I am a skeptical supplement user, as a rule. I don’t like messing with my body too much when its doing what it’s supposed to do and will absolutely try new things for the benefit of my lovely readers when they seem cool or necessary, but am a stickler about what makes it into my tried and true routine. (As we all should be!)
Unfortunately, one of the few things my body is supposed to do that it doesn’t is go to sleep on time. Or at all on the real bad nights.
Whether it’s mind or body racing, a little too much coffee or excitement when I should be winding down or the allure of watching one more (okay 10 more) TikToks, sometimes sleep time can be a struggle. Add in the fact that I was moving in December (Pro tip: Don’t do that), navigating pandemic stresses (I got COVID-19 and had to isolate) and was in the last stretch of a big manuscript deadline, I was doing a lot less solid restful sleeping and a lot more tossing, turning and panicking. So when I got sent some of Zolt’s DREAMY +COLLAGEN BOOST Ginger Honey Tea to try, I was cautious but hopeful that maybe it would work for me.
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Full disclosure: I’ve tried my fair share of melatonin and all-natural sleep supplement options, but I am pretty bad at remembering to take my pills (at least until I’m already in “oh god I’m exhausted” mode, making things a bit of a vicious cycle), so I thought a drink mix might be a bit more helpful for me to absentmindedly sip while trying to wind down at night.
And shockingly (or not): It was!
A bit about the product: Coming in tiny drink powder packs, they’re easy to store in your bathroom or kitchen cabinet without too much hassle or clutter. They’re caffeine-free, containing 3mg of melatonin, and botanicals including organic ashwagandha, hyaluronic acid, tremella mushroom and astaxanthin. The taste is a ginger honey flavor that’s sweet without being too overpowering. I had it cold most days because I was too lazy to heat up water and mostly just wanted to wash my face but the first time I had it as a warm tea it was extremely cozy and made me wish I’d done it more.
It’s pretty fool proof to use: Get to that sweet spot before bed where you’re doing skincare or reading or whatever it is you do to chill, mix it as you’d like with 8oz of warm, cool or hot water and mix thoroughly. Then get to sipping. (I like to have at minimum three beverages on my bedside table at all times: so a water, a seltzer and this one was clutch.)
My first night using it was our first night post-move, surrounded by boxes and just a little bit frazzled, so I sipped a little more aggressively and really putting a lot of my “oh man, will I ever sleep again?” anxieties on this poor little drink. But within the hour (with a tiny bit of drink still at the bottom of my glass) I was knocked out and didn’t wake up until the sun nearly blinded me in the AM. Yes, my room was still filled with yet-unpacked boxes but I was rested enough to deal with them. So I called that a success.
I kept up with it for a few more nights, trying it after a night hanging with friends where I had a 9pm coffee, on another night after I ended up delayed on a train for longer than I wanted and then on a sleepy Saturday where I already stayed in bed all day and napped. Each time I had a fairly similar experience of actually winding down and putting myself to bed — the ritual of mixing up my silly little drink paired with intentionally trying to make the space for sleep (putting my phone on its charger across the room, not staring at a screen or trying to answer one last email) really did start to feel good.
Obviously, as with all supplements, I’d recommend you talk with a doctor about whether it might be a fit for you. Be sure all the ingredients pair well with your existing meds or supplements (especially if you’re pregnant, trying to conceive or nursing). But if you do all that and decide that a sleep supplement is something you need in your life, I’d say this powder would be a pretty dreamy option.
Before you go, check out some of our favorite products that actually might help you sleep: