Honey and Pink Salt Before Bed: Does the Sleep Remedy Work?

The short answer: there is no good evidence that a spoonful of honey mixed with pink Himalayan salt under the tongue will help you sleep or stop you waking up tired. The remedy, which spread widely on social media around 2015, sounds gentle and natural, but its main claims about minerals and serotonin have never been tested in a sleep study, and the numbers behind them do not add up. What does have evidence behind it is less exotic: regular sleep habits, a calmer evening and, when problems persist, help from a doctor.

Here is what the remedy claims, what the science says about each ingredient, why sleep matters so much for long-term health, and what to do if you are regularly waking up exhausted.

The honey and salt remedy and what it promises

The recipe that circulated online is simple. Mix about five parts raw honey with one part pink Himalayan salt, keep it in a jar, and let a small amount dissolve under your tongue before bed. Supporters say the salt supplies dozens of minerals the body needs overnight, that the honey provides fuel for the brain, and that together they raise serotonin and lower stress hormones, leading to deeper sleep.

It is easy to see why the idea caught on. It uses two kitchen ingredients, it feels like an old family remedy, and it promises to fix a problem many people have. The trouble is that none of the specific claims has been shown in research, and some of them are contradicted by what we know about salt and sugar.

Pink Himalayan salt: the mineral claim checked

Pink salt is mostly mined in Pakistan. Its colour comes from small traces of iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium, and it is often advertised as containing more than 80 minerals. Chemically, though, it is still about 98% sodium chloride, the same as ordinary table salt.

In 2020 Nutrition Research Australia tested 31 samples of pink salt sold in Australia. A teaspoon supplied only about 1 to 5% of daily needs for magnesium, calcium and potassium. To get a meaningful amount of those minerals you would have to eat roughly six teaspoons a day, which is more than five times the recommended daily sodium limit. Some samples also contained aluminium and lead, and one exceeded the national limit for contaminants. The researchers concluded that pink salt's healthy reputation was not supported.

The pinch of salt in a bedtime spoonful is small, so it is unlikely to harm most people. But it also cannot deliver the minerals the remedy promises. If you like the flavour and look of Himalayan pink salt for cooking, it is a perfectly good salt; just count it as salt, not as a supplement. People who have been told to limit sodium, for example because of high blood pressure or kidney problems, should check with their doctor before adding extra salt at night.

Honey, sugar and the serotonin claim

Honey is mostly fructose and glucose with water and tiny amounts of other compounds. Some writers have argued that a little honey before bed tops up the liver's glycogen stores and stops the brain from triggering stress hormones during the night. It is an appealing story, but it has not been tested in controlled sleep trials, and healthy people do not run out of energy overnight.

The serotonin claim is weaker still. Serotonin plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle, and the body makes it from the amino acid tryptophan, but no study has shown that honey and salt together raise serotonin in the brain or improve sleep. Honey does have one tested use near bedtime: studies in children over one year old have found it can ease a night-time cough. That is a different matter from treating poor sleep, and honey should never be given to babies under 12 months.

A teaspoon of honey adds sugar and calories, which matters for people with diabetes or anyone watching their intake. Brushing teeth after eating it is also a good idea.

Why sleep matters: what the heart research found

The concern behind the remedy is real. Poor sleep is linked to serious health problems, and the best-known evidence comes from a 2011 review in the European Heart Journal led by Francesco Cappuccio of the University of Warwick. The team pooled 15 studies covering 474,684 people who were followed for between about 7 and 25 years.

• People who usually slept too little (typically five or six hours or less) had about a 48% higher risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease and about a 15% higher risk of stroke.
• People who usually slept too long (generally nine hours or more) had about a 38% higher risk of coronary heart disease and about a 65% higher risk of stroke.

The authors described sleep duration as a predictor or marker of heart problems. That wording is important: very long sleep, in particular, can be a sign of an underlying illness rather than its cause. The practical message is that consistently getting a moderate amount of sleep is part of a healthy life, and that big changes in how much you sleep are worth mentioning to a doctor. The NHS says most adults need about 7 to 9 hours a night.

Why sleep feels harder now

Many people sleep less than they would like. Long working hours, shift work, caring responsibilities, stress, late meals, alcohol, caffeine and bright screens in the evening can all push bedtime later or make sleep lighter. Phones and laptops are a particular issue because they keep the mind busy, and their light can make you feel more alert.

It is tempting to fix tiredness with more coffee during the day or a pill at night. Caffeine can mask sleepiness, but it does not replace sleep, and drinking it late in the day can make the next night worse. Over-the-counter sleep aids are widely sold, but some cause next-day drowsiness or interact with other medicines, so it is sensible to ask a pharmacist or doctor before using them, especially regularly.

What the NHS suggests for better sleep

The NHS advice on insomnia focuses on habits rather than special foods. Its suggestions include:

• Going to bed when you feel sleepy and getting up at the same time every day, even after a bad night.
• Giving yourself at least an hour to wind down, for example with a bath or a book.
• Keeping the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable.
• Avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking in the hours before bed, and avoiding big meals late at night.
• Being active during the day but not exercising hard close to bedtime.
• Putting screens away before bed and avoiding daytime naps if you struggle to sleep at night.

If you enjoy a small spoonful of honey as part of a calming routine, it is unlikely to do harm for most healthy adults. Just do not expect it to work like medicine.

When to talk to a doctor

Talk to a doctor if poor sleep has lasted for months, if changing your habits has not helped, or if tiredness is making daily life hard to cope with. Also mention it if a partner notices loud snoring, pauses in breathing or gasping at night, or if you fall asleep during the day without meaning to. A doctor can look for underlying causes and discuss treatments that have good evidence, such as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.

Sources: Cappuccio et al., European Heart Journal 2011: Sleep duration predicts cardiovascular outcomes (PubMed); The New Daily, 20 October 2020: Nutrition Research Australia pink-salt study; NHS: Insomnia; WebMD: How sleep affects your heart; the remedy as originally shared by Why Don't You Try This.

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