The real science behind this viral magnesium sleep hack
If you have a problem, Tiktok probably has a solution – or more. Do you have trouble sleeping? The application is full of “sleep hacks”, with magnesium cocktails (also known as “sleeping girl cocktail”) and the most viral lettuce water. But it is not because a hacking accumulates millions of views that it is saved by true science or improves your health.
“I think we have to be careful every time as scientists and especially Tiktkers make medical complaints,” said Dr. Alex Dimitriu, psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. The first thing he does when he meets such videos is to check what studies, if necessary, the video refers: “Even when there is research to support these claims, studies can be small, or not well designed, and therefore not reliable.”
Lettuce water: more media threshing than help
Lettuce water is exactly what it looks like: lettuce leaves boiled in hot water, which is then consumed as a tea. The origins of the trend are not entirely clear, but it seems to have started with a viral tiktok video of May 2021 by the user @ shapla_11, which said that the consumption of the drink helped her fall asleep more quickly.
“There is very little evidence in support of the use of sleeping water for sleep,” explains Dimitriu. Lettuce contains extremely small quantities of two substances called lactucine and lactopicin, which would have a slightly soothing effect and inducing sleep. “But there are very few studies supporting this, and none has been carried out in humans,” he warns.
The best evidence that we have so far come from studies in mice. When the researchers gave extract from the Green Lettuce from the Roman to the mice, the extract helped the mice to fall asleep faster, to remain asleep longer and to counter the insomnia caused by caffeine. Researchers believe that lactucine and lactopicrin act on the same brain receptors targeted by drugs promoting sleep, such as benzodiazepines. Although it may seem promising, there is always no evidence that the same thing happens in humans.
Alcocktail magnesium: partially useful
Magnesium cocktails – generally composed of magnesium powder, tangy cherry juice and sparkling water – popularity of the wooden mouth on Tiktok in 2023, thanks to the influencer of Norton Grace well -being, which stated that the drink could induce calm and drowsiness.
There is good scientific proof that magnesium improves the quality and duration of sleep, explains Dimitriu.
The mineral helps to balance the neurotransmitters of your brain – the chemical messengers who can make you agitated or calm you down. For people who have awakened by anxiety and racing thoughts, magnesium can move the balance to the relaxing set of neurotransmitters, which facilitates sleep. He also plays a role in the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells the body that it is time to sleep.
Although the recipes for the sleeping girl cocktail often require magnesium powder, it is not strictly necessary – the tapets or the capsules work as well, explains Dimitriu. However, the type of magnesium supplement is important. Magnesium is in three main forms: citrate, glycine and threonate. Research shows that the magnesium threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier better than the others, which makes it more effective sleep, explains Dimitriu.
The jury is still on the question of whether the tangy cherry juice really helps sleep. It contains small quantities of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the star cycles of sleep, and some small studies suggest that it can reduce insomnia and improve the quality and duration of sleep, explains Dimitriu. However, larger and longer term studies are necessary to confirm these effects.
As for soda or sparkling water? There is no evidence that it improves sleep. At best, bubbles can make a better mocktail, explains Dimitriu.
Expert advice to use magnesium safely
Magnesium is generally safe when you take it at the recommended supplement doses. But too much magnesium can cause nausea, diarrhea and cramps, and very high doses can be dangerous, potentially affecting the heart rate. This is why it is important to read the labels carefully, explains Dimitriu.
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Pay attention to elementary magnesium – the real part of a magnesium supplement that your body can use. The upper limit for adults is around 350 mg of elementary magnesium per day.
Do not be alarmed if the total dose of your supplement seems much higher. In current supplements, such as magnesium citrate, glycinate or threonate, magnesium is linked to other substances, and the amount of elementary magnesium will always be less than the total quantity of magnesium salt. For example, 2,000 mg of magnesium threonate generally provides only around 140 mg of elementary magnesium, safely below the limit, explains Dimitriu.
What if you have trouble sleeping
Good sleep habits – like keeping time to sleep and wake up coherent, and avoid screens for a few hours before bed – generally more for your sleep than any supplement, explains Dimitriu.
However, an album cocktail based on tangy cherry juice, magnesium and sparkling water can be beneficial and there is solid evidence that magnesium threonate has effects that promote sleep. Other well-studied sleep aids include low-dose melatonin (0.5 to 1 mg), Valerian root and chamomile tea, he says.
This story is part of popular sciences Ask us anything seriesWhere we answer your most bizarre and burning questions, from the ordinary to the wall. Do you have something you always wanted to know? Ask.
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