Here’s Why 6 Hours of Sleep Is As Damaging As No Sleep at All

What is the Sleepy Girl Mocktail?

The Sleepy Girl Mocktail is a tart cherry juice mocktail that originates from TikTok. Holistic health influencers and athletes have been praising the concoction for its benefits in aiding restful sleep and healthy digestion.

“The wellness world is obsessing over finding ways to get better and more regular sleep,” says Lainie from @lainiecooks on TikTok. “I think this trend will start moving into daily habits you can change for optimal sleep, and what foods you can eat that contain natural melatonin or high levels of magnesium to help you unwind, relax, and lower cortisol levels."

Why is the Sleepy Girl Mocktail good for sleep?

The traditional recipe for the Sleepy Girl Mocktail is tart cherry juice, magnesium glycinate powder, and Olipop (or any sparkling drink – but I personally love Olipop for its gut health benefits). The drink promotes the body’s melatonin production to support sleep, says Dr. Renee Korczak, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, LD.

“Tart cherries, which as most people don’t know, are filled with a lot of nutrients, like antioxidants, anthocyanins, and notably for this use case, melatonin,” says Dr. Korczak. “Melatonin strongly affects the human sleep-wake cycle to help support sleep.”

When combined with magnesium glycinate, the drink’s effects are, well, more effective for sleep.

“Magnesium is a mineral with several functions, as it assists with hundreds of enzymatic bodily reactions like energy production, protein synthesis, muscle contractions, and more,” says Dr. Korczak. “In terms of sleep, magnesium can help regulate certain neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers that relay messages between nerve cells in your brain.”

Before taking a sip, it’s important to evaluate your needs for supplemental magnesium. It’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about any intake concerns, especially since magnesium can impact other medications you may be taking. Further, you can get in magnesium organically by snacking on fruits, nuts, chia seeds, and even dark chocolate!

How can I get better sleep?

According to Dr. Korczak, insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality are common issues amongst many Americans. She shared a few tips to consider before reaching for that tart cherry juice to make the mocktail:

1. Establish a regular bedtime.
2. Create a restful environment, and limit the use of devices and TV watching before bed.
3. Don’t overeat before you go to bed. Also, don't go to bed hungry, and avoid alcohol and / or caffeine prior to bed, as these can interfere with sleep.

The Viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail Recipe

• ½ cup tart cherry juice
• 1 serving magnesium glycinate powder
• Olipop Cherry Vanilla or Ginger Lemon (or any other sparkling drink you like – I also love Aura Bora Lavender Cucumber)

1. Pour the tart cherry juice in a glass over ice.
2. Add the magnesium glycinate powder, and stir until fully dissolved.
3. Top your Sleepy Girl Mocktail off with Olipop for added digestive benefits, and sip your way to good sleep!

Did the magnesium-filled Sleepy Girl Mocktail actually help me sleep?

I am truly a Sleepy Girl by nature. I think I could fall asleep just about anywhere if I was tired enough, but figured I would try the mocktail recipe to see if it really could boost my tiredness and send me off into a peaceful night’s sleep.

Making the tart cherry mocktail was terribly easy. I slowly sipped it about an hour before bedtime, when I already felt the sleepies kicking in. The taste was super tart, thanks to the cherry juice, but it wasn’t painfully sour. I definitely plan to play around with the juice-to-Olipop ratio next time I make it!

Upon waking the next morning, I didn’t feel like my sleep was wildly transformed – but I did sleep good. I can likely attribute that to the regular sleep schedule I’ve been on for months now, so I can’t speak on the mocktail’s effects too strongly. It was delicious, though, and I could see myself sipping it whenever I’m craving a yummy nighttime drink.

I’m no expert, but I imagine this drink is super beneficial for those struggling with sleep already. If you’re having issues maintaining a regular sleep schedule, the Sleepy Girl Mocktail is perfect for you!

Overall, the Sleepy Girl Mocktail earns an 8/10 for me.

Go To Bed Earlier

It sounds obvious, but going to bed earlier can have serious implications on your energy levels in the morning. I used to go to bed around 10 p.m., but due to my insomnia, it would often be 12 or 1 a.m. before I actually fell asleep, all before waking up at 6. Do the math on how many hours of sleep that is per night! (Hint: Not enough.)

