These Homemade Cherry Gummies Will Help You Sleep At Night
These 5-ingredient, cherry-flavored sleep gummies will help you relax and doze off with the addition of magnesium.
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If you struggle to unwind before bed, then a sleep gummy might be just the thing to help you get a better slumber.
These sweet, cherry-flavored treats look like candy, but they are actually packed with sleep-inducing ingredients. You can find sleep gummies for purchase, but many brands have sugar and other additives. So why not make your own?
Our five-ingredient recipe takes only 15 minutes, plus a little chilling time in the refrigerator. You’ll need a silicone mold tray: we used one that has 24 cavities, each .9-inch by .5-inch, but you can use another size (just know the serving size may vary accordingly).
Sleep-promoting ingredients
So what’s in these powerful sleep gummies that will help you doze off? There are three active ingredients.
1. Tart cherry juice
Research suggests this can improve the quality of sleep. In one study, tart cherry juice was shown to inhibit an enzyme that degrades the amino acid tryptophan thereby increasing its availability – tryptophan is used to make serotonin and melatonin, which both influence sleep. Make sure to select a brand without added sugar.
2. Gelatin
Gelatin contains the amino acid glycine. Some studies have found that glycine helped subjects to drift off more easily, enjoy an improved sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed. Look for a brand that’s made from grass-fed, pasture raised animals for use in these sleep gummies.
3. Magnesium
Hailed by some as the anti-stress nutrient for its ability to promote calm, research has shown that many people do not get the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of this important mineral (320 and 420 milligrams per day for women and men over 30 years, respectively). Magnesium may also help to relax muscles by increasing the body’s levels of melatonin, the hormone that helps to regulate sleep-wake cycles. Look for magnesium in leafy green vegetables (such as spinach) as well as nuts and seeds (almonds and pumpkin seeds). But, many people find a supplement can be helpful in addition to food sources. For these sleep gummies, we love Natural Vitality Calm in the Original (Unflavored) variety.
We put these ingredients to work in our homemade sleep gummies. We suggest starting with one per day, taken in the evening. You can gradually increase to two or three gummies if you’d like to take more. As always, check with your healthcare practitioner before starting any supplement.
Cherry Sleep Gummies
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened tart cherry juice
- 2 tsp magnesium citrate powder
- ½ cup gelatin powder
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- Pinch sea salt
Preparation
- In a small saucepan (off the heat), stir cherry juice and magnesium powder together (NOTE: The magnesium will froth up quite a bit; this is normal). Mix until the powder is fully dissolved. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes until all of the froth has dissolved. Slowly whisk in the gelatin until it dissolves and the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken.
- Place the saucepan on low heat, then stir in the honey and salt and continue to stir as it starts to warm, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and pour into 24 silicone mold cavities (each .9-inch by 0.5-inch). Refrigerate for 2 hours, until set. Remove gummies from molds. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.