01

The label may not match what's inside.

Researchers tested 25 melatonin gummy products sold in the US. Only 3 were within 10% of the amount on the label; the rest ranged from 74% to 347% of what they claimed.

Source: Cohen et al., JAMA, 2023

02

Many gummies use far more than the research used.

Melatonin is a hormone your body already makes. Studies in young adults found doses as small as 0.1–0.3 mg raised blood levels into the normal nighttime range. Many gummies list 5 or 10 mg per serving.

Source: Zhdanova et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2001; discussed in Cohen et al., JAMA, 2023

03

"Proprietary blend" hides the doses.

A blend can list one total weight without saying how much of each ingredient is in it. You can't compare it to the research, because you don't know the amounts.

Source: FDA dietary supplement labeling guide (proprietary blends)

04

A nightcap feels like it helps. It may not.

In lab studies, alcohol helped people fall asleep faster, but sleep was more disrupted in the second half of the night.

Source: Ebrahim et al., Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 2013

05

Routines beat rescue.

Weekend catch-up sleep didn't undo the effects of short weeknights in a controlled study. A consistent wind-down, every night, matters more than fixing a bad week.

Source: Depner et al., Current Biology, 2019

SO WE BUILT THE ALTERNATIVE

downshift: every dose, printed.

A cherry sleep stick you mix into water as part of your wind-down. No added melatonin. Every ingredient listed in milligrams on the pack. No blends, nothing hidden. Batch 001 arrives early 2027.