RANDOM MUSINGS FROM MY SLEEPY BRAIN:

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“I shouldn’t have eaten that third cookie.”

“Don’t forget to write a check to the drama teacher.”

“It’s windy tonight. I wonder if the patio umbrella is still open.”

“Wait. I didn’t have three cookies. I had two while I was on the phone. That’s five cookies.  … (cue the self-loathing) … Dammit!”

“I should really get up and leave myself a note to write that check.”

“Go to sleep! You need to wake up early. … (more self-loathing) … Stupid Modern Family reruns.”

“Great. Now, I have to pee. Might as well get up and write myself that note. And wasn’t there something else I was going to check on? (thinking … and obsessing … instead of sleeping) … I can’t remember.”

And that was only the first five minutes of my internal monologue as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep recently.

Insomnia. According to the CDC, more than 60 million Americans are plagued by this sleep disorder … and I’m one of them. Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep, sometimes I have trouble staying asleep and sometimes both. I’ve tried everything … Ambien, Lunesta, Tylenol PM, Simply Sleep, Unisom, Benadryl, etc. They all put me to sleep, but at what cost? Chemicals I don’t need in my body and/or sleep aid hangovers that would give even Bradley Cooper’s Phil a run for his money.

(obnoxiously loud yawn) Enough.

So when the people at Dreamitall contacted me about conducting a product review on their Natural Sleep and Dream Aid, I drowsily accepted. And I was immediately sent a 60-capsule bottle of their supplement as well as two tea samples: PEACE (eases tension, headaches, stomach upset & sleeplessness) and KRISHNA (promotes well-being, vitality & clarity).

Because the package arrived during the school/work week, I first indulged in the tea samples which I shared with my 13-year old daughter. With ingredients like passion-flower, spearmint, lavender and basil, the aroma was heavenly and we both agreed it was a nice addition to our evening wind down routine (which also includes scented candles, decadent snacks and, yes, more Modern Family). I wanted to wait until the weekend to try out sleep aid supplement … in case, like the others, it was a little too powerful.

There are TWO different dosage recommendations:

1. Take 2-3 capsules before bedtime.
2. Take 2 capsules before bedtime and a 3rd a few hours into the sleep cycle.

My plan was to try one of the dosage recommendations on each of the weekend nights.

The first night … I took two capsules before bedtime and fell asleep quickly. A few hours into the night, I woke up to use the bathroom (the scourge of my coin-purse-sized bladder) and took a third capsule. Other than that one waking, I didn’t wake at all during the night. I slept soundly and woke easily. Oh, and I dreamed I was pregnant. I remember it vividly. I woke up refreshed and (truth?) kind of happy at the sweet memory of what it felt like to be an expectant mommy. (Remember, my “baby” is 13.)

The second night … I took three capsules before bedtime and fell asleep quickly again. But then something unexpected happened. I got a text in the middle of the night from a friend who is dealing with a health issue. I told her she could text me anytime if she needed to talk. And she didn’t know I was product testing a sleep aid. (“Damn!” I remember worrying, because sleepy Michele can be a little selfish. “This isn’t going to bode well for my morning.”) My friend and I texted back and forth for over an hour. I was happy to help her but concerned about my ability to fall asleep once we concluded our conversation. My mind was filled with worry. I’d missed out on a good bit of sleep. And I had a sleep aid in my system. But somehow, amazingly, I only fretted a few minutes before falling back into a sound sleep until morning.

And yes. You guessed it. No sleep aid hangover. Even with the increased dosage and major sleep interruption. Color me impressed.

Q: That’s great, Michele, but can you tell us what’s in this stuff?

A: Yes, and know that I’m typing straight from the label: “hops flower, valerian root, passion-flower, lemon balm, peppermint leaf, gelatin (capsule), rice flour.” I don’t think you can get more all-natural than that.

Q: So it works as a sleep aid and a dream enhancer?

A: I wondered about the same thing when I first learned about the product so I asked the Dreamitall Creator/Founder myself. (Oh, and I might have mentioned something about wanting to fly on the back of a beautiful, purple unicorn named Persephone in my dreams.)

Dreamitall‘s reply: “My supplement is definitely designed to help you sleep like a baby, but not necessarily guaranteed to make you dream. Even about purple unicorns 🙂 While the herbs I use CAN increase dreaming vividness (and have done so in many cases), the main reason people will dream is that the herbs help deepen your sleep, thereby extending REM. Because dreams most often occur during REM, more active dreaming is definitely possible.”

Seriously, who wouldn’t want to ride Persephone?!!?

YES! OF COURSE, THERE’S A GIVEAWAY!

But enough about MY sleep problems. Want to try Dreamitall for yourself? I’m giving away two 60-capsule bottles of the Natural Sleep & Dream Aid to two lucky readers.

You have until 12:00AM on Friday, November 6, 2015 to enter. There are lots of ways to earn entries … and some can be earned daily!

CLICK HERE TO WIN!

Have I solved my sleep problems for good? Let’s hope so. Now, if you’ll excuse me … I have a date with a magical horse.

Hit it, Mama Cass.