Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you like lettuce? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then boy, do we have a story for you! The latest TikTok hack that’s ruling the media is drinking boiled lettuce water to help you sleep. Yes, you read that correctly –– a mug full of lettuce-infused water. Without any context, this seems like one of the most bizarre Gen Z trends.
Shapla Hoque, also known as @shapla_11 on TikTok, has gone viral for her lettuce water sleeping hack. She filmed herself making the concoction and documented her experiences, which scored her over 1.3 million likes. She said that her lettuce water helped her sleep, and so have the numerous others who have tried it. So is it fact or fiction? Does lettuce water actually help you sleep? Science says that these TikTokers might be onto something.
Why Does Lettuce Make You Sleepy?
Lettuce has a high amount of lactucarium, which has been proven to make you feel relaxed and sleepy. A 2017 study investigated the sleep-inducing effects of the many varieties of lettuce on mice. Romaine lettuce, both red and green, has higher lactucin content when compared to other lettuce varieties. Pro tip: if you do try this trend, don’t use iceberg lettuce because it has the least amount of lactucarium.
Besides making you sleepy, the levels of lactucin and lactucarium in the lettuce also promote relaxation and relieve pain. Lettuce seed oil has been used as a sleeping aid and inflammation medicine for a long time. After Hoque posted her video, many TikTokers flocked to her post to share their stories. In addition, many TikTok parents shared that they use lettuce water baths to help their babies relax and fall asleep.
Does lettuce water actually help you feel sleepy? Yes. The high amounts of lactucarium in lettuce help you relax, fall asleep and soothe inflammation.
How To Make Lettuce Water
You can make your lettuce water as fancy or as simple as you like. Here’s how Hoque did it:
- Buy your favorite lettuce brand, or grow it. Or whatever you need to do to secure your lettuce source.
- Next, you’ll want to wash your lettuce and then put it in the mug or cup. Then, finally, pour hot water into your mug.
- Once it’s nice and soaked, take out the lettuce with a fork or your fingers or however you want to do it.
- Drink! Don’t worry; most people say it just tastes like hot lettuce, which is much better than it could be.
Hoque added peppermint tea to help it taste, but she wouldn’t recommend that for other people. Instead, we would recommend going for chamomile tea, which is known for its calming effects.
Too Long, Didn’t Read?
Should you try the TikTok lettuce water trend? Why not! Okay so, the lactucarium in the lettuce will help you relax and feel sleepy, but we can’t rule out the possibility of a placebo effect. At the end of the day, science backs up the possibility that the lettuce water TikTok hack can help you fall asleep. Lettuce water won’t hurt you, and even if it’s a placebo, if you get some sleep out of it, is that really a bad thing? If you try it, let us know how it works for you!