Insights & Discussion
Consumption of tart cherry juice can increase exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality and might be of benefit in managing disturbed sleep.
Total melatonin content was significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in the cherry juice group, whilst no differences were shown between baseline and placebo trials. There were significant increases in time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency total (P < 0.05) with cherry juice supplementation. Although there was no difference in timing of the melatonin circardian rhythm, there was a trend to a higher mesor and amplitude.
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There is evidence to support significant improvements to total sleep time and sleep efficiency with the ingestion of tart cherries.
2023 Current Sleep Medicine Reports Too Sour to be True? Tart Cherries (Prunus cerasus) and Sleep: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Stretton B, Eranki A, Kovoor J, Bacchi S, Gupta A, Maddern G, et al.
Systematic Review Cherry Insomnia Sleep
We identified a total of 277 unique records, from which 8 studies of low-moderate methodological quality were included in the systematic review. Meta-analysis of subjectively recalled sleep efficiency (SE) and total sleep time (TST) were not significant. Objective SE, however, was significantly higher in the cherry cohort when compared to placebo with an effect size of 0.63 (95% CI 0.29–0.97, P < 0.01). There was low associated heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). Objective TST was significantly higher in the cherry cohorts, with a pooled effect size of 1.21 (95% CI 0.83–1.58, P < 0.01). There was high associated heterogeneity (I2 = 81.5%).
Cherry juice increases sleep time and efficiency in older adults with insomnia, potentially due to its inhibition of a process that degrades tryptophan and stimulates inflammation.
2018 American Journal of Therapeutics Pilot Study of the Tart Cherry Juice for the Treatment of Insomnia and Investigation of Mechanisms Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, Liu AG, Prudente A, Tipton R, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Cherry Insomnia Sleep
The study followed a placebo-controlled balanced crossover design, with subjects older than 50 years old with insomnia being randomized to either placebo or cherry juice consumption twice daily for two weeks, with a two-week washout period in between. Sleep was evaluated using polysomnography and five validated questionnaires, while serum measurements were conducted for several bio-indicators. In vitro studies were also performed to determine the ability of cherry juice components to inhibit a specific physiological process.
The study found that sleep time increased by 84 minutes per polysomnography evaluations and sleep efficiency increased per the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Serum measurements revealed decreased levels of certain bio-indicators suggesting reduced inflammation. In vitro studies also found that components present in cherry juice inhibited a specific process that degrades the amino acid tryptophan, potentially leading to these improved sleep outcomes. Other questionnaires, however, showed no significant differences in results.
Tart cherry juice blend yielded modest improvements in sleep for older adults with insomnia, exhibiting effects similar to or better than natural products like valerian and melatonin.
2010 Journal of Medicinal Food Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study Pigeon WR, Carr M, Gorman C, Perlis ML
Randomised Controlled Trial Cherry Insomnia Melatonin
In the pilot study, 15 older adults who were suffering from chronic insomnia but were otherwise healthy participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. The study lasted for 6 weeks, with each participant receiving both the proprietary tart cherry juice blend and a placebo for 2 weeks with a 2-week washout period between the two treatments. Sleep continuity and insomnia severity were evaluated by analyzing 2-week mean values derived from daily sleep diaries and the Insomnia Severity Index respectively.
The tart cherry juice blend was found to bring significant improvements in all assessed sleep variables before and after treatment. These improvements were particularly noticed in reducing insomnia severity, specifically the minutes awake after sleep onset, compared to placebo. Sleep latency, total sleep time, or sleep efficiency didn't show any notable improvements compared to placebo. The benefits of the tart cherry juice on sleep for older adults with insomnia were in the range of effect sizes seen in studies using valerian or melatonin, which are the most commonly studied natural products for insomnia. But these effects were considerably less than evidence-based insomnia treatments such as hypnotic agents and cognitive-behavioral therapies.