A hydration hack dubbed the “Sprite Zero sleep trials” has people chugging the soda before bed in hopes of sleeping through the night without waking up to pee.
The trend started after former NFL coach Pratik Patel claimed that the drink’s electrolytes, sodium and potassium citrate, with no caffeine, helped him stay asleep longer.
Millions on X have since tried the experiment, reporting mixed anecdotal results and discussing whether Sprite Zero is a cheap electrolyte alternative or just clever supplement marketing.
Can Sprite Zero help you sleep?
Back in September, former NFL coach Pratik Patel published a post on X claiming that a Sprite Zero before bed prevents him from having to get up to urinate in the middle of the night. He claimed that the combination of water, sodium citrate, and potassium citrate with no caffeine is a recipe for “elite hydration.”
Of course, he also used the opportunity to peddle his supplement of choice, called “PreSleep.”
A lot of people are tired of former sports people trying to sell them supplements, but they really seemed to latch on to the Sprite Zero bit. After all, that’s a lot cheaper and more accessible than a tub of supposed magic sleep powder.
After a couple months, the trend of trying the soda before bed took off to the point that one X user gave it an intriguing name.
On Thursday, @mold_time wrote, “speaking of internet mad science, have you guys been keeping up with the sprite zero sleep trials?”
Many have, and some of those folks are skeptical about whether Sprite Zero has special powers.
For many years now, hydration experts have touted the value of electrolytes. As it turns out, you need more than just water to keep your body functioning. It needs things like salt (sodium) and potassium to absorb and retain the water so that it doesn’t just flow straight through your kidneys and out the other end.
That’s probably why people do find that they wake up less with an urgently full bladder after drinking a Sprite Zero. Of course, you can find those electrolytes elsewhere.
“Can confirm I slept through the night”
Because of these basic electrolytes in the soft drink, people are providing anecdotal data to support the Sprite Zero sleep hypothesis. Whether or not PreSleep helps further, or what unexpected side effects might come from regularly consuming either, will have to be left up to the real scientists.
In the meantime, expect to hear more on the Sprite Zero sleep trials.
“Extremely anecdotal but I typically wake up to pee probably 80% of nights,” reported @jegeorge117. “I’ve tried Sprite Zero before bed 3 times this week and it’s kept me from waking up all 3 times.”
“Can confirm I slept through the night and didn’t wake up once,” said @kittycatttttt29.
Others, however, promoted better ways to get some electrolytes before bed. User @FEARMYFEMUR advised an “alternate space-saving, burp-sparing, travel-ready (and possibly more budget-friendly) strat: just keep the ingredients you like bedside.”
Meanwhile @nhcannapatient suggested that people “just smoke a joint like a normal human.”
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