In addition to implementing some good nighttime routine practices (we'll get there in a moment), I decided that due to my long window between going to bed and falling asleep, I should really be hitting the hay around 9 p.m. Even if you don't suffer from insomnia, it may be that you need more sleep than the average person. Studies have found that some people simply need more sleep than others.

Sleep In Darkness and Silence

Another thing that really helps a lot of people is tweaking your sleeping environment so you can sleep in complete darkness and silence. Blackout curtains are a must if you live on a street that stays lit into the night, and it goes without saying that small lights from phone chargers or electronics should be moved into other rooms.

Getting total silence is another story. Many of us don't have the option, but if you have a finished basement in your home, it might be worth moving your bedroom downstairs so you can sleep in an area protected from noise pollution. If not, a white noise machine can help cover up loud or sudden noises so your sleep isn't disturbed at night.

In addition to curating the perfect environment for sleep, making your ideal bedding situation as cozy as possible will really help you relax. Get ready to crawl into your most comfortable nest, hot tea in hand.

Consider Your Lifestyle And Chronotype

Considering your lifestyle as well as your body's natural preferences can be crucial for setting a healthy sleep-wake schedule. If you work out after work, for example, you may want to set a later bedtime and later wake time, because exercise can trigger energy-boosting hormones that make it harder to fall asleep for about 90 minutes after activity. Do you work early in the morning? Adjust your bedtime accordingly.

One important factor in your ideal sleep-wake schedule is your chronotype. A chronotype is essentially an MBTI type for your sleep patterns; there are four basic chronotypes, and each has a different biological preference when it comes to sleep.

• Lion: These people are early birds, and they probably aren't reading this article because they're already morning people!
• Bear: Most people fall into this category. These individuals' sleep-wake preferences are generally aligned with the sun. They wake up relatively easily in the morning (provided they have good sleep hygiene) and start to tire around 8 p.m.
• Wolf: If you absolutely loathe mornings and find yourself energetic long into the night hours, you may be a wolf chronotype. These people are classic night owls.
• Dolphin: This is my personal chronotype. Dolphins are anxious sleepers, often remaining awake long after getting into bed, and sleeping lightly throughout the night.

Wake Up With What You Need

Now let's get to the fun part: Creating your actual routine. Half of becoming a morning person is, naturally, your morning routine. Give yourself a head start by waking up with whatever you need right next to you (or at least prepped nearby). Here are some examples:

• If your plan is to work out in the morning, have your gym clothes folded on your nightstand.
• Before going to bed at night, heat some water and pour it into a Hydro Flask, along with a few drops of lemon. Place it on your nightstand... it'll still be warm when you wake, making the healthy habit of drinking a morning lemon water incredibly easy.
• Get a coffee maker with a timer so your coffee is already brewed when you wake up.
• Wintertime chills got you cuddling in bed long after you should've gotten up? Keep your robe and slippers right next to your bed so they're ready to slip on as soon as you wake.

Create A Routine You Actually Like

This tip is super simple: Don't overcomplicate your mornings! People on social media tend to have aspirational morning routine ideas, but if journaling for 20 minutes isn't your idea of a good time, don't do it. Here are some easy and enjoyable activities you might want to add to your morning routine:

• Eat a delicious breakfast (and it doesn't have to be a complex one! Nostalgic breakfast cereals are totally OK).
• Read your favorite magazine or website.
• Pull a tarot card.
• Light a scented candleor some incense.
• Listen to music.
• Have fun playing with makeup and creating your look for the day.
• Cuddle with your pet (just don't do it in bed, or you might never want to get up!).

Try Light Therapy

Another way to help yourself wake up in the morning, especially if you're really struggling, is to try light therapy. The New York Times described just how big a role light plays in our circadian rhythms. If you're trying to reprogram your own sleep-wake cycle, using a light therapy machine when you wake up can help communicate to your body that it's time to be awake. If you live in a climate where it's appropriate, natural light works too:

Stay Consistent On Weekends

Finally, don't let all the hard work you do throughout the week go to waste when the weekend comes along. The Monday through Friday, 9-to-5 schedule, while still not totally ubiquitous, is a fairly recent invention and doesn't mirror the cycles our bodies were designed for. Your body doesn't recognize Saturday as any different from Monday!

