Relax with Tart Cherry Juice

I've always been a sound sleeper who tends to crash the minute my head hits the pillow. But the older I get, the more sensitive I'm becoming to caffeine and other natural stimulants, like electronics or chocolate. If I'm not careful, I can easily take in caffeine too late or spend too much time on my phone before bed and have trouble falling asleep.

So I was eager to try Cheribundi's new Relax Tart Cherry Juice. This drink contains l-theanine (an amino acid that neutralizes the effects of caffeine) and valerian root (an herb that promotes sedation by increasing the brain's GABA levels).

I had this before bed the night before last. I was reading a book as I drank my juice, and I swear that by the time I'd reached the end of the bottle, I could feel a noticeable difference in my energy level. I was tired! Valerian root has always done the trick for me, so I wasn't terribly surprised.

Paul gave it a try too. He's always had a harder time falling asleep than I have, and he said he noticed it worked for him as well.

Last night, I decided to mix it up a bit by combining my Relax juice with my homemade kombucha for a Cherry-Booch Mocktail.

This was so good! It had the tartness of cherries with the tanginess of booch. And once again, it succeeded in making me very sleepy. Paul and I were watching TV as I enjoyed this mocktail last night, and I was starting to nod off on the couch.

To make the mocktail, simply combine four ounces of Relax Tart Cherry Juice with four ounces of any flavor kombucha. I made two of these so I could use the whole bottle of cherry juice for maximum effect.