These Melatonin-Infused Bath Salts Helped Me Beat Insomnia

Catching quality ZZZs is a true blessing many take for granted. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, I will be a walking zombie the next day. To make matters worse, I have to avoid caffeine like the plague and can’t just compensate for a crappy night’s slumber by pumping my veins with Starbucks Blonde Roast. Long story short, I’m pretty much doomed if I don’t spend the night before an important day of work, travel, or socializing sleeping like a baby.

Insomnia is such a drag. There have been many periods throughout my life where I couldn’t get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning, with the latest being the result of my previous, bug-infested apartment. It took quite a bit of time to shake off the stress of beetles dropping into my bed from the ceiling. It was my own personal horror movie, and now I’m trying to get my sleep schedule back on track the au natural way like a true wellness god. Unfortunately, there are many reasons I (or, let’s be honest, anyone) may not be able to catch proper shuteye. Perhaps the mattress feels like a cinder block or that pillow from sophomore year of college has lost its mojo. (That’s honestly an easier fix than being mentally restless because all you’ve gotta do is upgrade to a new mattress or head-cradling memory foam pillow.) For some of us, in times of true desperation, that means turning to other sleep products, whether they’re supplements, sprays, or even specially formulated bath salts. When I’ve paid close attention to others with this issue on social media, I’ve heard time and time again about stuff from a brand called Dr. Teal’s. It piqued my interest, but only recently have I been able to give these products a proper shot.

Everyone and their grandmother has heard of popping melatonin in the form of gummies to help induce sleep, but—plot twist—what about inhaling it? For a quick lesson, melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness and helps with regulating your circadian rhythm when it comes to snoozing, according to The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. While melatonin has made its way into plenty of drinks and snacks, I recently realized that food isn’t the only way to integrate it into my evening routine. Case in point: I was on my weekly Target run and, while scouring the skincare aisle, I came across a melatonin magic potion: the Melatonin Sleep Bath from the aforementioned Dr. Teal's.

I’m already a huge fan of bubbles, but a bubble bath laced with melatonin? I’m simping based on the concept alone. Besides gently cleansing the skin, Dr. Teal's Melatonin Sleep Bath is also formulated with lavender and chamomile essential oils to help relieve stress and pure Epsom salt to relax muscles. I dumped a generous amount into the bathtub over running water and watched the foamy relaxation come to fruition. Before I knew it, I was soaking for over 20 minutes and blissfully decompressing. Was I a prune? Sure, but I was a relaxed prune. Not a fan of baths? Despite the name, Dr. Teal’s Sleep Bath works the same even if you pour it onto a loofah in the shower.

It was a quarter past 11 p.m. during my inaugural bath with the stuff, which meant it was prime time to see if it was the real deal. I slipped on my sleeping jawns and hit the hay. I opened my eyes… and it was the morning! The previous week I’ve woken up twice throughout the night and struggled to get back to bed, but I was finally able to put those issues… well, to bed. Is it a placebo effect? No, Chad, because this wasn’t just a one-time deal; after using Dr. Teal’s potion in subsequent night baths and showers, my sleep schedule was back to normal for a week straight.

I’m a sucker for a matching set, so of course I marched my peach back to Target to get the rest of the collection. I picked up the lotion, pure Epsom salt Melatonin Sleep Soak, and sleep spray—now I’ve got the whole family to rely on. All the products are formulated similarly (combining melatonin with essential oils for a one-two punch of dermal absorption and aromatherapy); they just have different formulas and means of administration.

I’m ready to marry Dr. Teal. See ya in snoozeland.

Purchase Dr.Teal’s Melatonin products at Amazon.

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