I have never been very good at sleeping. For years, "Help me sleep" was the primary thought in my mind as I would try to nod off at night -- help me sleep, sheep (counting them didn't help), help me sleep, warm bath (that didn't help, either), help me sleep, satin eye mask (that only ever helped me to feel like Holly Golightly).

Through high school and college and even afterward, my insomnia certainly helped me get a lot accomplished -- term papers, studying for tests, planning extracurricular activities, preparing presentations -- but I always ended up feeling like my daytime was a haze. I'd have trouble remembering whether conversations were real or if they were dreams (there's a line in 'Fight Club,' that when you have insomnia, everything feels like it's a copy of a copy of a copy -- as if your waking moments are lessening in quality and clarity and distinction. If you've ever struggled with insomnia, you know that feeling exactly.)

And I'm certainly not alone when I'm awake at 3 a.m. Scientific studies have estimated that 30% of us struggle with insomnia every year. No wonder so many of us turn to Lunesta, Ambien, Tylenol PM, or any of their ilk -- we're TIRED. I consisently resisted seeing a doctor for a prescription, however; I didn't want to become reliant on a chemical.

Then, two years ago, after having knee surgery, my orthopedic surgeon prescribed Ambien -- it is one thing to have insomnia, it is another thing to have insomnia when it is caused by post-surgery pain. Your body needs sleep to rest and recover. I took Ambien for a month, and oh, did I sleep. (It turns out that when I actually can fall asleep and stay asleep, I'm really good at it -- I could probably sleep for days at a time, if I let myself. I consider it sleep owed.) I was so rested, I was so clear-headed, I was so energetic -- even though I was hobbling around on crutches, I was getting so much done.

But Ambien was never to be a long-term solution; I was taking a very small dose and, if I continued to take it, would have built up a tolerance -- I also started to notice a bit of a sleep hangover every morning. Ultimately, I wanted to be able to sleep, naturally.

Enter Pure Matters, and enter Rest Easy -- I was absolutely thrilled with the results after one night of taking it. It's designed to help with falling asleep ... and then staying asleep once you're out. I have to say -- it works. I have been sleeping like a rock for the past two weeks ... and I don't feel drugged or hungover the following day, the way I have with Ambien. If you're thinking about trying it, this would be my advice:

• If you have a history of sluggishness, halve the dosage. (It calls for two pills one hour before bedtime.) I take just one, and I think it works well.
• That said, watch your caffeine intake. The only night Rest Easy didn't work for me, I'd had a giant iced coffee from Starbucks at 4 p.m. That caffeine obviously hadn't worked its way through my system.
• Follow the instructions: Take it an hour before bed. If you take it 5 minutes before bed, you'll wonder when it's going to start working for an hour -- an hour that you could have been sleeping.

Have you already tried Rest Easy? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, if you've got an alternate sleep solution that works for you, night in and night out, I'm all ears!