So while it can be tempting to let yourself sleep in on the weekends, keep up your new routine every day. Over time, it will grow to be so natural that you simply wake up around the same time each day, without even having to try.

Katy Perry And Orlando Bloom's Relationship Timeline

January 2016

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom met in 2016 while attending an afterparty once the Golden Globes ended. Per People, the “Firework” singer bonded with an American Idol contestant and excitedly shared how her paths crossed with Orlando. “So I had my security guard grab 10 In-N-Outs and all of a sudden I see my boyfriend’s hand — he wasn’t even sitting at our table — he just swoops in and he grabs it and I was like, ‘Hey that my burger,’” she recalled.

Orlando later revealed a little more about that moment when talking to The Times in 2018. He revealed he wasn’t really aware of her work before meeting her.

February 2016

Things apparently went well for the two because Orlando didn’t waste time introducing Katy to he and Miranda Kerr’s son Flynn. A source revealed to Peoplethat the two attended the birthday party of Robert Downey, Jr.'s son at the time.

"They were laughing, playing music and joking around with Flynn...Katy looked very comfortable at the kids party," according to the source.

May 2016

Right before the summer of 2016, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom announced their relationship via Instagram. As evidenced by her caption, “We cannes’t,” the couple were enjoying the bliss of being in Cannes, France at the time.

August 2016

One half of this lovely duo was spotted in the nude during another vacation and it’s an understatement to say the pics went viral. While Katy chose to don a bikini, Orlando decided to let loose — literally — and those sneaky paparazzi captured him in all of his glory.

February 2017

Sadly the couple broke up in 2017 and this caused their reps to release a statement to People in order to control any narratives that may have stemmed from it. “Before rumors or falsifications get out of hand, we can confirm that Orlando and Katy are taking respectful, loving space at this time,” the statement said.

Two sources gave different reasons for their split, but E! News reported that an insider said, "...they did discuss a future together during their relationship. They had an enormous amount of love for one another."

Despite their breakup, Orlando Bloom insisted there wasn't anything horrible about their breakup in his Elle UKinterview. "It's good. We're all grown-up. She happens to be someone who is very visible, but I don't think anybody cares what I'm up to. Nor should they. It's between us. It's better to set an example for kids and show that [break-ups] don't have to be about hate"

April 2018

Time does heal wounds in some instances because Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were seen spending more time together again. The singer shared an Instagram photo of them greeting Pope Francis and showing their support for The Cura Foundation with her fans.

September 2018

By the fall of 2018, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were definitely an item again. They appeared on their first red carpet together at The Global Ocean Gala and looked stunning. Elle even reported the two took a picture with Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco.

December 2018

In a hilarious turn of events, Katy Perry found herself winning a date with Orlando Bloom after she outbid an eager fan during the One Love Malibu Festival charity auction. A fan account on Instagram shared a video of the Katy saying, "You can do a motorcycle ride with him to a lunch destination to have lunch with Orlando freaking Bloom. That also means that when you are on the motorcycle with him you’re holding him in a way that I am not excited about."

Honestly, same Katy.

February 2019

The pair must've joyfully rang in the New Year in 2019 because they Katy happily took to Instagram to give fans a close-up look at her engagement ring from Orlando. She wrote, "full bloom" as her caption so there was no mistaking that she and Orlando were taking their relationship to the next step.

Katy opened up about how his proposal went when she appeared on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp a few months later. "It was Valentine's Day...[Orlando]'s, like, clean-shaven. He's not wearing tennis shoes. I was like 'Ah, sh*t, something is going down,'" she happily shared.

March 2019

They moved in together right after getting engaged and this seemed to work better for everyone. A source told People, "Since they are engaged, it was just a natural step for them to live together."

