When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Products or services may be offered by an affiliated entity. Learn more.

Sleep Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice

Updated April 16, 2024

Fact-Checked

The Sleep Foundation editorial team is dedicated to providing content that meets the highest standards for accuracy and objectivity. Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias.

The Sleep Foundation fact-checking guidelines are as follows:

We only cite reputable sources when researching our guides and articles. These include peer-reviewed journals, government reports, academic and medical associations, and interviews with credentialed medical experts and practitioners.
All scientific data and information must be backed up by at least one reputable source. Each guide and article includes a comprehensive bibliography with full citations and links to the original sources.
Some guides and articles feature links to other relevant Sleep Foundation pages. These internal links are intended to improve ease of navigation across the site, and are never used as original sources for scientific data or information.
A member of our medical expert team provides a final review of the content and sources cited for every guide, article, and product review concerning medical- and health-related topics. Inaccurate or unverifiable information will be removed prior to publication.
Plagiarism is never tolerated. Writers and editors caught stealing content or improperly citing sources are immediately terminated, and we will work to rectify the situation with the original publisher(s)
Although Sleep Foundation maintains affiliate partnerships with brands and e-commerce portals, these relationships never have any bearing on our product reviews or recommendations. Read our full Advertising Disclosure for more information.

Up-to-Date

Table of Contents

Can Tart Cherry Juice Help You Sleep?
How Much Tart Cherry Juice Should I Drink?
Additional Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice
How to Incorporate Cherry Juice Into Your Sleep Routine

Key Takeaways

Tart cherry juice contains tryptophan and melatonin, which can help regulate sleep.
A glass of sugar-free tart cherry juice approximately one hour before bed could improve sleep quality.
Tart cherry juice or supplements can also provide antioxidants and improve overall health.

Cherries, particularly sour or Montmorency cherries, have been demonstrated to provide a variety of health benefits. The juice of sour cherries, also known as tart cherry juice, can help fight inflammation, reduce muscle soreness, and boost your immune system.

Research suggests tart cherry juice may also help people sleep Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . Learn more about how tart cherry juice improves sleep, how much you should consume if you want to try this natural health aid, and other health benefits of tart cherry juice.

Is Your Troubled Sleep a Health Risk?

A variety of issues can cause problems sleeping. Answer three questions to understand if it’s a concern you should worry about.

Snore loudly?

Tired during the day?

Wake up short of breath?

Can Tart Cherry Juice Help You Sleep?

One-third of Americans report not sleeping enough Trusted Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. View Source each night. Tart cherry juice may be able to help. Studies suggest that consuming tart cherry juice leads to better and longer sleep.

Tart cherry juice’s positive effect on sleep may be due to tryptophan and melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone secreted at certain times of day to help the body transition to sleep. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps the body produce melatonin.

Every 100 grams of tart cherries contain about 9 milligrams of tryptophan Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . There is evidence to show that drinking tart cherry juice increases melatonin available in the body and can promote better sleep quality. Drinking a glass of tart cherry juice after a meal of sleep-supporting foods may provide added benefit.

In addition to tart cherry juice, you can also take melatonin in the form of a dietary supplement. Talk to your doctor before taking melatonin supplements for the first time.

The Best Melatonin Supplements

How Much Tart Cherry Juice Should I Drink?

If you are considering tart cherry juice for sleep, it is best to opt for juice without added sugar, so you do not inadvertently add too much sugar to your diet. If the sour taste of the cherry juice does not suit your preferences, you can also buy tart cherry extract as a supplement in pill form.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements reports there are no safety concerns associated with drinking up to 16 ounces Trusted Source National Institutes of Health (NIH) The NIH, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. View Source of tart cherry juice or taking 480 milligrams of tart cherry extract capsules once per day for up to two weeks.

