Perchance to dream: Dormeasan Sleep Valerian-Hops oral drops review

You know the feeling: you keep tossing your head, trying to find the elusive sleep, but it doesn't come. You check the time, swear, try to count the sheep, anything really, get up, have a sip of water, maybe read, be too tired to do anything and unable to find the much desired oblivion.
I often have bouts of insomnia, and hate it. My kids often keep me awake, but even on the night when they are sleeping peacefully, I might have a problem with falling asleep. My mind is racing, I am quite angry at myself for not catching the opportunity to have a rest, but the sleep doesn't come. Of course, when the time comes to get up, you feel like a zombie.

I have tried several sleeping pills in the past, but they didn't seem to do much of a difference.

When I read on BritMums that a long established company A Vogel Herbal Remedies is looking for bloggers to test the herbal drops Dormeasan Sleep Valerian-Hops, I wanted to try it and find out if it works for me.

What is Dormeasan Sleep?
Dormeasan^® is a herbal sleep remedy made from extracts of freshly harvested, organically grown Valerian root and Hops.

Image credit: A,Vogel

Its benefits and features include the following:

Herbal sleep remedy

Helps restore natural sleep

Tinctures of Valerian and Hops

Fresh herb extract

"Dormeasan^® is not a 'sleeping pill’. It is a herbal sleeping aid and won't normally leave you feeling groggy in the morning. Unlike many sleep remedies, Dormeasan^® is available in the form of a liquid herbal tincture. Taken just half an hour before bedtime, it can help if you worry that you can't sleep - encouraging a more natural sleep, helping you sleep better and wake feeling refreshed."

What were my first impressions? When I opened the little bottle, the smell of Valerian immediately reminded me of my great grandmother who kept a bottle of Valerian drops by her bedside, "for the heart", as she used to say. As you know, the Valerian root drops have a very distinct smell that you cannot mistake for anything else. It also brought back memories of our cat Kuzya who would go crazy at the sight of the bottle of the Valerian drops. As a kid, I found it extremely amusing.

My Mum is a great believer in herbal remedies, and she also takes the Valerian drops, though she doesn't take it for the sleeping disorder, more for the calming effect when she is feeling stressed.

As for Hops, in a way, it is very similar to the Valerian as it is also used as a treatment for anxiety, restlessness and insomnia.

The first couple of nights after taking Dormeasan Sleep I wasn't able to properly test the effect as our older son was very restless and hardly slept at all, so we were all kept awake.
Then on the 3rd night, once my guys were finally asleep, I decided to read but realised that the bed was a much more alluring prospect. The drops didn't have an immediate effect but they definitely made me more sleepy and relaxed.
I have been taking it for over a week, and have to report that Dormeasan Sleep does work for me. I think the main effect is lowering down my anxiety levels, thus making the transition to sleep smoother. It does what is promises: encourages a more natural sleep.

It tastes quite bitter, even diluted in water or juice, and the smell is quite distinct too, but if you gulp it quickly, it helps.
Anyway, a bit of a bitter taste is a small price to pay for a more restful night.