My Nights as a Middle-Aged Dad Were a Mess (and it Wrecked Me) 

I’m Doug. I’m 39, a dad to two beautiful girls (4 and 8), and an avid runner. 

My days are busy in the best way possible: work, after-school chaos, and bedtime stories. Not to mention time with my wife, friends, family, and on the trail. 

But for years, I faced the same issue night after night.

No matter how tired I was, I had trouble falling asleep.  

And when I did finally drift off, I’d often wake up to a small voice calling for water, or little feet padding into my room. The hardest part wasn’t being woken up… it was lying there afterward, wide awake at 2:00 a.m., knowing the alarm was only a few hours away.

The lack of sleep wrecked me. I was dragging through my mornings, skipping runs because I didn’t have the energy, and dealing with terrible afternoon crashes. 

Naps became an essential part of my daily routine. 

And living off naps and coffee simply wasn’t sustainable. 

This lack of sleep hurt everything; from my ability to focus at work to being patient with my kids.

Things I Tried (That Didn’t Really Work)

Out of desperation, I threw a lot at the problem:

1. Melatonin: It knocked me out at night, but the next morning, I felt like I was walking through quicksand. The grogginess lingered all morning, and I felt “off” even after a cup or two of coffee.
2. Herbal teas and “sleepy” supplements: Chamomile, valerian, lavender blends. They felt calming in the moment, but they didn’t actually change how fast I fell asleep or whether I stayed asleep.
3. Apps and breathing tricks: I downloaded meditation apps, tried the 4-7-8 breathing technique, and even experimented with “sleep stories.” All of which I liked, but none of it helped when I woke up at 3 a.m. with my brain fully switched back on.

Every option seemed to come with a trade-off...

Either it didn’t do much at all, or it “worked” but left me worse off the next morning.

How Restore Fell Into My Lap

Around the same time I was about to give in and just accept that I would be tired for the rest of my life, I got word that COMPLEMENT was working on an evening drink called Restore. 

I’ll admit, my initial reaction was less than positive. Another sleep product, likely loaded with melatonin. 

But when I looked closer, I saw that Restore wasn’t trying to sedate you. It’s a blend of natural adaptogens and herbs meant to support the entire sleep process — helping your body wind down, drift off, and cycle through the deep stages of sleep naturally.

Restore has several ingredients (such as magnesium, reishi and chaga mushrooms, ashwagandha, and turmeric) that collectively promote mood relaxation, muscle relaxation, and stress reduction to help you get to sleep and naturally fall back asleep if you're woken up.

It was different from anything else I had tried. 

So as soon as I got my hands on it, I gave it a try. 

The Cozy Nighttime Ritual That Works

Think of Restore as a cross between the “sleepy-time” teas and melatonin. 

Just like the tea, it’s a delicious evening drink that provides the perfect balance of cozy nighttime vibes and flavor. 

The main difference, of course, are the ingredients. 

Restore is formulated with clinically studied ingredients like L-theanine, magnesium, reishi mushrooms, turmeric, and ashwagandha (note, NO melatonin). 

To make it, simply add a serving to hot water or milk. My experience is that half water, half soy milk creates the richest, creamist experience.

What Happened the First Week I Tried It

The very first night I tried Restore, I noticed something important: I didn’t feel “drugged.”

I felt calm. My mind stopped jumping from one thought to the next, and I didn’t spend an hour adjusting pillows and shifting around. Sleep came easier.

But the biggest difference came in the middle of the night.

At around 1:30 a.m., my 4-year-old called out because she needed to pee. Normally, that would mean hours of lying awake after I got her settled back to bed. But that night? I crawled back under the covers and was asleep again within minutes.

By the end of that first week, I felt a real, measurable difference. My mornings felt lighter, my energy steadier. I realized just how long it had been since I’d felt truly rested.

How Restore Changed the Feeling of Sleep

Restore didn’t just help me sleep — it changed the feeling of sleep itself.

Here’s what stood out:

• Falling asleep felt natural. I wasn’t being “knocked out” the way melatonin did. Instead, there was this gentle quieting of my thoughts. Like turning down the volume on my brain until sleep just… happened.
• Middle-of-the-night wake-ups weren’t a crisis anymore. Any parent knows how disruptive a wake-up can be. Before Restore, those moments would leave me lying awake for hours. Now, I could handle whatever the kids needed, climb back into bed, and actually fall asleep again.
• I stayed asleep longer. I used to wake up every hour or two, adjusting the blanket, checking the clock. That restless tossing stopped. My nights started feeling solid.
• Waking up felt different. No groggy “what planet am I on?” mornings. Just a normal wake-up, like my body had done what it was supposed to do overnight.

The whole experience was more like restoring what sleep should feel like — not forcing it, but allowing it.

The Ripple Effect of Better Sleep

After a few weeks of taking Restore consistently, here’s what I noticed:

1. Clear mornings. Melatonin left me sluggish. Restore didn’t. I woke up alert, clear-headed, and ready for the day instead of hitting snooze three times.

2. Better recovery. As a runner, I pay attention to how my body feels after long runs. Sleep is where recovery happens, and I could feel the difference in my legs. My runs started feeling stronger again, even after a hard effort the day before.

3. Fewer sick days. I used to catch every cold that came home from my kids’ classrooms. Better sleep meant my immune system was finally getting the support it needed. I was able to stay healthy, even when the house around me was a germ factory.

4. A better mood… for everyone’s sake. I don’t think I realized how irritable I had become until I started sleeping again. Suddenly, I had more patience at home, more focus at work, and more energy for my kids. The little moments didn’t feel so overwhelming.

My Honest Take on Restore

I didn’t realize how much poor sleep was stealing from me until I finally got it back.

Restore didn’t just help me sleep. It gave me back better mornings, better runs, and better time with my family.

If you’ve been running on empty, waking up groggy, or lying awake at 2 a.m. staring at the ceiling…

It’s time for something different.

Restore is a melatonin-free, plant-based blend designed to help you:

• Drift off naturally (without feeling drugged)*
• Sleep through the night, even after wake-ups*
• Wake up clear, energized, and ready to go*

For a limited time, you can get Restore for 20% off and feel the difference for yourself.

Claim Your 20% Off Restore Now using code RESTORE20 at checkout.

Because better sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s your foundation for a better life.