Years ago, I went to sleep school. True story. During the hay days of taking shortened classes to get a certification. I did the same with MRI school, by the way.
I know a little about sleep and am a personal expert in insomnia. I don't sleep well like many men and women my age (58). I've tried everything from alcohol, which kills good sleep by "rebounding." (Click here to learn more) to hypnotics (Ambien), to OTC medication like Sominex and Benedryl. None of them work long-term. The evidenced-based approaches include not watching TV in bed, using an iPad, and using the bed for sex or sleep, which only seem to slip my mind.
This week, I was pumped with steroids to fight my secondary COVID symptoms, so sleep is even harder to get.
When I was in Portugal, I was texting a friend, a retired neuroscientist, who shared that she has used supplements to help get to sleep—specifically, GABA and magnesium.
So I tried it. Did it help? I don't know, but I did start to sleep better.
Clearly, I have had time during my COVID-19 convalescing to write a lot.
So, I wanted to share last night's take on my sleep and my personal experience with...The Sleepy Girl Mocktail!
This Tic Toc trend mixes magnesium powder, tart dark cherry juice, and seltzer into a sleep-inducing elixer.
Let's give it a go. Now, note that I've been sleep-deprived this week and was hitting a wall. Also, I was motivated to get good quality sleep - these two elements are essential to consider. Did the mocktail improve last night's sleep, or was I just at the point where this body was headed to sleepy town?
Well, as it were, I had purchased a supplement on sale at Whole Foods last week for sleep. It was a magnesium powder with GABA and melatonin. As an FYI, melatonin doesn't get you to sleep; it helps keep you asleep.
Back to last night. I made my modified "Sleep Girl Mocktail." Known here as "Sleep-Deprived, Middle-Aged Man
So what is with the ingredients?
Magnesium: Researchers believe magnesium may promote better sleep in various ways, such as reducing the stress hormone cortisol, increasing a sleep-promoting hormone called melatonin, and helping to regulate neurotransmitters for the central nervous system (CNS).
Tart Black Cherry Juice: Tart cherry juice contains tryptophan and melatonin, which can help regulate sleep. Approximately one hour before bed, a glass of sugar-free tart cherry juice could improve sleep quality. Tart cherry juice or supplements can also provide antioxidants and improve overall health.
GABA: these supplements may make it easier to fall asleep by helping to slow down brain activity. Although studies have been small, taking GABA supplements before bed has shown promise in decreasing how long it takes to fall asleep.
I did fall asleep. Does it really work? Who knows.