Does ‘Lettuce Water’ Really Help You Sleep? We Dive Into the TikTok Trend
Tik Tok and life hacks seem to go hand in hand these days. As an avid Tik Tok user, it seems like every 3-4 videos are some sort of way to help make day-to-day life easier, even with the seemingly insignificant things.
This Tik Tok though? This could be a major game-changer because it involves the one thing we all seem to struggle with and something that we wish we could get more of: sleep.
The viral trend is making something called lettuce water. Yes, someone started the trend that if you drink water steeped with lettuce before bed, you'll be able to get solid and uninterrupted sleep. I don't know how this was discovered...but it is interesting.
In this article from Vice, the author spoke with a few doctors about the validity of the drink and its effectiveness on your sleep cycle. The consensus is that there is no solid proof that it helps you have good sleep, but that it could be the placebo effect. Simply put: if you expect lettuce water to help you sleep, your brain could be tricked into thinking it's actually sleepy.
https://twitter.com/PremiSterlin/status/1404597348882432000
TikTok videos with the #lettucewater have racked up over 33 million views on the app. So, people are definitely interested in the potential of this working for them. I, myself, have a weird work schedule which makes my sleep schedule wonky. I have tried everything LEGAL under the sun.
Here are some of the trending lettuce water videos on Tik Tok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@callmebelly/video/6975229221329227014?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6975229221329227014&refer=embed&referer_url=https://oembed.vice.com/sGs0K4a?app=1
https://www.tiktok.com/@halalsnacc/video/6974241104094924034?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6974241104094924034&refer=embed&referer_url=https://oembed.vice.com/Wm43DHh?app=1
https://www.tiktok.com/@shelenning/video/6975394463585815809?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6975394463585815809&refer=embed&referer_url=https://oembed.vice.com/Vv1AYRY?app=1
Will you be trying lettuce water? There are no harmful health risks with doing this trend. Overall, everyone seems to be saying it is not the best-tasting thing, but it isn't revolting. You can drink it hot or cold, 30 minutes before bed or hours before bed, and you can try different types of lettuce in the water.
Count me out. I'll just stare at the ceiling until my brain gives up and lets me sleep.