Last updated: October 2026
There’s no human evidence that drinking lettuce water helps you sleep. The TikTok trend comes from animal studies that used concentrated lettuce extracts, not a mug of leaves steeped in hot water. A warm, caffeine-free drink can be a relaxing part of winding down, and it’s harmless for most people. If sleep is a struggle, start with the basics.
Below: how to make it, what the research tested, a wild lettuce safety note, and how it compares with other TikTok sleep trends.
What is lettuce water and how do people make it?
Lettuce water (sometimes called lettuce tea) is simply lettuce leaves steeped in hot water. In the viral videos, people tear up a few leaves, usually romaine, pour over just-boiled water, leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, take the leaves out and sip it before bed. Some add a peppermint tea bag, because on its own it tastes like warm salad.
If you try it:
- Wash the leaves first. The Food Standards Agency advises washing fruit and vegetables, including salad leaves, and washing your hands before and after preparing food.
- Make it fresh and drink it straight away. Don’t keep a jug in the fridge.
- Never give it to babies. The NHS says herbal drinks are not recommended for babies.
What the research actually tested
Lettuce contains bitter compounds called lactucin and lactucopicrin, and lab studies suggest they act on the brain’s GABA system. That’s the basis of the claim. But look at what was given, and to whom:
| Study | What they used | In whom | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghorbani and colleagues, 2013 | Lettuce extract made with water and alcohol, injected, then a pentobarbital (sedative) injection | Mice | The extract lengthened sedative-induced sleep. The water fraction on its own did not. |
| Kim and colleagues, 2017 (the study TikTok cites) | Concentrated 70% ethanol extracts of romaine leaves and seeds, 80 to 160mg per kg of body weight, then a pentobarbital injection | Mice, 8 per group | The extracts lengthened sedative-induced sleep. It didn’t test lettuce on its own. |
| Kim and colleagues, 2019 | Green romaine extract | Rodents | Longer sleep in sedative and caffeine models |
| Ahn and colleagues, 2023 | Extract of Heukharang, a Korean lettuce bred to be higher in lactucin | Rodents | Longer sleep in sedative and caffeine models |
| Son and colleagues, 2025 | Capsules of Heukharang extract, 1,000mg a day for 4 weeks | 100 Korean adults with poor sleep, mostly women | Modest improvement versus placebo. One industry-funded trial of an extract, not lettuce water. |
| Yakoot and colleagues, 2011 | Lettuce seed oil capsules, 1,000mg, for 1 week | 60 adults with insomnia | Better questionnaire scores. Seeds, not leaves, and a small pilot. |
Most of the animal work gave lettuce extract alongside pentobarbital, a barbiturate sedative, so it shows the extract can boost a sedative, not that lettuce sedates on its own. The extracts were concentrated with alcohol, often from special varieties or seeds, at doses a few leaves in a mug can’t match. Nobody has tested lettuce water itself in people.
Why lettuce water might feel like it helps
- A warm drink and a ritual. Making a mug and sitting down is a cue that the day is over, whatever is in the mug.
- Expectation. Watch someone yawn through a video and you expect to feel sleepy. Placebo effects are real.
- What it replaces. Swapping a late coffee or glass of wine for a caffeine-free drink can help on its own. See how long caffeine lasts.
- Hydration. It’s mostly water, though a big mug right before bed can mean a trip to the loo.
If you like the ritual, a herbal tea gives you the same wind-down with more flavour. See chamomile tea and the best tea for sleep.
Wild lettuce and lactucarium: a safety note
Don’t confuse lettuce water with wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa), a different plant from the lettuce in your salad drawer. Its dried milky sap, lactucarium, is sold online as a “natural sedative”, sometimes as “lettuce opium”.
Wild lettuce can be toxic: one hospital in Iran treated eight people poisoned after eating it, one needing 48 hours in intensive care. A US toxicology report found no sign of the opiate-like effects claimed online. We don’t recommend wild lettuce or lactucarium, and if you take medication, ask a pharmacist before trying any herbal sedative.
