Summary: After a month of using AGZ, I found that its blend of natural herbs, minerals, and adaptogens genuinely helped me wind down and stay asleep. The calming effects kicked in about an hour after drinking it, easing stress and guiding me into a deeper, more restorative sleep each night I used it. Between the clean ingredients, pleasant taste, thoughtful formulation, and noticeable overnight benefits, AGZ became a surprisingly supportive part of my sleep routine.
What I Love:
- Truly effective wind-down support: AGZ’s calming blend — especially the L-theanine, ashwagandha, and valerian — noticeably reduced evening stress and made it easier to transition into sleep.
- Melatonin-free but still powerful: I loved that it supported my natural rhythms without using synthetic melatonin, which produces some grogginess or hormonal effects I like to avoid.
- Thoughtful, clean formulation: The third-party testing, vegan-friendly ingredients, and absence of sugar make AGZ a truly good-for-you supplement.
- Convenient, travel-friendly design: The single-serve packets and included frother made it easy to keep my routine consistent, even while traveling.
Things To Note:
- Stress release can hit emotionally at first: The initial stress release made me more emotional than expected, which took a couple of nights to adjust to!
- Plan to use when you can get a full night of sleep: When I tried to use AGZ with less than my normal 8–9 hours of sleep, I had difficulty getting up in the morning. Best to use it when you’re able to get a full night of sleep.
I never had trouble sleeping until I got a few years into my 30s. Much to my surprise, I started to experience all of those disruptions that I’d heard so much about. From the trouble winding down to the 3:00 a.m. wake-ups and even the occasional night sweat, I’m now one of those people who “have trouble sleeping.” Luckily, it isn’t all the time, but I find that the smallest thing can throw me off my routine. So I’ve started taking some steps to ensure my nights are as comfortable and uninterrupted as possible. That means I’ve stopped drinking wine, invested in breathable, organic bedding, and I started experimenting with magnesium earlier this year.
“When I’m thinking about supplementing for sleep, I want something that is super natural and gentle to support my existing rhythms without changing them.”
I’m a bit crunchy at heart, so I avoid pharmaceuticals as much as possible. (I’m the type that when I have a headache, I drink a glass of water.) That means I also shy away from the synthetically derived melatonin that dots the shelves of my local pharmacy. When I’m thinking about supplementing for sleep, I want something that is super natural and gentle to support my existing rhythms without changing them.
AGZ, a nighttime drink from the creators of AG1, was super promising. The blend of herbs, minerals, and adaptogens, sans melatonin, sounded right up my alley. I was intrigued to go through the process from winding down to waking up, so I added it to my routine for a month. Here’s what happened. 💤
Why is restful sleep so important?
As a recent convert to the “trouble sleeping” club, I’ve also started to get interested in the science of sleep. It’s usually the simple things that can support our wellbeing the most: Morning walks in sunlight, slowing down and removing stressors, and, of course, sleep.
“Our nightly Zzzs are a critical time that supports learning, immune function, heart and metabolic health, emotional stability, and brain aging.”
Our nightly Zzzs are a critical time that supports learning, immune function, heart and metabolic health, emotional stability, and brain aging. As we rest, our bodies consolidate memories, remove waste, and modulate our hormones to repair our cells and keep everything in balance. If you have a hard workout, most of your muscle repair happens overnight too. While most of us are familiar with the short-term impacts of loss of sleep like impaired daily functions, forgetfulness, and even food cravings, I’m increasingly interested in how sustained sleep can help us in the long term, too, keeping us healthy and alert for decades to come.
Clearly, sleep is such an important lever for our health. When it suffers, we might start to feel like the wheels are coming off the bus. 🚌
About AGZ
AGZ is a nighttime drink carefully crafted to support restful and restorative sleep. With clinically studied adaptogens, herbs, and minerals, it optimizes your nightly rest so you can reach your full potential during the day. The concoction of key ingredients in AGZ supports your whole sleep cycle from wind down to wake up. You might recognize some of the more familiar sleep-supporting compounds (and notice the conspicuous absence of melatonin) and, if you’re like me, discover a few new ones as well.
“The concoction of key ingredients in AGZ supports your whole sleep cycle from wind down to wake up.”
Here’s how it breaks down: L-Theanine and Ashwagandha work together to help manage stress by calming the nervous system and the body. Valerian promotes relaxation, too, and is active in helping you unwind. Magtein Magnesium L-Threonate is a clinically tested form of mag that improves sleep quality and cognitive function. And saffron, an antioxidant that reduces your oxidative stress, helps both sleep quality and supports your mood upon waking. Those are the major players, but there’s also tart cherry juice powder (for fans of the sleepy girl mocktail) as well as chamomile flower extract, holy basil leaf extract, and lavender for more subtle and tasty relaxation.
