So, you’re interested in trying out kava…

But maybe you don’t have time to sit and sip a cup of this sleep stuff in its tea form.

Problem solved… with the tincture:

Use is pretty intuitve. You take a couple of drops, plopped into a beverage of choice, and drink up.

The one pictured above is the one I use – by Herb Pharm. Tinctures can come with both an alcohol or water base. (Although the only one I saw at my grocer was the grain alcohol based one.) I never really understood this because they say not to mix kava and alcohol – which is the perfect segue into talking about pros and cons. The one con of all kava is that long term, every day use can cause side effects like liver damage, scaly skin, and a bunch of other weird stuff I’m going to make you look up. I’ve never made this an everyday thing because A.) I finally built a life for myself where escape wasn’t a daily need anymore (10/10 stars; highly recommend) and B.) because all these slumber supplements aren’t cheap. (Cue Dana White quote about ski slope street drugs being expensive.) This goes for either form, though – it’s just adding alcohol is a bit less good for you. The flipside is that – whether you get it with water or alcohol – it is more concentrated in tincture form, meaning that although you pay more, it goes a longer way. It’s also, obviously, going to work far faster than tea – taking only the ten or fifteen minutes after you swill it down to start going to work.

And what was my personal experience?

(What? If y’all can dry-scoop your pre, I can straight-drip my kava.)

It wasn’t terribly dissimilar.

Within a short while of “adding it to a beverage” (AKA dropping it directly into my mouth, as seen above, because I’m a monster and I’m not sorry), I was already feeling the effects. It was as if the tension-ometer on my world had clicked down a couple notches. Still, something was missing. I didn’t feel that same body calm. No cozy-toe feeling. That sensation of vertical breathing suddenly becoming slow, full, and horizontal was missing. And why? I’d say it’s probably because it’s that whole Western vs. Eastern philosophy of approaching something like relaxation and sleep holistically versus treating it like another button on your phone you click for instant results. The tea offers an experience. There’s the aroma, the soporific quality of the steam rising up from your mug and slowly seducing your olfactory centers, and the warm beverage itself – inviting calm into your body. You can’t mimic that with a quick tincture. The whole problem with our approach to sleep is that we don’t want to take the time to make space for it. We aren’t willing to turn off our phones an hour before bed. (Guilty.) We aren’t willing to carve out space for pre sleep rituals. We want to go straight from escaping our brains to shutting them down without sitting for a moment to connect to our senses. Yogi’s kava tea will force you to do that. And you’ll be reluctant to, at first, but grateful for it after.

Final winner decision?

Tea if you have time and love yourself. Tincture if you have money and hate feeling good.

And winner over both’ve those is moderation – because, again, long term daily use is not suggested.

Once I’d finally escaped years of benzos at bedtime, I knew I’d need a replacement.

At the very least, I needed something to help me sleep.

The entire Tyrd site has been an inadvertent homage to that – capitalizing on all the many remedies I’ve tried to calm my noggin and sleep deeply after relying on pharmaceuticals for too long. My holistic aisle herbal experiments in that first year were diverse. But, among the very first I tried along my journey was none other than one many don’t even know about: Kava. Kava comes from the root of the Piper methysticum shrub and it’s classified as a “depressant”. It slows down messages to your brain, calming and relaxing you all the while. (I can personally confirm.) And it’s been utilized for ages in faraway lands – not in our watered down tea and tincture forms, but actually chewed or brewed in South Pacific ceremonies and rituals. Mind you, it doesn’t exactly come without risk – and I knew that before giving it a try – but when used sparingly, it gets the job done. And how do you take it? Well, while it comes in many available forms, I’ve only tried a couple. (That’s all I needed really to find what I needed.) It came down, for me, to the tea versus the tincture. And I’m here to share my experience with both.

First up, let’s spill the tea on the tea…

(Yes, that’s me… enjoying my sacred tea time. You can follow @missashleyprimps for reviews)

Kava by Yogi tea is the only brand I’ve tried – because it’s all I needed.

