Tart Cherry Juice for Sleep: Does It Really Work?
Key takeaways:
Tart cherry juice contains a variety of nutrients that help regulate sleep. Some research shows it may help improve sleep duration and quality.
This nutrient-rich juice has antioxidants that could help with reduced muscle soreness and exercise recovery.
Beyond sleep, tart cherry juice can be part of a healthy diet and may help reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases.
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Getting a good night’s sleep might seem like an elusive goal for many of us. And it is common to wonder if what you eat or drink during the day may help.
Tart cherry juice is often mentioned for its ability to help with sleep. It contains nutrients that may have some powerful benefits where sleep is concerned — and possibly other health benefits as well.
Does tart cherry juice help you sleep?
Some research suggests that drinking a couple glasses of tart cherry juice a day may help with increased sleep time and sleep quality.
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This deep-red fruit juice contains several nutrients that are known to help reduce inflammation. These nutrients may also have a role in sleep regulation, such as:
Serotonin is best known as the “feel good” chemical. It can help regulate your mood and keep you calm.
Melatonin is a hormone found primarily in the gastrointestinal tract. It regulates your sleep-wake cycles. The amount made naturally declines with age.
Tryptophan is an amino acid that your body uses to make both serotonin and melatonin.
Polyphenols are antioxidants that give cherries their dark red color. Some research suggests that people who eat polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables are able to get to sleep more quickly (and sleep longer) than those with lower intakes.
There is some limited research on tart cherry juice and its potential to help with sleep. Even though it is limited, the available research is promising.
A small study looked at older adults with insomnia. Researchers saw a reduction in insomnia and an increase of 30 minutes of sleep time. Study participants consumed 16 oz of tart cherry juice a day over 2 weeks.
Another small study with healthy adults found that 1 oz of tart cherry juice twice a day resulted in increased melatonin levels after 1 week. It also noted improved sleep time and sleep quality compared to a placebo.
More recent research — with a small number of elite female athletes — did not find any significant effect on melatonin levels. But researchers did find that drinking tart cherry juice for 48 hours after heavy exercise did improve sleep quality. There was no change in sleep time.
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Larger and longer-term studies are needed to know for sure how tart cherry juice helps with sleep. But the results of these small studies indicate that drinking a couple of glasses of cherry juice a day may have some benefit on sleep.
Does tart cherry juice have other benefits?
Cherry juice also contains a high level of antioxidants. These compounds can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Research shows that tart cherry juice may be helpful for a variety of conditions:
Exercise recovery: Reduced muscle pain and soreness (and preservation of muscle strength) were reported in 8 out of 9 studies of athletes. The study participants consumed between 0.25 to 1.5 cups of tart cherry juice a day, or the equivalent of 50 to 270 tart cherries.
Blood glucose control: A recent meta-analysis that included 159 people found consumption of dark cherry juice led to a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose.
Reduced incidence of gout: People with gout have reported a decreased number of flares when they regularly consume cherry juice or cherry extract. Another small study of people at risk for gout found a reduction in uric acid — the compound that causes gout — after 4 weeks of cherry juice intake.
Improved cognitive function: In a small group of older adults, 12 weeks of supplementation with tart cherry juice showed improvement in memory, learning, and attention span.
Osteoporosis: Cherries contain polyphenols that may help protect against age-related bone loss. One small study of postmenopausal women found that drinking 2 cups of tart cherry juice daily over 90 days had significantly reduced rates of bone reabsorption. More research is needed, but similar results have been seen in women eating dried plums, which have the same polyphenols as tart cherries.
Does tart cherry juice carry any risks or side effects?
There are very little risks or side effects from drinking a cup or two of tart cherry juice a day.
Since it is a fruit juice, people with diabetes should be mindful of sugar intake. One cup contains about 32 g of sugar. You can look for cherry juice that is unsweetened to minimize the amount of sugar.
Cherries also contain sorbitol. This is a natural sugar alcohol that can cause stomach upset and diarrhea in some people — especially in large quantities.
There are some recommendations for people taking blood thinners to avoid drinking cherry juice due to a high level of a compound called quercetin. But there is no evidence to indicate that the amount of quercetin found in any food causes any interaction with medication.
Is tart cherry juice safe for toddlers and children?
The research on tart cherry juice has only been done with adults. So, there is no evidence that it will help your child sleep. But including it as one of their fluid choices is perfectly fine.
Small amounts of cherry juice are safe for young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting a child’s fruit juice intake — including cherry juice — to 4 oz a day for toddlers and young children.
Follow your pediatrician’s guidance for the amount of juice that is recommended for your child.
How much tart cherry juice do you need to drink for sleep?
There is no clear guidance for how much cherry juice is required to impact sleep. However, in most of the research that showed an effect on sleep, the participants drank two 8 oz glasses a day. One glass was typically consumed early in the day, and a second glass a few hours before bedtime.
What is the best tart cherry juice to buy?
The best tart cherry juice is unsweetened, 100% tart cherry juice.
In some cases, you will see cherry juice that is made from concentrate. This means that the water has been pulled out of the fruit before it is sent for packing.
Concentrating juice is often done to help preserve the juice, decrease the risk of bacterial contamination, and increase its shelf life. Water is then added back in when it is bottled. When you see a juice that is “made from concentrate,” check the ingredient list to make sure the juice doesn’t have any added sugars or other additives.
The bottom line
A small amount of research indicates that tart cherry juice may help some people get a good night’s sleep. More research is needed to draw any conclusions. But this juice does contain several nutrients that are known to help regulate sleep. For most people, there would be very little risk in enjoying a glass or two a day to see if it helps.
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References
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Chai, S. C., et al. (2019). Effect of Montmorency tart cherry juice on cognitive performance in older adults: A randomized controlled trial. Food & Function.
Chai, S. C., et al. (2019). Effects of tart cherry juice on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in older adults. Nutrients.
Chen, P. E., et al. (2019). Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: A systematic review. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Chung, J., et al. (2022). Effects of short-term intake of Montmorency tart cherry juice on sleep quality after intermittent exercise in elite female field hockey players: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Dodier, T., et al. (2021). U.S. Montmorency tart cherry juice decreases bone resorption in women aged 65-80 years. Nutrients.
FoodData Central. (2020). Cherry juice, tart. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Kelley, D. S., et al. (2018). A review of the health benefits of cherries. Nutrients.
Martin, K. R., et al. (2019). Consumption of 100% tart cherry juice reduces serum urate in overweight and obese adults. Current Developments in Nutrition.
Moosavian, S. P., et al. (2022). Effects of tart cherry juice consumption on cardio-metabolic risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Polyphenol.
Pigeon, W. R., et al. (2010). Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: A pilot study. Journal of Medicinal Food,
Poór, M., et al. (2017). Interaction of quercetin and its metabolites with warfarin: Displacement of warfarin from serum albumin and inhibition of CYP2C9 enzyme. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Richard, D. M., et al. (2009). L-Tryptophan: Basic metabolic functions, behavioral research and therapeutic indications. International Journal of Tryptophan Research.
Tordjman, S., et al. (2017). Melatonin: Pharmacology, functions and therapeutic benefits. Current Neuropharmacology.
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