World Sleep Day With Alice Mushrooms: A Month Inside Nightcap

We tried Alice Mushrooms’ ‘Nightcap’ chocolates for 30 days to see whether functional mushrooms could quiet a racing mind and transform a nightly ritual into something worth looking forward to

By: Amanda Albert

Photo Credit: Alice Mushrooms

In recent years, the, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” mentality has (thankfully) shifted, and sleep has become an essential performance metric. We track it, optimize it, negotiate with it and still sometimes wake feeling as though something unfinished lingers at the edge of the bed.

Alice Mushrooms approaches this challenge differently. Founded on the belief that food can function as medicine without forfeiting enjoyment, the brand formulates chocolate bites infused with functional mushrooms, nootropics and botanicals designed to support focus, mood, intimacy and rest.

In celebration of World Sleep Day on March 13, we committed to a one-month trial of Nightcap, their evening formula, created to support relaxation and circadian rhythm through ingredients such as reishi, magnesium, L-theanine, zinc and chamomile — all delivered in a square of dark chocolate that seems more artisanal chocolatier than supplement aisle or health food store.

Photo Credit: Alice Mushrooms

Nightcap is positioned as a nightly ritual rather than an emergency intervention. The formula pairs adaptogenic reishi mushrooms with minerals associated with melatonin production, while L-theanine and chamomile are included to encourage cognitive unwinding before bed. The concept is cumulative support, which is aligned with our intention to rebuild structure around sleep instead of chasing it reactively.

“We created Nightcap to feel less like a supplement and more like a nightly ritual you genuinely look forward to,” says Charlotte Cruze, co-founder of Alice Mushrooms. “Mushrooms like reishi build benefits over time with daily use, while ingredients like magnesium, zinc, and L-theanine get to work right away. The idea is to inspire consistency with some immediate benefits that then compound into a broader nervous system shift toward a calmer, more restorative rhythm in the long-term.”

Photo Credit: Alice Mushrooms

We began simply. Each evening, one square. A lavender sleep spray misted across linens. Lights out at the same time every night. The chocolate itself was tasty, with a depth and complexity that reads as dessert (instead of dosage). It is neither too sweet or medicinal-tasting, which matters more than expected when committing to consistency.

By the second week, the shift was subtle but discernible. The mind, which typically insists on rehearsing tomorrow’s obligations in relentless detail, began to release its grip with less negotiation. Yawning would arrive unprompted. The body followed. Falling asleep started feeling like a gradual surrender, almost an inevitability (instead of the argument it used to be).

At the one-month mark, the ritual had become something joyfully anticipated. Roughly thirty to forty-five minutes after taking a square, a steady wave of relaxation would move through both body and mind. The familiar spiral of mental checklists softened into something quieter. Mornings also arrived differently. Instead of sometimes waking with the sharp edge of overwhelm, there was a composed clarity, as though the brain had completed its overnight maintenance without interruption. For someone whose primary sleep barrier has always been a racing mind, the improvement was measurable and meaningful.

While Nightcap was our focus for World Sleep Day, Alice Mushrooms extends beyond the bedroom. The brand’s Focus & Energy formula is designed to support cognitive clarity, Party Trick offers a more sociable lift, and Happy Endings explores intimacy through botanicals and adaptogens formulated for pleasure. Each expression reflects the same thesis: wellness can be indulgent without sacrificing efficacy. We are already planning a rotation and will report back accordingly.

For those curious to explore, Alice offers 15% off subscriptions, reinforcing the idea that tangible results are built through consistency. In a landscape crowded with powders and capsules, Alice Mushrooms distinguishes itself by reimagining supplementation as a self-care ritual — a square of chocolate that invites you to slow down, dim the lights and trust that rest can be cultivated.

To learn more about Alice Mushrooms’ science-backed formulas, visit alicemushrooms.com and subscribe below to receive our free monthly digital issue, where firsthand product trials are conducted over time and documented with nuance.