And I could define this one the way I do a fine wine: With cinnamon and cardamom scent on the nose, the heat of the drink already causes and aromatherapeutic effect before your first sip. And when you do take it, you’re welcomed immediately with the warm spice on the palate, a slight numbing sensation, and pleasant surprise of sweetness (I think it’s stevia sweetened) on the end which lingers. (Intentional, likely, seeing as kava itself is a bit bitter – like myself, after a long sleepless night.) I like sitting with this one cradled in my hand, just below my face so that it’s like I’m getting a spa treatment of herbal steam between sedative sips. Before halfway through the mug, I begin to feel that cozy-toed calm, which slowly spreads over my body. The world takes on a more welcoming hue. My filter of reality feels kinder and calmer. And, if I’ve made the mistake of remaining anything but perfectly vertical on the couch, my mattress a few rooms over will start to sing its siren song.

Now, I’ll admit, I am a “blend” kindofa gal. I like wines that are blends and I do the same with my tea. So, my more current regimen will also include Tulsi Tea’s goodies (keep posted for reviews) as well as some other fun ashwaganda based bags. However, I can reflect fondly on my simpler days before my polyamorous tea bag lifestyle, when I practiced herbal monogomy. Indeed, I’ve had exclusive relationship with kava. And, I can confirm, it’s very effective all on its own. Don’t want to mix herbals but just want a bigger effect? Sometimes I’ll steep and reheat (letting it marinate for a while and then heating it back up – I’m sure some tea afficionado is rolling over in their day grave reading this); however, another option for non weirdos like me is obvious: just use two bags. Only caveat? Sometimes I want all of that – but don’t have the time to sit around and drink a full jar of dream juice – not to mention the time it takes to steep if you’ve decided to drink it last minute.

Oh, that’s you too?

No worries then… because this snooze time root also comes in other forms…

Click here to read my kava tincture review.

So, we’ve heard the wonders of sublingual melatonin.

As discussed in part 1 of this review, my go to is Natrol, at the 10 mg dosage.

(Which I only recently learned is a safe amount to take.) And, for me… it works perfectly. I’m out within the hour. I’m up right with the alarm. I’m not groggy the next day. And I sleep straight through the night. No midnight wakeups (followed by 1:00 A.M.,  1:30 , 2:00, and so on…) None of that. And, after months of anxiety keeping me awake and me finally considering taking scripts to nix the insomnia, this was a dream come true. (No pun intended.) But, speaking of dreams, let’s talk about *what’s* happening once you zonk out for the night.

To make a review fair, I’d do a disservice if I didn’t mention the “cons”. And, among the cons (or the closest to a downside I can say), are the uber vivid dreams you get when you take this stuff. Now, when they’re pleasant, no one really cares. (Right?) But when they get weird or even scary, that’s when melatonin’s effects could be considered detrimental. Usually, it’s just weird for me. But, the other night, I made the mistake of eating to close to sleep (something I often do, but never mixed with 10 mg of melatonin) and was rewarded with the most detailed, realistic, and terrifying dream about being kidnapped and sprayed with bleach. I woke up screaming. Not an awesome time, am I right?

No, but there are two “yes buts” to that. The first is that this is less a “Natrol” thing and more just a melatonin thing. It’s simply the cost of getting some quality shut eye. Why? Studies show that melatonin can up your REM sleep (that cyle of sleep notorious for causing crazy dreams that seem all too real). REM sleep on its own is important and normal. We need it. However, when that stage lasts longer than it’s meant to, that’s when the poop hits the room cooler. (Trialing that phrase out for “when the shiz hits the fan”; give me feedback on whether we love or hate it.) A too long REM cycle is when our brain’s creations get super detailed, crazy, and can turn into the downright horror show like I had. But, to reiterate, I can confirm this is not a Natrol thing. I tried a couple of other brands before settling on Natrol (mostly for the price point) and all melatonin does this.