What has better evidence for sleep
The NHS advice for poor sleep is free and much less viral: go to bed only when you’re sleepy, get up at the same time every day, keep your bedroom dark and quiet, and put screens away before bed.
- Basics: see sleep hygiene and our 60-minute bedtime routine.
- Can’t drop off? Try the techniques in how to fall asleep fast.
- Food and drink: see foods that help you sleep.
If poor sleep is affecting your daily life, see your GP, who may offer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia.
For a warm evening drink, our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a caffeine-free berry drink with magnesium bisglycinate and citrate, glycine, L-theanine and chamomile. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function; read more in magnesium for sleep. Our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a reishi hot chocolate made with organic cacao, maca and coconut milk. Cacao contains a little natural caffeine, so have it earlier in the evening.
TikTok sleep trends compared
| Trend | What it is | Evidence | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce water | Lettuce leaves steeped in hot water | None in people for the drink itself; animal studies used concentrated extracts with sedatives | Harmless ritual, don’t expect a sedative |
| Sleepy girl mocktail | Tart cherry juice, magnesium and sparkling water | A few small trials of tart cherry juice concentrate (one with 20 adults over 7 days), none of the mocktail | A pleasant wind-down drink; see tart cherry and sleep |
| Mouth taping | Tape over the lips at night | A 2025 review of 10 studies found little proven benefit and possible serious risk with sleep apnoea or a blocked nose | Skip unless a clinician advises it |
| Banana tea | Banana or banana peel boiled in water | No published sleep research | Eat the banana instead; see foods for sleep |
For more viral tips rated by evidence, see sleepmaxxing: which trends actually work and lavender for sleep.
For a TikTok sleep trend with more research behind it, see kiwi for sleep.
FAQs
Does lettuce water actually make you sleepy?
There’s no evidence it does. No study has tested lettuce water in people, and the research behind the trend used concentrated extracts in mice, mostly alongside a sedative. Any sleepiness more likely comes from the warm drink and the ritual.
How do you make lettuce water for sleep?
Wash a few leaves, pour over just-boiled water, leave for 5 to 10 minutes and remove the leaves. Drink it fresh. A peppermint tea bag improves the taste.
Is romaine or iceberg lettuce better for sleep?
The studies used concentrated extracts of romaine and a Korean variety bred to be higher in lactucin. There’s no evidence any supermarket lettuce in hot water helps you sleep.
Is lettuce water safe?
For most adults, yes, if the leaves are washed and it’s made fresh. Don’t confuse it with wild lettuce or lactucarium, which can be toxic.
Can I give lettuce water to my baby to help them sleep?
No. The NHS says breast milk, or formula, is the only drink babies need in their first 6 months, and herbal drinks are not recommended for babies. Ask your health visitor about baby sleep.
Sources
- Kim HD et al. Sleep-inducing effect of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) varieties on pentobarbital-induced sleep. Food Sci Biotechnol, 2017.
- Ghorbani A et al. Potentiating effects of Lactuca sativa on pentobarbital-induced sleep. Iran J Pharm Res, 2013.
- Kim HW et al. Effectiveness of the sleep enhancement by green romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in a rodent model. Biol Pharm Bull, 2019.
- Ahn Y et al. Heukharang lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) leaf extract displays sleep-promoting effects through GABA(A) receptor. J Ethnopharmacol, 2023.
- Son K et al. Sleep promoting effects of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) extracts in Korean adults with poor sleep quality: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Nutrients, 2025.
- Yakoot M et al. Pilot study of the efficacy and safety of lettuce seed oil in patients with sleep disorders. Int J Gen Med, 2011.
- Besharat S et al. Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) toxicity. BMJ Case Reports, 2009.
- Mullins ME, Horowitz BZ. The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract. Vet Hum Toxicol, 1998.
- Howatson G et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr, 2012.
- Rhee J et al. Breaking social media fads and uncovering the safety and efficacy of mouth taping. PLoS One, 2025.
- NHS. Insomnia.
- NHS. Drinks and cups for babies and young children.
- Food Standards Agency. E. coli.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex and Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex.
