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Tart Cherry Juice for Sleep: What the Studies Show

Can tart cherry juice help you sleep longer? See what the small trials found, how much people drink, the sugar and tooth concerns, and when poor sleep needs a doctor.

Edited by Anmar ArabPublished 15 October 2026, 7 min read
On this page
  1. Quick answer
  2. What the research says
  3. How people use it
  4. Possible side effects and interactions
  5. Who should be careful
  6. When to see a doctor
  7. Frequently asked questions

Quick answer

Tart cherry juice, usually made from the sour Montmorency cherry, is a popular bedtime drink because cherries contain small amounts of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. A few small studies have found that drinking it twice a day for short periods, such as two weeks, increased sleep time when sleep was measured with devices or in a sleep lab.

The evidence is limited, though. The trials were small and short, people taking part often did not feel they were sleeping better, and a newer trial of tart cherry powder found no benefit. Tart cherry juice is also a sugary drink, so the amounts used in studies add up. It may be worth trying as part of good sleep habits, but it is not a treatment for insomnia.

What the research says

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis. Stretton and colleagues, writing in Current Sleep Medicine Reports, found 8 studies of tart cherry and sleep. They were able to combine three studies for each of their main analyses. When sleep was measured objectively, with devices or sleep-lab recordings, tart cherry was linked with longer total sleep time and better sleep efficiency (the share of time in bed actually spent asleep) than placebo. But when people rated their own sleep, there was no significant difference.

The authors listed important limits: the studies were small and short, their quality was low to moderate, and the results for total sleep time varied a lot between studies. The most common dose was roughly equal to about 100 g of fresh cherries twice a day. They also pointed out that this contains far less melatonin than a typical melatonin supplement, so it is not clear that melatonin explains any effect.

A 2025 systematic review. Barforoush and colleagues, in Food Science & Nutrition, included seven interventional studies. Three reported improvements in at least one sleep measure, such as sleep duration, sleep efficiency or how long it took to fall asleep, and three reported higher melatonin levels after tart cherry. The reviewers described the evidence as limited and inconsistent, with large differences in dose, length of treatment and the people studied, and said well-designed trials are still needed.

Key individual trials:

  • Older adults with insomnia (2018). Losso and colleagues, in the American Journal of Therapeutics, gave adults over 50 with insomnia 240 ml of tart cherry juice twice a day for 2 weeks and a placebo drink for 2 weeks. Only 8 people completed the study. In a sleep lab, sleep time rose by an average of 84 minutes with cherry juice, but most of the sleep questionnaires showed no difference.
  • Adults with overweight or obesity (2024). A trial by Tucker and colleagues in Nutrients was titled "Commonly Used Dose of Montmorency Tart Cherry Powder Does Not Improve Sleep or Inflammation Outcomes in Individuals with Overweight or Obesity". It is a reminder that positive pilot studies are not always repeated.

Taken together, this is why the evidence is rated limited: a few small, short studies with some positive objective results, mixed findings overall, and no large, long-term trials.

How people use it

Studies have used different products, so there is no established dose. The amounts tested include:

  • Juice: 240 ml (about one cup) twice a day, as in the 2018 insomnia trial.
  • Timing and length: The trials usually gave it twice a day for short periods, such as two weeks, so they do not show whether a single bedtime glass is enough, or what happens over longer periods.

Any drink is more likely to help when it sits alongside good sleep habits. The NHS suggests:

  • Going to bed only when you feel sleepy, and getting up at the same time every day
  • Winding down for at least an hour before bed
  • Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable
  • Exercising regularly during the day, but not in the 4 hours before bed
  • Avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking within 6 hours of bedtime, and large meals late at night
  • Avoiding screens just before bed and not napping during the day
Tart cherry juice is a food, not a sleep treatment. If poor sleep has lasted for months, makes it hard to cope with daily life, or comes with loud snoring or gasping at night, talk to a doctor rather than relying on a drink.

Possible side effects and interactions

Sugar. The biggest practical concern is sugar. The NHS says that the sugars in unsweetened fruit juice count as "free sugars" and advises limiting juice and smoothies to 150 ml a day in total. Adults should have no more than about 30 g of free sugars a day. The 2018 insomnia trial used 480 ml of juice a day, more than three times the NHS limit, so check the label and count it as part of your daily sugar.

Teeth. The NHS notes that the sugar released by juicing can damage teeth, and that drinking juice with meals reduces the risk. That matters for a drink often taken at bedtime: if you want to try tart cherry juice, having it with your evening meal, rather than in bed after brushing your teeth, is the safer choice for your teeth.

Other side effects. The 2023 review did not include a formal analysis of side effects, and the small trials were too short to show rare or long-term problems.

Medicines. The sources reviewed did not report specific drug interactions. If you take regular medicines, especially for diabetes, ask a pharmacist before drinking large amounts daily.

Who should be careful

  • People with diabetes or prediabetes, because of the sugar content.
  • People trying to manage their weight, because the sugar in two glasses a day also adds calories.
  • People with frequent tooth decay, who should keep sugary drinks to mealtimes.
  • People already taking sleep medicines or sleep aids, who should check with a doctor or pharmacist before adding anything new. The NHS notes that pharmacy sleep aids can cause drowsiness.
  • Anyone with snoring or pauses in breathing at night. In the 2018 trial, three people were excluded because they had sleep apnoea, which needs proper assessment rather than home remedies.

When to see a doctor

The NHS advises seeing a GP if:

  • Changing your sleep habits has not helped
  • You have had trouble sleeping for months
  • Your insomnia is making it hard to cope with daily life

The NHS also advises seeing a GP if you have possible signs of sleep apnoea: loud snoring, breathing that stops and starts during sleep, gasping or choking sounds at night, or always feeling very tired during the day. It can help to bring someone who has seen these symptoms. Do not drive when you feel sleepy.

A GP will look for the cause of your poor sleep. Treatment options listed by the NHS include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which targets the thoughts and habits that keep you awake, and referral to a sleep clinic if another sleep disorder is suspected.

Frequently asked questions

How long does tart cherry juice take to work for sleep?

The studies were short; the 2018 insomnia trial, for example, measured results after two weeks of drinking it twice a day. There is no good evidence that a single glass on one night makes a noticeable difference.

Is tart cherry juice the same as taking melatonin?

No. Tart cherries contain melatonin, but the 2023 review noted that the amount is far lower than in melatonin supplements. Researchers are not sure whether melatonin, other plant compounds or something else explains any effect.

Can I drink tart cherry juice every night?

There is no long-term research on drinking it every night. If you choose to, keep the NHS limit of 150 ml of juice a day in mind, and have it with a meal to protect your teeth.

References

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