I should mention that AGZ is third-party tested for quality so you can be sure it is clean. That means heavy metal, allergens, pesticides, toxins, and other harmful chemicals are either not present or within healthy limits. And there’s no sugar — so the sweetness comes from the natural flavors mixed with coconut milk powder, alkalized cocoa powder, and stevia leaf plus monk fruit extract. It’s also vegan and Paleo-friendly, if you fall into one of those buckets.
My review of AGZ
As soon as my AGZ arrived at my doorstep, I tore it open and started to think about testing. For the first few nights, I took it consistently, no matter what my need for it was. (My detailed notes on what happened are below!) For the rest of the month, I used it intermittently when I wanted extra support with sleep. That means I took it when I was feeling stressed and unable to wind down, if I was already running on little sleep, if I’d had a few drinks with dinner, or any other moment where my sleep might be interrupted or less consistent than usual. Here’s how it went.
Choosing my flavor
AGZ comes in three different flavors — Mixed Berry, Chocolate, and Chocolate Mint — and I was determined to try them all. I quickly took to the Chocolate Mint as my favorite flavor. It was part personal preference (a certain nostalgia for mint chocolate chip ice cream) and part culinary objectivity. In other words, chocolate mint makes sense alongside the blend of supplements in AGZ. Second place was Chocolate, and third was Mixed Berry. Though, honestly, it’s one of those things where I could grow to love the taste of any of them. The brand suggests mixing with milk or a milk alternative, if you want something a bit creamier. The packets already contain coconut milk powder, so I stuck with water. Either way, it feels like your night with an adult flavored milk, which I loved. 🥛
Making the drink
The powder is packaged in travel packs, which is super convenient for sticking to your routine, even as you travel or spend the night away from home. (Especially since that’s when you probably need help sleeping the most!) So decide your preference between water and milk — and then what temperature you like. You can use cool, room temp, or even hot water or milk without worrying about potency, which is nice. AGZ sends you a frother with your order, which makes the whole ordeal really seamless. The suggestion is to dissolve one packet of AGZ into 4–6 ounces of liquid. What’s most important is you don’t fill up your cup too much so that it doesn’t overflow when you go in with the frother.
The experience
The wind-down effect of this stuff is so real! AGZ recommends taking it 60–90 minutes before bed, and I think you can get away with two hours. But, let’s be honest, you’re not going to make it much longer than that. Within the first hour, I start to get a pervading sense of calm, followed by that drifting off feeling. I took it a couple of times when I had a few last tasks to attend to, and at the two-hour mark, I was done for (in the best way). I slept through the night each time I took AGZ.
“Within the first hour, I start to get a pervading sense of calm, followed by that drifting off feeling.”
My best advice is to give yourself time to acclimate to AGZ — especially if you have anything else going on in your life at the same time (and who doesn’t?!). I found that the calming effect of the L-theanine and/or ashwagandha had a big impact on my emotional regulation. In other words, I was a teary mess after the first two nights that I took AGZ. While attributable to what was going on in my personal life, it was striking to see how quickly removing my baseline stress exposed the more watery emotions underneath. Another thing: I did miss one morning of Pilates. That night, I took AGZ with the plan to wake up a couple of hours short of my normal 8–9 hours. When the morning came, I simply couldn’t get out of bed. If you’re planning to run short on sleep with AGZ, it might take a bit of trial and error.
Overall, I seriously loved the experience of taking AGZ. It was relaxing and supportive — ferrying me from my sometimes stressful, long days of work in NYC to a deep slumber that left me feeling prepared for the next day. 🌃
Is AGZ worth it?
At $79/mo, AGZ is priced equivalent to a nice meal out or a touch more than a parking ticket for me here in NYC. For consistently great sleep, this is a small price to pay. Even for the relaxing effects before sleep: Worth it! You can try out a 12-count variety pack for $40 to experiment with flavors and give it a try before committing. There’s almost nothing more important for your physical and mental health than getting restorative, truly restful sleep. AGZ works, and it’s enjoyable too, so who wouldn’t sign up for that?
THIS STORY IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT AGZ
Ashley D’Arcy is the Senior Editor at The Good Trade. She holds an MA in Philosophy from The New School for Social Research and has contributed to esteemed outlets such as The Nation, 032c, and Yale School of Management’s Insights where she’s leveraged her expertise in making complex ideas accessible to a broad audience. In addition to her editorial work, she is training as a psychoanalytic mental health professional and provides care to patients in New York City. Ashley also explores sustainable fashion, clean beauty, and wellness trends, combining thoughtful cultural critiques with a commitment to mindful living.
