Natural Sleep: Why Quality Beats Speed

Most sleep products compete on how quickly you drop off, but the gap between speed and quality is the case for looking beyond melatonin.

What melatonin actually does

Melatonin is a hormone involved in sleep timing, [1] and that is where its evidence is strongest. The most convincing trial evidence is for reducing the time it takes to fall asleep in primary insomnia, for delayed sleep phase syndrome, and for regulating sleep-wake patterns in people who are blind. [1] dundeeem-consulte

For general sleep difficulty, the effects are real but small. A meta-analysis of 19 studies found people taking melatonin fell asleep about 7 minutes sooner and slept about 8 minutes longer than those on placebo. [2] The authors described the effects as modest. PLoS ONE (Jan 2013) +2

For jet lag or a shifted body clock, melatonin can be the right tool as it is designed signal to your body that it’s night.

Sleep quality is the point

However, falling asleep faster and sleeping well are not the same thing. Some conventional sleep medicines shorten the time it takes to drop off while changing the structure of the night: a systematic review of benzodiazepines found more light stage 2 sleep, less deep sleep and a reduction in REM time. [6] nih

REM is the stage most associated with dreaming, memory and emotional processing, and it is not an easy one to shift. That is why the result below matters to us.

What we found with Was It All A Dream?

In our clinical trial, REM sleep increased by 21%.*

Participants also reported:

• 90% felt calmer and less anxious before bedtime
• 90% reported more restorative sleep
• 88% fell asleep faster
• 85% woke up feeling more refreshed*

*In male and female participants aged 21–65 in a medically supervised study conducted for INORA in 2025.

Rather than sedating, Was It All A Dream? works through nervous system regulation. Valerian root, passionflower, lemon balm and montmorency cherry work together to calm hypervigilance, helping the brain transition into deeper sleep naturally.

Discover Was It All A Dream?

References

1. Auld F, Maschauer EL, Morrison I, Skene DJ, Riha RL. Evidence for the efficacy of melatonin in the treatment of primary adult sleep disorders. Sleep Med Rev. 2017;34:10-22. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2016.06.005
2. Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH. Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(5):e63773. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063773
3. Which? Sleep drug melatonin illegally listed for sale on online marketplaces. (add date and link)
4. Cohen PA, Avula B, Wang YH, Katragunta K, Khan I. Quantity of melatonin and CBD in melatonin gummies sold in the US. JAMA. 2023;329(16):1401-1402. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.2296
5. Erland LA, Saxena PK. Melatonin natural health products and supplements: presence of serotonin and significant variability of melatonin content. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(2):275-280. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6462
6. Benzodiazepines and sleep architecture: a systematic review. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2023. doi:10.2174/1871527320666210618103344 (add authors and volume details)
7. Burkhardt S, et al. Detection and quantification of the antioxidant melatonin in Montmorency and Balaton tart cherries (Prunus cerasus). J Agric Food Chem. 2001;49:4898-4902.
8. Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012;51(8):909-916. doi:10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7
9. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Valerian. nccih.nih.gov/health/valerian
10. Mayo Clinic. Valerian: a safe and effective herbal sleep aid? mayoclinic.org