Maybe it’s a sign of my age or just a sign of the times, but getting a good night’s rest has been a struggle. It’s not so much that I have trouble dozing off — I can do that in the middle of the day with the right cozy setup — but it’s staying asleep that’s the problem.
I’ll admit, I pop melatonin like candy some evenings just to get a head start on the long night ahead of me. At times, I’m tired enough to get myself to sleep without it, but with my anxious thoughts and wandering, the supplement-size support is needed.
Over time, I got to a place of frustration that made me want to explore alternative sleep remedies that could help put my mind at ease and keep me in a state of rest until the morning came. That’s when I discovered magnesium.
Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium plays an essential role in the overall function of our bodies. It is an essential element involved in over 300 biochemical processes within the body and plays a crucial role in maintaining the regular function of nerves and muscles, the immune system, the heart, and bone health. Additionally, it contributes to the regulation of blood glucose levels and facilitates the production of both energy and protein.
Some studies claim that magnesium can act as a natural sleep aid in adults but only plays a supporting role in getting to sleep. Magnesium can help regulate neurotransmitters that are related to sleep, calm the nervous system, and tell our brains it’s time for rest — making it easier to fall asleep.
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My Bedtime Mocktail
In my case, I wanted to see what it would be like to whip up a bedtime mocktail with magnesium that could aid in my journey to better sleep, to which I looked no further than TikTok for inspiration.
For weeks, the viral Sleep Girl Mocktails has been trending on TikTok, with claims that it would help put an end to bedtime insomnia and restlessness before bed. The three-ingredient drink, made up of Tart Cherry Juice, powdered magnesium, and a sweet beverage of your choice to add for taste, seemed easy enough to follow.
Tart Cherry Juice is said to support quality sleep as it contains melatonin and tryptophan — which the body uses to produce melatonin. Desperate for a solution, I decided to try it out for myself.
@yagirlaley this bedtime mocktail will have you out like a light 😴 #fyp #mocktails #magnesiumforsleep #soberliving #sobercurious #mocktailwithmagnesium #tartcherryjuice
The Experience
I first began taking this bedtime mocktail at the start of October as a part of my Sober October journey, and I have to say, the claims hold up. About 45 minutes before bed each night, I take my mocktail ingredients, mix up my drink, and take two melatonin capsules. The flavor is reminiscent of a flat cherry soda but goes down smoothly.
About 40 minutes into having the drink, I tend to feel my body go into a relaxed state, which is hard to come by with my racing mind. My thoughts become more paced, my body is at ease, and I soon find the weight of my eyes getting heavier, signaling me to prepare for sleep.
Once I’m fully asleep, I only find myself waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, but when I’m back in bed, it’s right to sleep I go. In the morning, I’m not met with that usual groggy feeling. Instead, I feel rested and ready to start my day.
Will I Keep Using it?
Absolutely. It’s nice to know that there’s a natural way to fall asleep that doesn’t leave me feeling disoriented in the morning. However, taking this bedtime mocktail is only half of what’s been helping me sleep better.
For starters, I bought an analog alarm clock to be my new way of waking up in the morning so that I didn’t feel the need to keep my phone next to me at night. Scrolling on my phone in the evenings used to be the catalyst to my insomnia, with the bright light from my screen keeping my brain wired and awake. With the alarm clock, I can now set my phone across the room and slip my mocktail without the distraction.
Also, finding a magnesium-based melatonin to take with the mocktail has worked wonders for helping me not only doze off but stay asleep.
So, if you’re someone who struggles with insomnia too, making a bedtime magnesium mocktail may just be the remedy you’ve been looking for. Be sure to consult with a doctor and, if taking magnesium, follow dosage recommendations.
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While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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