Sleepy Tart Cherry and Valerian Mocktail

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Fall madly in love and right into bed with this Sleepy Tart Cherry and Valerian Mocktail! It’s delicious, hydrating, and it’s the perfect addition to your evening routine!

“The Sleepy Girl Mocktail” is so popular on TikTok, especially since many people are observing Dry January.  Myself included.  It’s a great time to give your body a break and reset.  

This isn’t exactly like the famous “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” but this one is better, in my opinion. 

Because I take a magnesium supplement during the day, I don’t really like to add it to my drink.  However I’ve been so inspired by the original sleepy girl mocktail that I’ve created a few variations of it such as this Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail, this Bedtime Beet Mocktail, and this Tart Cherry and Chamomile Mocktail.  

This variation that we’re focusing on today is one that I really love! I find that this combo of valerian tea and tart cherry juice makes me want to curl up in bed and go right to sleep! 

That’s why I’m calling it The Sleepy start Cherry and Valerian Mocktail! It makes you sleep! And it’s a great addition to your evening routine, either have it after dinner or right before bed when you’re Netflix and Chilling! 

It’s fun to make and even more fun to drink!

Why you'll love this mocktail

• It’s fun to drink: yes, it’s fun to drink! Tart cherry juice is tasty and valerian tea is super calming! It’s nice to drink something hydrating with functional benefits before bed. Give this mocktail a try for a better sleep! 
• It’s relaxing: due to the valerian tea, which has mild sedative properties that help you relax and relieve stress and anxiety, you’ll feel better and ready to go to bed!
• It’s delicious: tart cherry juice is so good! If you haven’t tried it yet, you must run to the store and buy a bottle because you’re going to love it! It’s fruity, tart, and tastes like cherries! Tart cherry juice is also a relaxing ingredient perfect for bedtime because it may lead to increased melatonin levels in the body.  Also, it can contribute to better sleep by reducing inflammation and discomfort that can keep you awake!

Ingredients + substitutions

• Valerian Tea - usually valerian teas come in some kind of blend, and this is fine as long as you like the blend you’re using! I used Traditional Medicine’s Nighty Night Extra with Valerian.   I also really like to use Rishi Valerian Dream tea. If for whatever reason you can’t find valerian tea or some blend of it, you can simply use chamomile or any sleepytime blend of tea.  
• Honey - to sweeten and thicken it a little.  If you don’t want to sweeten the drink at all, you can leave the honey out.  You could also just use white sugar or agave if you want to make it vegan. 
• Tart Cherry Juice - you can get this at your local grocery store, most grocery stores have it! Or you can order it on Amazon.  
• Sparkling Water - for bubbles! I love some bubbles in my drink, plus if you use sparkling mineral water you benefit from the added minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, potassium depending on the brand you go with). If you don’t like sparkling water you can just leave it out.  
• Thyme sprig - Thyme smells incredible! But this is totally optional, if you don't have fresh thyme, just leave it out! Or swap it with a rosemary sprig.

Step-by-step (with photos)

Variations

• Lemon peel and Tart Cherry Sleepy Mocktail - follow the recipe as directed but add a lemon peel or a few lemon peels to your hot tea.  Discard them along with the tea bag after steeping for 3-5 minutes.  
• Hibiscus and Cherry Sleepy Mocktail - swap the valerian tea for hibiscus tea! Hibiscus tea is also very calming and makes a great night cap! The rest of the recipe will stay the same. 
• Citrus Sleepy Mocktail - make the recipe as directed but add a teaspoon or two of fresh citrus such as lemon, lime, or grapefruit (grapefruit is a fun choice, in my opinion!). 
• Lavender Sleepy Mocktail - swap the valerian tea for lavender tea and then make the mocktail as directed.  This is a fun way to switch up the flavors!

Can you make this mocktail ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it earlier in the day and store it in the refrigerator.  Simply skip the step that requires ice.  

Make the mocktail as directed, cover it or store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator, then when you’re ready to enjoy it, pour it over ice and garnish with a thyme sprig (if you’d like). 

More mocktails to try

If you love mocktails with some functional benefits (especially the kind that help you sleep) try these!

If you like mocktails that taste like cocktails, give these a try! If you’re looking for something fun to sip on during social occasions, these are perfect.  But some of them are not “sleepy” due to the tea content.  

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