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Tart cherry juice comes up often in conversations about natural sleep help. Is there anything to it? The short answer: there is some early, interesting research, but it is small and not conclusive. Here is what we know so far.
Why tart cherry gets linked to sleep
Tart cherries (the Montmorency variety is the one most often studied) naturally contain small amounts of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. They also contain tryptophan and plant compounds called anthocyanins, which researchers have studied for other effects in the body.
What the research says
A handful of small studies have looked at tart cherry juice and sleep. In some of them, people who drank it for a week or two reported modest improvements, such as slightly longer sleep or fewer insomnia symptoms. But these studies were small and short, many used juice rather than capsules, and the results are not consistent enough to say it works for everyone. Tart cherry is not a treatment for insomnia.
How much melatonin is actually in it?
The amount that occurs naturally in tart cherries is small, much lower than in many melatonin supplements. If cherry helps at all, it may involve other compounds too, but that is still being studied.
Juice, concentrate, or capsules?
- Juice: easy to find, but it contains natural sugar and calories.
- Concentrate: more concentrated, so check the serving size and the sugar content.
- Capsules or extracts: no sugar, but the amount of cherry varies a lot by brand.
Whatever you choose, read the label and look for added sugar.
Who should be careful
- People watching their blood sugar, because cherry juice contains sugar.
- Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, or taking medication. Check with a doctor or pharmacist first.
- Anyone with ongoing sleep problems. If trouble sleeping lasts for weeks, talk to a healthcare professional rather than relying on a supplement.
Where Yu Sleep fits
If you are curious about products that include cherry, Yu Sleep lists red tart cherry juice concentrate inside a 637 mg proprietary blend, along with magnesium glycinate, apigenin, lemon balm extract, 5-HTP, L-theanine, and GABA. Each 2 mL serving also lists 0.9 mg of melatonin and vitamins B2 and B6.
A few honest points:
- The label does not say how much cherry is in the blend, so it is hard to compare it with the amounts used in studies.
- Supplements are not evaluated by the FDA to treat any condition, and results vary from person to person.
- 5-HTP can interact with some medications, including antidepressants, so check with a doctor first.
Tart cherry is a reasonable thing to try alongside good sleep habits, but it is not a magic fix. If you often wake up in the middle of the night, start with our guide on why you may wake up at 3 AM every night.
Want more tips? Read our guide on how to stay asleep through the night naturally.