In sum? The pros with Natrol are:

It works for getting you to sleep, keeping you asleep, and keeping you from waking up groggy.

The cons?

Any melatonin, regardless of brand, may make your eyelid films ultra vivid – and not always so great.

“Well, I can prescribe you something for sleep – or I can recommend something over the counter…”

My therapist officially had my interest.

She knows I’m not big into popping pills.

And that goes especially for those with long lists of possible side effects (and that are possibly habit forming), so anything au natural is optimal. For years, I was stuck on meds that left me dependent. I had to work hard to dig myself out of that hole. And, once out, I mostly had a handle on insomnia. But, lately, anxiety was getting the best of me, so I decided to reach out to my life advice giving pro. And I was totally open to it; however, to be honest, I was a little upset. Why didn’t I already know the answer? I write about sleep. I have been for years. I’ve tried it all. The herbals. The tinctures. The teas. The special pillows. The amber screen fliters. So, what could I have possibly missed? As it would turn out, I hadn’t missed anything. What I was doing just needed some tweaks. When I prompted her to offer her advice, she said:

“Melatonin.”

She saw my disappointed look straight away (I’ve got a crap poker face) and asked if I was already taking it. When I confirmed, she then asked how much and what form. And that’s where the mistake lay. Now, because I was misinformed somewhere along the way (or perhaps the research evidence has changed over the years), I had a misconception. And that was that only 3 to 5 mg was safe or healthy. When I relayed this to her, she shook her head. Apparently, 10 mg is the top recommended amount. Also, I wasn’t taking mine as a dissolvable. Also-also, I wasn’t taking mine as pure melatonin. (It was mixed with some other stuff, making me groggy the next day.) So, armed with my new knowledge of soporifics, I opted to hit my local Wegman’s and give this stuff a try:

Natrol’s Melatonin comes as a pink dissolvable (although, honestly, I just chew it).

It does come in 5 mg options as well – but that’s what I started with before my therapist’s suggestion – and got nada from it. I like this one because it’s pure melatonin with nothing else mixed in. The result? Finally… a night of sleep. And when I say “sleep”, I don’t mean take ten hours to get there and then wake up every half hour after midnight. I’ve been taking this for two months now, nightly. And each night I do, I’m starting to nod off within half an hour to an hour. Once it’s lights out, I stay out until it’s time to be up. But that’s not the best part. I had tried so many other sleep aids before. And, to be fair, many of them are good at taking you down for the count. However, each seemed to come with the price tag of a groggy morning where the snooze button seduced me into missing more and more of my morning workout. Not with Natrol. Often, I’ll even wake up right before the alarm (which is great because the mere sound of it now gives me PTSD) and have no desire to play the “five more minutes game”.

The only caveat? The weird azz dreams you sometimes get.

Keep reading here for some “drawbacks” to taking this little tablet.

By now, we’ve learned when to eat for a better sleep.

Okay… but what should we eat during that window?

Can our foods help us snooze?

Indeed. Whether it’s three hours before bed or one, the things we eat can either steer our sleep ship toward theta waves or wakeful wakes. While sugar, spice, Starbucks, and other caffeine is out’ve the question, some things can facilitate that sleepytime transition. And what exactly are these soporific snacks? Well, let’s start with everyone’s favorite: carbs. To be specific, complex carbs are the favorable kind. Aside from being a notorious comfort food, they deliver a massive dose of snack ambien too. Whether it’s whole wheat toast or a bowl of oats, each trigger serotonin and don’t take too terribly long to digest.

