Sleepy Girl Mocktail: The UK Recipe, Which Magnesium and Does It Work?

What is a sleepy girl mocktail?

It’s a three-ingredient, alcohol-free drink that went viral on TikTok in 2023:

• Tart cherry juice: Montmorency (sour) cherries, not cherryade. They contain a little natural melatonin (in the UK, melatonin supplements are prescription-only).
• Magnesium powder: usually glycinate or citrate.
• Something fizzy: prebiotic soda in the original, or plain sparkling water.

It’s also a swap for an evening glass of wine: the NHS advises no alcohol for about 6 hours before bed.

Sleepy girl mocktail recipe (UK)

Our version: we use one scoop of our berry-flavoured magnesium glycinate drink powder: 290mg of magnesium per 4.75g serving. New to magnesium? Start with a third of a scoop.

Which magnesium is best for a sleepy girl mocktail?

Glycinate (or bisglycinate) is the usual pick: it’s gentle on the stomach. Citrate is well absorbed but draws water into the bowel, so a big dose can loosen stools: not ideal at bedtime.

Label maths: read the “magnesium” line, not the compound weight. Magnesium bisglycinate is about 14% magnesium by molecular weight, so 1,000mg of the compound gives roughly 140mg of magnesium.

How much: the NHS says adults need 300mg a day (men) or 270mg (women), mostly from food, and that 400mg or less a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. So 100mg to 200mg in a mocktail is plenty. More on magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate and the best time to take magnesium, or see our UK magnesium supplement guide.

Does the sleepy girl mocktail work? What the evidence says

No study has tested the mocktail itself. The trials of each ingredient are small:

• Tart cherry, 20 adults (UK, 2012): 7 days of concentrate raised melatonin levels and increased time asleep, measured with wrist monitors.
• Tart cherry, 15 older adults with insomnia (2010): less time awake in the night than placebo, but no faster sleep onset. Effects were modest.
• Tart cherry, 8 adults over 50 with insomnia (2018): 240ml twice a day for 2 weeks added 84 minutes of sleep in a sleep lab: far more juice than one mocktail.
• Magnesium, 3 trials in 151 older adults (2021 review): people fell asleep about 17 minutes faster, but the evidence was rated low quality.
• Magnesium bisglycinate, 155 adults with poor sleep (2025): 250mg of magnesium a day gave a small improvement in insomnia scores over 4 weeks.

A 2025 review of seven tart cherry studies called the evidence “limited and heterogeneous”, and no sleep claim for magnesium or tart cherry is authorised in the UK. More on tart cherry for sleep and magnesium for sleep.

How long does it take to work? It isn’t a sedative. The trials ran for one to four weeks, so judge it after a couple of weeks. If poor sleep goes on for months, the NHS advises seeing a GP.

Ready-made: the Holland and Barrett Snoozy Mocktail

Holland and Barrett calls its Snoozy Mocktail its take on the sleepy girl mocktail. From its website, checked October 2026 (Evopure isn’t connected with Holland and Barrett):

• A lightly sparkling cherry drink in 250ml cans, “made with tart cherry juice, magnesium and chamomile extract”.
• Ingredients list water, inulin (2.5%), concentrated red cherry juice (2%), natural flavourings, magnesium, citric acid, potassium sorbate, chamomile extract (0.03%) and stevia.
• Per can: 43kcal, 2.5g of sugar, 1.3g of fibre. The magnesium amount isn’t stated online.
• Labelled not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women and young children.
• The single can’s page shows “Discontinued”; the four-pack was still on sale.

Other ready-made drinks are compared in our UK magnesium drink guide, including Trip Mindful Blend cans and Healthy Metal sachets.

How much sugar is in a sleepy girl mocktail?

Unsweetened tart cherry juice still counts as free sugar. The NHS says adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day and limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day in total. A 120ml pour fits but uses most of that 150ml; sweetened sodas or lemonade add more. The NHS suggests having juice with meals to protect teeth, so rinse with water if you drink it after brushing.

Sleepy girl mocktail variations

• Without prebiotic soda: plain sparkling water works just as well, and some people find prebiotic fibre gives them wind or bloating.
• Lower sugar: use 60ml juice (or 15ml concentrate) and more sparkling water.
• Warm version: stir concentrate and magnesium powder into warm (not boiling) water.
• Other bedtime drinks: lettuce water, two kiwis before bed and Horlicks; for the best evidence, see our natural sleep aids guide and CBD oil for sleep guide.

Who should check first

• Kidney disease: speak to your GP before taking any magnesium supplement.
• Medicines: magnesium can stop some medicines being absorbed properly, such as alendronic acid. Ask your pharmacist how far apart to take them.
• Diabetes: count the juice as carbohydrate, or try the lower-sugar version.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: ask your midwife or GP before adding supplements. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Children: ask a GP or pharmacist before giving any supplement to a child.

Related guides

• The different types of magnesium and which suit an evening drink.
• For what to look for when you buy one, see our guide to choosing a magnesium powder.
• If you also take a supplement, add it up: see can you have too much magnesium.