, most recently, people have been drinking “magnesium mocktails” for better sleep—and rave about the results. But do they truly live up to the hype?
We here at Eat This, Not That! spoke with Dorsey Standish, MS, a mechanical engineer, neuroscientist, wellness expert, and CEO of Mastermind Meditate, to see if adding a magnesium mocktail to your nighttime regimen is worth it. Read on to learn more, and when you’re finished, be sure to check out People Swear by the ‘Scandinavian Sleep Method’ for Better Sleep: ‘It’s Absolutely Amazing!’
What are magnesium mocktails?
People on TikTok are sharing their magnesium mocktail recipes and claim they help them relax, fall asleep, and stay asleep. TikToker Ashley Flores revealed in a video, “So I have this mocktail every single night, and anytime I have one of my girlfriends try it, they become addicted, too. So I figured why not share it with you, because I’m obsessed, and it helps me relax so much before bed.”
Her recipe includes flavored water or flavored sparkling water, like Olipop’s Ginger Lemon flavor, along with tart cherry juice, which offers nutrients and really helps you relax. In addition, Flores adds powdered magnesium, which is key, and dried blood oranges.
TikToker Gracie Norton also hopped on the “sleepy girl mocktail” bandwagon, noting in her video, “I tried it last night and got the best sleep of my life.” She includes a teaspoon of magnesium powder and a cup to a cup and a half of pure tart cherry juice (frothed together). Norton then pours the mixture into a wine glass with ice and tops the mixture off with Lemon Lime Olipop.
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Can magnesium mocktails help you sleep better?
Magnesium cocktails sure do look aesthetically pleasing, but do they work? Standish spills the tea. “Magnesium is an essential element for hundreds of biochemical processes in the human body and therefore plays an important role in overall health,” she explains. “Magnesium supplementation may reduce feelings of stress and anxiety and promote calm in the nervous system. Some studies have found positive effects on sleep quality from taking magnesium before bedtime, but more research is still needed.”
If you’re eager to try out the trend and prepare a magnesium mocktail before heading to sleep, Standish suggests taking a cue from Dr. Andrew Huberman and using a form like Magnesium Threonate or Magnesium Bisglycinate, both of which are easily absorbed by the body. “Some potential other things to add to your sleep mocktail include L-theanine and ashwagandha, which also promote calm in the nervous system,” Standish adds. She herself takes magnesium and L-theanine gummies each night after dinner to wind down and signal to her body it’s time to rest before bed.
As always, it’s important to check in with your healthcare provider before incorporating any supplements into your routine.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