June 2019

It wasn't long before people began wondering what Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's wedding plans were, but the two have never been in a rush to walk down the aisle. Instead, Katy had this to say during an appearance on KISS Breakfast With Tom & Daisy: "One step at a time. Definitely trying to lay the good emotional foundation for the lifetime of commitment, which is like a big deal"

August 2019

Orlando shared Katy's sentiments and reiterated them when he stopped by the Today show in 2019. He told Willie Geist, "It’s important to me that we are aligned — I’ve been married and divorced and I don’t want to do it again..."

December 2019

While the couple were never in a rush to have a wedding, they ultimately decided to push things back as reported by US Weekly. A source told the outlet, "They changed the timing due to the location they want," and that makes sense. Planning a wedding often involves making sure venues, caterers, and more will be available during the time a couple is thinking about getting married.

February 2020

Things carried on as usual for the couple with Katy sharing a snapshot of the two on Instagram a couple of months later. They were celebrating a year of being engaged and her caption reads, "one year ago I said yes to a life of love and evolution... and definitely never a dull moment 😜."

March 2020

The next month is when Katy Perry revealed that she and Orlando were expecting their first baby together! She shared a brief video clip of her single "Never Worn White" on Instagram and basically let fans know she was pregnant. It's hard to miss her soul-deep smile and glow.

April 2020

The video for "Never Worn White" seemed to hint at the gender of Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's baby, but the singer officially confirmed it on an Instagram post promoting her single "Daisies." She wrote, "🌼 The first single from #KP5 is called #DAISIES and she’s coming MAY 15, 2020 🌼," in her caption and the crowd went wild!

August 2020

Later that year, UNICEF posted a photo of Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom holding their newborn's hand on Instagram to announce she'd arrived. The organization told fans via their caption that the couple were overjoyed about their daughter's birth. "We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter," the organization shared in its caption.

Orlando couldn't help but gush over his little girl during a brief virtual appearance for The Ellen Show. He said, "...she sort of looked like a bit like my mum so then I got a little bit confused because Katy's breast feeding this mini-me/my mum/who’s she going to look like next."

January 2021

And when Katy Perry performed during Joe Biden's inauguration, Orlando was right there cheering her on! He gleefully shared a BTS clip of her on Instagram and wrote, "One day our little girl will grow up and see her mother play her part in a moment in history that we hope will heal, we hope will unite, we hope, we love ❤️ One proud partner here with a tear of joy 🇺🇸🎆🙏." BRB, I have to grab tissues.

September 2021

When Katy Perry accepted a prestigous award at Variety's Power of Women in 2021, she gave a heartfelt message that spoke of the two greatest loves in her life — Orlando Bloom and their daughter Daisy. "....[Orlando] an incredible father [and] an example to our greatest gift ever, our daughter Daisy — a future powerful woman. I pledge to you to do my best to be an example of one, to never put limits on your dreams, to lead with love, never through fear, and to always be your lighthouse in any darkness..."

January 2022

Orlando also showed his support for Katy when she was in Las Vegas for her residency. He shared a goofy picture of him BTS with her on Instagram and wrote, "There’s a new act on the #vegas strip @katyperry so proud of you. Let’s all go#play 🍄🚀 HNY❤️," as his caption.

May 2022

Appearing on Chelsea Handler's podcast Dear Chelsea, Katy got real about her and Orlando attending therapy together. "We love it because it keeps us in tune...and so when you want to come back to being normal in a domesticated world where you have a child and stuff like that, you have to really learn how to be kind of different out there in the big and in the small," she said.

We love a couple who attends therapy together!

February 2023

Orlando also revealed to Flaunt that things can be challenging for the couple. He said, "Her pool is not a pool that I necessarily understand, and I think my pool is not a pool that she necessarily understands. Sometimes things are really, really, really, challenging. I won’t lie. We definitely battle with our emotions and creativity."

April 2024

Now here we are in 2024 and the blushing couple are still very much in love. They attended the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Event earlier this month and look elegant in their black-tie outfits.

As far as their wedding plans are concerned, Katy Perry shared what she plans to do once she leaves American Idol. Per Parade, she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and said, "I think this probably will be my last show, my last season forIdol. I mean, I love Idolso much. It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat."

She didn't explicitly talk about when she's getting married to Orlando bloom but we'll cross our fingers for a beautiful wedding either this year or in 2025.