Can Recess Mood Really Help You Relax Without the Buzz? I Tried Their Newest Flavor for a Week to Find Out

My sleep schedule can be chaotic. Let’s blame it on too many night classes and a strong love of caffeine that peaked while I was in college. These days, I’m juggling two jobs along with other fun adulting responsibilities, so my days start early and end late. To make up for lost free time, I find myself staying up even later, catching up on shows and indulging in endless scrolling. 

By the time I decide to go to bed, I’m usually too wired to fall asleep, leading to a very restless night. I’ve tried meditation, a hot bath, chamomile tea and a slew of other remedies with little to no improvement. If I’m desperate, I’ll reach for a melatonin gummy to help me wind down, although this often results in having strange dreams and waking up in the middle of the night. So when I was invited to try Recess’ new Orange Vanilla Mood beverage, I was curious to see if it would help with my nightly routine.

The Recess beverage line has a ton of non-alcoholic drink options, and their Mood line is infused with magnesium and adaptogens to help with relaxation and sleep. I’ve taken magnesium in the past for migraine management, but I wasn’t familiar with its supposed ability to help improve sleep quality. Although there’s still research to be done, it’s generally considered to be a safe supplement to improve sleep, as long as it’s dosed appropriately. The mineral is also readily available in plenty of foods like pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews and brown rice, so that’s a good place to start if you’re looking to increase your magnesium intake without supplements.

As a part of my little experiment, I decided to fully commit to creating a healthy evening routine. I wasn’t anticipating dozing off after a sip or two, but I figured it would be smart to be settled down for the night while enjoying the drink. For the entire week, I put my phone on ‘do-not-disturb’ by 10 p.m. and poured a can over a glass of ice. Then I snuggled up with a cozy blanket and did some journaling. I also made sure to avoid my late-night scrolls and listened to some relaxing music before turning out the lights and waiting for Recess to work its magic. 

In terms of taste, I really loved the nostalgic flavor. It truly did taste like a classic orange creamsicle. What impressed me most was that it wasn’t cloyingly sweet and had no aftertaste, which is usually why I hesitate to reach for certain drink flavors. Instead, it has a refreshing burst of citrus with a hint of vanilla. 

So now the big question: did Recess Mood help with my sleep? Yes! Now, to be fair, this isn’t some magical potion that will immediately cause you to drift off into a blissful slumber. The first two nights, I didn’t really notice a difference. But after a full week, I felt more relaxed and ready to fall asleep after enjoying a can. I also didn’t wake up in the middle of the night nor did I have any strange dreams like I sometimes had when I took melatonin. Tracking my sleep with my Oura ring only affirmed my thoughts—I got almost two hours of REM sleep every night and had an overall sleep score of at least 75 out of 100. (Typically, my sleep score falls between 60 and 65.) 

After a full week of drinking Recess Mood, I found myself feeling well-rested every morning and ready to take on the day. The combination of implementing a good evening routine and a can of Recess Mood did wonders for my sleep. It’s a great non-alcoholic option to help you wind down and relax without the buzz. I’m definitely looking forward to trying out the rest of their products, but the orange-vanilla flavor might be hard to beat!