I Tried It: And Now My ZZZ’s Are A+ Even without my usual sleep sidekick, melatonin…

Even without my usual sleep sidekick, melatonin…



Did I finish my to-do list for the day? Yes.
What should I focus on first tomorrow? Getting ready for work.
What should I wear to work? Jeans and sweater.
Should I really wear that?


For me, nighttime signals the onset of calm and quiet…

Except for the faint hum of a car passing down the street.

And my never-ending racing thoughts. (Read above.)

The second my head hits the pillow, I can never quite find my “off” switch. My mind likes to conveniently conjure up all kinds of questions (that I definitely already know the answer to) and totally made-up scenarios (that I will most likely never experience).

After countless mornings of greeting the sunrise, having yet fallen asleep, I decided to give melatonin a try. Which was great – not only did melatonin finally help numb my brain, it also helped me snooze through the night (and produce some wild dreams). Unfortunately there was a small price to pay for these full nights’ rests – feeling restless, breathless, and completely disoriented in the morning.

So when I researched melatonin-free sleep aids, I was thrilled to come across Complete Sleep Gummies. Their Complete Calm System Sleep Gummies claimed to calm the mind, enhance sleep quality, improve sleep duration and leave one feeling refreshed when it’s all said and done. In other words, check all of my boxes – and did I mention that they’re gluten-free, gelatin-free, vegan, and made without synthetic colors and flavors? The power of these gummies lies in a few key ingredients: L-tryptophan (known usually for Thanksgiving turkey-induced comas), chamomile, passion flower and holy basil for calmness; while Safr-Inside ™ (extract of Persian saffron) and Night Terpene Blend combine to support better rest. I decided to trade in my melatonin for one week and see if sounder nights – and mornings – would cease to elude me.
At first glance, Asystem’s packaging proved informative (with facts lining every corner) and well-made. I loved that these gummies came in a reusable, refillable metal tin. Inside were 16 little wild berry gummy cubes that kind of reminded me of an old-school telephone keypad. 1-800-better-sleep-here-I-come!

On night one, I was up a bit later than I wanted to be, and tried my first gummy at 11pm. (Usually, I like to be in bed by 9, asleep by 10, but Monday nights never really go as planned…am I right?) As I sampled the gummy, its wild berry flavor and super chewy consistency reminded me of a fruit snack gummy I used to pack for lunch in school, AKA it went down easy and didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth! Post-gummy, I turned off the lights, crawled into bed, and fell asleep around 11:30pm. This timespan, between taking the gummy and falling asleep, was typical of my experience using melatonin; however, I did not feel drowsy. Once I closed my eyes, I drifted toward sleep without those racing thoughts. Typically, melatonin sleep gummies made my eyes heavy, my brain a little foggy and my morning wake-ups so groggy that I could barely hear my alarm! This week, however, I noticed how much calmer I felt after clocking some quality sleep. Even without coffee, my energy ran high – and consistently – all day. I even chatted with my team at the office about how amazing my sleep was!

Though I woke up feeling good and rested Tuesday, I really wished I had enjoyed more of that precious sleep. So Tuesday evening, I made sure to take my next gummy even earlier. And this proved to be the right choice for me! The remainder of the week, I ate my gummy around 8:30pm. While it kicked in (for the next 15-30 minutes), I took a shower, got in my self-care skincare routine, brushed my teeth, and crawled under the covers by 9pm. Almost instantly, I fell asleep, and woke up around 6:45am feeling – incredible.

This change in my night routine likely resulted in what was a very productive week. I was able to get ready in the morning without that usual groggy or hurried feeling. My mindset as I arrived at work each morning was one of excitement, to boot – I was actually ready for the day!

My takeaway: Do not snooze on this gummy!

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