Due to alcohol being a depressant substance, this means that it slows down your central nervous system by calming the neurotransmitters that keep you alert. Alcohol can behave the same way sedatives do, by fixating on the two neurotransmitters in your brain known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate.
Sleep plays a central role in memory consolidation - the process by which newly acquired information is stabilized and integrated into long-term memory stores. Research from institutions including Harvard Medical School and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has shown that different stages of sleep contribute to different types of memory. Slow-wave sleep, or deep sleep, appears to be particularly important for declarative memory - the kind that stores facts and events.
Within 15 minutes, I start to feel noticeably more relaxed. Within 10 minutes of lying down, I've dropped off to sleep. And then, unless one of my kids decides they need me at 2 a.m., I stay that way until 6 or 6:30 in the morning-my normal wake-up time. According to the Garmin watch I wear almost constantly, my average sleep score has gone from "fair" to "good."
Sleep banking is essentially extending your normal sleep hours in the nights leading up to a known period of sleep deprivation. On the face of it, it appears unlikely banking sleep could counter the decreased alertness and other cognitive decrements that we experience when deprived of sleep, or stop that strong sensation we get when our body wants sleep.
I tested AGZ's chocolate and mint flavors, which come with a frother, and you can blend the powder with water or milk, either warm or cold (although I think it tastes the best with milk, like a frothy hot cocoa). The drink doesn't taste overly sweet and has a nice, rich chocolate taste. The mix is melatonin-free, instead with adaptogens, herbs, and minerals, including magnesium, vitamin B6, L-theanine, ashwagandha, and calming herbs.