Sleepy girl mocktails have been taking social media by storm and these tart cherry sleep gummies are a fun spin on the popular drink! These gummies care packed full of sleep-promoting, relaxing properties that can assist in getting the most restful nights sleep while being incredibly easy to make!
If there is one thing most health experts agree on, it’s the importance of sleep. During my hormone-healing journey, it was an area that really needed help. Sleep is when our bodies truly heal from the inside out and a lack of it can cause a whole host of issues. I was strugging with elevated cortisol levels, my hormones were out of wack, I was low energy – the list goes on. So having a good night-time routine and sleep rituals really made a positive impact.
I’m sure you’ve seen sleepy girl mocktails all over social media. They’re an appealing drink incorporating tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and a prebiotic soda. Although these are super fun to make and enjoy, sometimes i’m feeling lazy and don’t want to whip up a drink. I’d rather grab a handful of sleep gummies and enjoy them on my way to my bed 😉 If you love gummies, you should also try my Beauty & Gut-health gummies!
Homemade sleep gummies recipe video
Why you’ll love these sleep gummies
- Grass-fed gelatin gummies make a great, healthy snack even for kids and toddlers!
- Packed full of amino acids, antioxidants, and nutrients to promote deep sleep, relax muscles, and benefit your hair, skin, and nails.
- Meal prep them for the week so they are ready to grab and enjoy before bed!
- These gummies come together so quickly and are very easy to make.
- Sleep gummies are gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and paleo.
How sleep gummies work
Sleep gummies come together with just a few specific ingredients that have been proven to promote a deep and restful nights sleep!
- Grass-fed gelatin: Grass-fed, pasture-raised Further Food Gelatin is my favorite! Be sure to use a grass-fed gelatin (more on this above!)
- Tart cherry juice: Tart cherry juice contains tryptophan and melatonin, which can help regulate sleep and studies have shown that a glass of it, approximately one hour before bed, could improve sleep quality (while also providing antioxidants & improving overall health). I opt for organic tart cherry juice that is 100% fruit with no added sugar. I buy mine at Trader Joes!
- Magnesium powder: Magnesium glycinate is generally considered the best form of magnesium for sleep because it’s easily absorbed by the body. It contains the amino acid glycine, which may help promote quality sleep. I really trust Thorne products, so use their Magnesium Bisclycinate powder. It’s already in powder form, so you can easily add a few scoops to your gummies! You can purchase it on amazon, here!
- Sweetener: A touch of sweetener is added to the gummies to make them a bit sweeter. I like to use local honey for it’s nutritional benefits, but you can use maple syrup, agave, or even monk fruit for a sugar-free option.
- Lime juice: Lime juice adds to the flavor of the gummies while also adding in some nutritional benefits!
What form of magnesium is best for sleep?
When it comes to sleep, Magnesium glycinate is considered to be the best form of magnesium as it’s easily absorbed by the body. It contains the amino acid glycine, which may help promote quality sleep. I love Thorne’s Magnesium Bisglycinate as it promotes healthy sleep and muscle relaxation.
Why is magnesium important?
• Magnesium is essential for the health of the heart and blood vessels, brain, bones, muscles, and lungs, and to support healthy blood sugar*
• Promotes bronchial relaxation*
• It’s an essential mineral for electrical activity of the heart, which supports healthy heart rate and rhythm*
• Helps relax smooth and skeletal muscle*
• Promotes the dilation of blood vessels (vasodilation), which supports normal blood pressure and enhances blood flow*
• Supports insulin sensitivity for healthy blood sugar & is important for cellular energy production*
Benefits of grass-fed Gelatin
Grass-fed gelatin has many benefits including:
- Healthy, glowing skin: gelatin provides necessary proteins that improve your skin’s moisture & elasticity
- Heals the intestinal track by coating and calming irritation and inflammation
- Supports mobility through the promotion of healing in your connective tissues
- Helps joint and cartilage health, as it contains supportive proteins
- Improved bone health
- Contains a wonderful amino acido profile
- Helps repair the gut lining – the perfect recipe for anyone dealing with leaky gut, etc.
