Can drinking lettuce water cure your insomnia?
If you’re less of a sleeping beauty and more of a raging insomniac, then have we got something special for you, sis.
A UK TikToker (@shapla_11) has unlocked the secret to a sound night's sleep and all you need for this snooze-enhancing sizzurp is lettuce and a functioning kettle.
“So apparently lettuce water makes you sleepy,” Shapla explained in the video. “Sis don’t sleep, so imma try it out.”
“I’ve washed my lettuce and I’m gonna put it in a cup,” said the TikToker as she stuffed a handful of lettuce leaves into a Superman mug before drowning the stuff in boiling water.
Naturally, Shapla was concerned about the flavour of the hot lettuce water she was about to bravely consume, so she decided to add some peppermint tea to take the edge off – this step is optional but we’d recommend selecting a tea that’s caffeine-free. We’re trying to catch some much-needed z’s here people.
“After 10 minutes take it out,” she instructed, as she fished out the limp lettuce leaves from her tea using a pair of chopsticks.
After taking her first sip, Shapla assured her viewers that “it tastes like nothing.”
When the TikTok creator later checked in for an update, she did admit to feeling slightly drowsy, “not hella sleepy like knockout, but I do feel sleepy.”
Hilariously, her next check-in confirmed the rumours she initially heard about the sleep-inducing properties of lettuce, as the TikToker signed off the video with:
“Another update – lettuce has crack because your sis is goneee.”
LOLs aside though, if you’re anything like us you’re probably somewhat skeptical of the seeming simplicity of this lettuce-infused brew. But bear with us because the science behind this is actually legit.
Lettuce actually contains a phytonutrient called lactucarium and has been used as a sleep aid for centuries. You can brew the stuff into a tea like Shapla, otherwise there are ingestible lettuce oils that can deliver the same effects such as inducing sleep, relieving pain and promoting relaxation.
BRB brewing an entire head of lettuce and snoozing through the weekend.
TikTok does not disappoint when it comes to beauty and wellness recommendations. They can't get enough of this skin-perfecting liquid exfoliant that’s so popular it sells every minute.
Main image credit: @shapla_11
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
