If you’ve ever had trouble falling asleep, you know how frustrating it can be. People go to great lengths to get some shut-eye, from taking sleep aids like melatonin or Benadryl to using earplugs, white noise machines, and weighted blankets. But what if the answer to your sleep troubles was as simple as brewing a cup of iceberg lettuce tea? Some TikTok users claim that’s the case. The good news is, you can drink as much lettuce water as you want without any restrictions. The bad news, however, is that the hype around lettuce tea as a sleep aid is mostly unfounded. Like many health trends on social media, the origin of this one is unclear, and there are no scientific studies proving the effectiveness of lettuce tea as a sleep remedy. Although some types of wild lettuce produce a substance called lactucarium, which has sedative properties, common lettuces like iceberg and romaine don’t contain high levels of lactucarium. However, lactucarium has been used as a sedative in folk medicine in Europe for centuries, and doctors in the 19th century often included it in sedative medicines (often combined with opium for stronger effects). Some TikTok videos mention a study from 2017 that investigated the sedative effects of lettuce leaf and seed extract mixed with pentobarbital (a sedative drug) on mice. The study found that mice given the combination fell asleep faster and slept up to 20 minutes longer than those given only pentobarbital. While there are a few other studies exploring the impact of lettuce seed extract on humans and animals, it’s unlikely that steeping a few lettuce leaves in hot water will result in a potent enough tea to send you off to dreamland. However, it’s worth giving it a try if you’re curious. According to the National Sleep Foundation, wearing socks has been found to help with falling asleep.