Sipping This Juice Before Bed May Help You Sleep Better, And Aldi Has A Giant Jug Of It For $6
When hours of tossing and turning rob you of precious sleep, you might wish for a nighttime relaxant that doesn't come with a long list of side effects. There's one option that is not only all-natural and easy to find, but delicious to boot: tart cherry juice. If you're curious to try it, head to Aldi and grab its 32-ounce jug of Simply Nature Organic 100% Tart Cherry Juice, a serious steal at around $5.50 each.
Tart cherries are a fruit you can enjoy whole or as juice for a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that can help to relax your muscles before bed. The fruit also contains natural melatonin, a bodily hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle and makes you feel tired when you need to rest. These factors could make tart cherry juice an effective sleep aid for you. Aldi's in-house version contains no added sweeteners, artificial ingredients, or juices besides tart cherry, and at just 17 cents per fluid ounce, it's much cheaper than similar products from name brands.
This Aldi find is perfect to drink straight or pour into a "sleepy mocktail," possibly the most popular use for tart cherry juice. Originally going viral in 2023 as the "sleepy girl mocktail," this social media-famous drink combines the sweet, tangy, fruity juice with a fizzy beverage like sparkling water or prebiotic soda, plus an optional tablespoon of magnesium powder. Despite the name, this delicious sipper can help anyone have a more relaxing night of sleep.
How to enjoy Aldi's tart cherry juice and why it could encourage better sleep
For a fun mocktail that may help you sleep better, you should also pick up the lemon-lime flavor of Popz, the Aldi copycat prebiotic soda that some shoppers prefer. Dilute ½ cup of the Simply Nature tart cherry juice with the soda until the drink tastes balanced to you, and enjoy over ice with a garnish like fresh mint leaves or a lime wedge. Try adding an extra squeeze of citrus juice, or play with other mixers like ginger ale, berry sparkling water, or grapefruit seltzer.
While tart cherry juice won't deliver as much magnesium and melatonin as concentrated supplements do, it is a decent natural source. The juice also contains anti-inflammatory compounds and serotonin-boosting amino acids, which may help to relieve stress and regulate your sleep. Clinical research has been conducted on this subject with positive results.
According to a 2025 systematic review of studies regarding the effect of tart cherries on sleep, multiple trials found that subjects who consumed the fruit reported improved sleep duration, efficiency, and onset time. In other words, they fell asleep faster, slept for longer, and spent more of their time in bed asleep than awake. The conditions of these studies varied widely, and the review concluded that more diverse research is needed to determine the efficacy of tart cherries as a sleep aid. While it may not be a cure for restless nights, enjoying tart cherry juice is still a tasty way to potentially get better shut-eye.