Why choose grass-fed vs Grain-fed
Grass-fed gelatin is partially hydrolyzed collagen extracted from grass-fed beef. To begin, the collagen is boiled at temperatures higher than 40 degrees Celsius, which breaks it down into smaller chains known as gelatin. After it is cooled, gelatin takes on a jelly-like form.
- Grass-fed gelatin comes from grass-fed beef collagen.
- Grain-fed gelatin is made from grain-fed beef collagen.
Grain-fed beef products are typically derived from antibiotic-pumped cattle in poor living conditions. Grain-fed based diets are linked to bovine health issues, masses in the liver, and inflammation in the hooves, which will produce low-grade beef products. Grass-fed based diets in cattle provide a better beef nutritional profile and have been found to contain higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients, and collagen. Simply put, you are what you eat!
How to make gut-health gummies
Full recipe, measuremnets, & instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Equipment
- Mold: The fun part about making homemade gummies is that you can make them in any sort of shape/mold. If you don’t want to purchase specialty molds, you can simply. use an 8×8 pan and cut them into squares after they’ve set. If you do want to make fun shapes, I love using these gummy bear molds and this individual square mold.
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon or dropper: I love using a little dropper for easier transferring of the gelatin mixture to the molds.
Steps to make Tart Cherry sleep gummies
- Blend everything besides the gelatin in a blender, until smooth. Pour the mixture into a deep saucepan over low heat.
- Once it’s warm, sprinkle the gelatin over top and use a whisk to whisk it in until no lumps remain. If you see random lumps that won’t break down, you can simply remove them with a small spoon.
- Pour the mixture into your pan or distribute it amongst the molds.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm before popping out of the molds! Store in an air-tight container.
How to store leftover sleep gummies & how long do they last?
Store homemade gummies in an air-tight container in the fridge. Gelatin gummies will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge!
FAQ’s, tips, & tricks
- Do I need to use a silicone mold? You do not have to use a silicone mold for these. You can pour the mixture into a glass baking dish, let it cool in the refrigerator, and then cut into pieces!
- Use a dropper for easier transferring of the gelatin mixture to your molds and for less mess!
More healthy snacks to try
- Beauty & Gut health gummies
- Healthy, gut-healing strawberry marshmallows
- Banana foster chia pudding (high fiber!)
- Strawberry whipped honey
- No bake Erewhon copycat cinnamon rolls
Tart Cherry Sleep Gummies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Organic Tart Cherry Juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 3 scoops Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder *Or your favorite Magnesium powder. I'd use 3-4 servings. I linked the Thorne powder in notes.
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup *You can add an extra tbsp or two if you like yours sweeter. Monk fruit also works for sugar-free!
- 3 tbsp grass-fed Gelatin
Instructions
- In a blender, blend all of the ingredients besides the gelatin until smooth. then pour into a small sauce pan and place on the stove over low-medium heat.
- If you don't want to use a blender, you can whisk everything together in the pan, but I prefer blending it to prevent any clumps of powder! Heat the mixture until warm (don't let it get too hot/boil), then remove from the heat.
- Stir in the gelatin one tablespoon at a time, until each is dissolved before moving onto the next. Once they're all mixed in, distribute the gummy mixture to your mold.
- Refrigerate until firm, about 1-2 hours, before popping them out of the mold. Store leftovers in the fridge (they'll keep at room-temp as well, but since they have no additives/preservatives, I like to keep them refrigerated!). You can let them sit out at room temp for 5-10 minutes before eating if you don't like them cold!
- Enjoy a handful (a few!) an hour or so before bed to promote relaxation and quality sleep!
- Note: If you don't have a mold, you can pour the mixture into a greased 8×8 baking dish, allow to set, then cut into squares.