But maybe you didn’t want something so heavy – so you went to bed hungry. If you’re still laying awake thanks to that low blood sugar we talked about in part one, fear not. You can still snack without going nuts – by munching some almonds. Indeed, almonds and walnuts (a great source of melatonin) are perfect for lulling you to slumber land. And if that’s too much fat for you (or you’re just allergic), try a kiwi. High in serotonin, this deliciously tart fruit that bites back makes a great late night dessert that’ll help you zonk out faster. Then again, perhaps you’re palpitation free, not too hungry, can’t sleep, and don’t wanna reach for drugs or supplements alike. To enjoy the benefits of food without the fill factor, try a nice bedtime beverage. Sipping some tart cherry juice or passionflower tea can be relaxing enough to help you rest. The tart cherry harbors both tryptopan and melatonin while the passionflower tea possesses the special chemical gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Because this chemical lowers some activity in brain cells, you feel more relaxed – and more apt to nod off.

And your big meals can help you too.

If we rewind to three hours ago when we’re still choosing a nice sizable dinner to enjoy, we’ve also got some great options for stuff that’ll help us power down later. Turkey, for example, is one food we’re all familiar with putting us out moments after the meal ends. The mere thought of it elicits memories of impromptu holiday naps on the couch and feeling too lazy to move. Why? Well, most of us have heard about tryptophan being the reason. However, it’s also (again) to do with serotonin levels. By now, you may be thinking it’s weird that serotonin is the reason for feeling sleepy – especially when serotonin is correlated with other activities and brain states that don’t equate to feeling tired. However, according to some studies, it has to do with the amount at play. And, with certain foods that have enough of it, it gets metabolized into melatonin – the sleep agent with which you are probably far more familiar (and perhaps have used as a supplement in times past).  Fatty fish will similarly offer the same benefit for exactly the same reason. So, either will make a great dinner option.

And, there you go.

Ideally, yes, we’d time our plate cleaning a few hours before hitting the hay.

But whether you’re tardy or on time for chow, these hacks can all help you rest better tonight.

You may know what to avoid eating before bed.

Drinking coffee after noon isn’t helpful. Eating chocolate will keep you up.

Also, sugar and spice alike make for wide eyes while horizontal.

But what about when we eat?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the window between food and snooze time should actually be about three hours or so. Why? Because when you sleep on a full stomach, your body is trying to multitask between two crucial processes: one is the entirety of all of your sleep functions and the other is digestion. Granted it may not seem like you’re doing much when you sleep (after all, you’re just laying there – how hard could it be?). However, this time is when your body goes to work to do repair and restoration. That takes energy. But, since digestion does too, the problem when you go to sleep too soon after eating is that neither thing happens in a quality way. (Worse yet, this definitely won’t help with your weight loss goals if you have any, inasmuch as it correlates with a higher BMI.) Also, heartburn may become an issue if you lay down too quickly after a meal.

So, that’s why you don’t want to slumber too close to supper.

Okay, but what if you wait too long?

Is it so bad to go to bed hungry? Well, that depends. Although they say it’s better to go to bed on an empty tummy versus a freshly filled one, there’s always a caveat. For example, it matters how long ago you ate. If you haven’t had anything since that on-the-run snack you shoved between your teeth at 2 P.M., then your blood sugar is probably gonna be a bit low. This is one I’ve had the unintentional misfortune of realizing when I’m going through busier times of my life. I’ll accidentally skip my evening meal, head to bed, and… proceed to lay there for the next three hours with my heart absolutely racing. Why? Well, it might be because rapid heart rate is a common side effect for those suffering from low blood sugar. It’s pretty tough to zonk out when your body’s acting like it’s running an ultra and missed the memo that it’s time to deactivate for the day.

The fix?

Well, it’s actually in the advice itself: it’s better to eat nothing than to go to bed on a full stomach, sure. But this doesn’t mean you can’t have a light snack to appease your blood sugar. (You’re still not “stuffing” your stomach.) The logic here is that you can either lay awake all night anyway with a racing heart or take an hour to enjoy and digest a small snack that will regulate your sugar levels (and bring your rate back to normal) before you lay down. Since it’s not a full meal, you may feel just fine laying down far sooner than the dinnertime three hour window normally allotted for a fuller meal’s necessary digestion time.

And what should we eat before bed?

Keep reading to find out…