Additional Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice

Drinking tart cherry juice may provide additional benefits beyond improved sleep, such as:

Improved Muscle Recovery: The antioxidants present in tart cherry juice have been shown to reduce muscle damage in athletes Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . Additionally, consuming tart cherry juice or tart cherry capsules before exercise improves athletic performance and reduces muscle pain.
Reduced Pain: Tart cherry juice may be able to reduce pain in instances other than athletic recovery, too. Studies of people with arthritis found that consuming tart cherry juice reduced arthritis-related pain and stiffness, as well as improved biological markers associated with arthritis.
Reduced Blood Pressure: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that nearly half of adult Americans have high blood pressure Trusted Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. View Source . Tart cherry juice may help lower blood pressure, however more research needs to be done.
Improved Memory and Brain Health: The antioxidant properties of tart cherry juice might also help keep your brain healthy and protect against degeneration. One study found that older adults with dementia who drank about 6 ounces of tart cherry juice for 12 weeks showed improvement in short- and long-term memory Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source .
Cancer Prevention: Tart cherry juice might also help prevent cancer. A study of mice found that tart cherry juice could reduce cancer cell growth Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . In a similar study, the amount and size of tumors were reduced Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source in mice given tart cherry juice. More research is needed to see if tart cherry juice can also help fight cancer in humans.

How to Incorporate Cherry Juice Into Your Sleep Routine

Maintaining a healthy sleep routine promotes a good night’s sleep. Following the same schedule every night can help your body downshift from the day and prepare for sleep.

You may want to consider adding tart cherry juice to your bedtime routine. Try drinking a glass about an hour before bed to prevent having to use the restroom during the night. Pairing tart cherry juice with your evening book or bath may help you wind down.

If the taste prevents you from drinking tart cherry juice nightly, you may prefer the capsules. Putting the supplement on your nightstand or next to your couch can serve as a helpful reminder to take them. Or, you can set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to take the supplement before bed.

Still have questions? Ask our community!

Join our Sleep Care Community — a trusted hub of sleep health professionals, product specialists, and people just like you. Whether you need expert sleep advice for your insomnia or you’re searching for the perfect mattress, we’ve got you covered. Get personalized guidance from the experts who know sleep best.

Written By

Eric Suni, Staff Writer

Eric Suni has over a decade of experience as a science writer and was previously an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute.

Medically Reviewed by

Dr. David Rosen, Sleep Medicine Physician

Dr. David Rosen’s passion to help improve America’s sleep led him to launch renumasleep.com, a digital health platform focused on providing streamlined and accessible care for obstructive sleep apnea, in August 2022.

Learn more about our Editorial Team

References
9 Sources

Pigeon, W. R., Carr, M., Gorman, C., & Perlis, M. L. (2010). Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: A pilot study. Journal of Medicinal Food, 13(3), 579–583.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20438325/
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. (2020, April 15). Sleep and sleep disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/index.html
Losso, J. N., Finley, J. W., Karki, N., Liu, A. G., Prudente, A., Tipton, R., Yu, Y., & Greenway, F. L. (2018). Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms. American Journal Of Therapeutics, 25(2), e194–e201.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28901958/
National Institutes of Health. (2021, March 29). Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/
Bowtell, J. L., Sumners, D. P., Dyer, A., Fox, P., & Mileva, K. N. (2011). Montmorency cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(8), 1544–1551.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21233776/
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. (2021, July 19). Facts about hypertension. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
Kent, K., Charlton, K., Roodenrys, S., Batterham, M., Potter, J., Traynor, V., Gilbert, H., Morgan, O., & Richards, R. (2017). Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. European Journal of Nutrition, 56(1), 333–341.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26482148/
Kang, S. Y., Seeram, N. P., Nair, M. G., & Bourquin, L. D. (2003). Tart cherry anthocyanins inhibit tumor development in Apc(Min) mice and reduce proliferation of human colon cancer cells. Cancer Letters, 194(1), 13–19.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12706854/
Bobe, G., Wang, B., Seeram, N. P., Nair, M. G., & Bourquin, L. D. (2006). Dietary anthocyanin-rich tart cherry extract inhibits intestinal tumorigenesis in APC(Min) mice fed suboptimal levels of sulindac. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(25), 9322–9328.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17147414/