I Threw Away All of my Sleep Supplements

I had my three children within 5 years. Once we reached the cusp of regular sleep with the first kiddo, another baby came along. While I do miss snuggling tiny little babies at night, I was not the best version of myself for those 5-6 years with young kids at home. When I reflect back on those years, they were absolutely survival years and honestly, I'm not sure where my endurance came from at time! 

Aside from lack of sleep from when my kids were newborns, I've never really had an issue falling asleep or staying asleep. But then I turned 30 and things started to CHANGE. 

I had weaned my last kiddo from breastfeeding, my menstrual cycle was back to normal and my anxiety and spinning thoughts had increased in the evenings. Relaxing at bedtime became more difficult. I also noticed an increase in trouble falling asleep and staying asleep the week leading up to my period. Folks, that's a sensitive time to begin with and NO ONE was benefitting from a hormonal and tired Holly.

I started using a melatonin supplement on nights when I was having trouble falling asleep. With melatonin, I felt I got hit by a heavy wave of drowsiness. But at the same time, I could feel my brain was still very active. You kind of have to "give in" to the drowsy feeling associated with melatonin and it's nice to feel sleepy, but there was a part of me that just wasn't settling in. I would often wake up in the middle of the night and I often felt groggy in the morning. I still brought the melatonin along when traveling and would use it the first few nights (especially if we had a time change), but it wasn't quite the right thing for me.

I had heard about CBD and hemp supplements for sleep, wellness and pain relief. I remember looking at a well-known CBD brand at the drugstore and I honestly didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for. There were milligrams on the label, words like "isolate" and "full-spectrum", and some had artificial flavorings added. I left the store empty-handed but started to do my own research online. 

I learned a bit more about the various cannabinoids (the active compounds found in hemp plants) and how they were helpful with sleep issues, overall wellness, pain relief, mood stabilization and more. One of particular interest to me was Cannabinol (abbreviated as CBN). CBN comes from the breakdown of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC and is noted for its sleepy effects. I started looking at CBN/sleep focused products and was TOTALLY influenced by folks on social media repping different brands.

When I tried CBD/CBN products, the sleepy feeling crept on more slowly and felt very natural, and it was accompanied by the calming of my thoughts and a more relaxed (but not impaired) feeling in my body. I had found something that worked.

As time went on, I started to learn more about the growing and manufacturing practices of different brands. A few of the brands I had tried were using CBN isolate vs a full-spectrum hemp strain that was naturally high in CBN compounds. 

Manufacturers make CBD isolate by extracting all substances and compounds from the cannabis plant, leaving pure CBD behind. What's left behind is a pure crystalline substance that doesn't contain THC, terpenes, flavonoids, or other cannabis plant compounds. Isolates aren't a BAD thing, but as someone who believes that plants and their healing compounds work best in their most natural form, I wasn't thrilled about using products with isolated compounds. Plus, some of the isolate extraction processes use less than desirable checmicals.

In addition to the 'isolate' issue, many of the "popular" CBD tinctures and gummies that are available in stores are NOT organic. In case it's not clear based on this brand I've built, I like to KNOW what we put into our bodies. And once you learn some of the "dirty, behind the scenes" information about certain industries, you start to scrutinize.

In late 2021, my mother-in-law, introduced me to Schoppee Farm. She had seen some of their products at a local farmers market in Maine. I browsed the website and was impressed at the transparency and thorough explanations of every product. She connected me to Ben and Allie Edwards, the owners and 8th generation farmers of their family farm.

I was overjoyed to find a company that put organic practices and the environment first in every business practice. Through our conversations, Ben shared about their organic farming practices and how they select which varieties they grow. He also shared more about WHY they chose their extraction processes, and why their products work!

In 2021 we tossed around the idea of bringing a collaborative product out because our brands shared many foundational values of organic ingredients, effective formulations, eco-conscious practices and a desire for our customers to BE WELL. And in January of 2023, our dreams came true as we released Sweet Sleep To-Go, our full-spectrum immune & sleep support tincture.

With simple ingredients, an effective formulation and INCREDIBLE sleep-supporting results, we brought Sweet Sleep To-Go to YOU! There's a strong connection between lack of sleep and increased illness. Obviously, we want people to STAY WELL, which is why we offer incredible immune support with our elderberry products. Now, we have added another layer to supporting wellness- helping folks to SLEEP BETTER so that they can STAY HEALTHY! 

When I tried our VERY FIRST version of Sweet Sleep To-Go, I was blown away. The relaxation, ease of mind, and deep (but not heavy) sleep was incredible. It was the BEST sleep support product I had ever tried. We made a few tweaks (hemp products don't always taste FREAKING DELICIOUS) and brought this formulation to you. I'm not kidding when I said I tossed out every other sleep support in my cabinet. Melatonin, OUT. CBD with CNB isolates, OUT. Sweet Sleep To-Go will stay on my shelf, in my travel bag and on this website because I know it cam be a game changer for those of you also struggling with sleep issues.