News
May 18, 2012 | Asbury Park Press
Sweet Dreams - Sea Girt Herbalist's Organic Potion Helps Provide Needed Sleep
WRITTEN BY: LISA GIRARD | PHOTO: BOB BIELK
Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. According to the National Institutes of Health, between 50 million and 70 million Americans are affected by chronic sleep disorders and other related problems that can lead to any number of health issues — from anxiety and depression to weight gain and increased risk of heart disease.
On the flip side, those who sleep soundly for eight or more hours will benefit in several ways. Not only does a solid night’s sleep make you feel sharper and more alert, but it will help you look and feel younger, make your skin glow and contribute to an overall sense of health and well-being.
“Adults really need at least eight hours of sleep to function at peak performance,” says Geraldine O’Keefe, a Sea Girt resident and inventor of Escape to Sleep, an all-natural sleep tonic. “Most people get six hours a night, even if they think they get more. Eight hours or more is optimal.”
O’Keefe, who grew up in North Jersey and spent summers in Belmar, was introduced to the problem in the 1990s, when she was going through menopause. She would wake up during the night with hot flashes and started to search for a remedy that would help her sleep through the night again.
Being an aromatherapist, lifetime yogi and vegetarian, she wanted to avoid the addictive chemicals found in most sleep aids and solve the problem organically.
“I would go down to my kitchen and combine herbs and would then sleep soundly, so I decided to put it all in organic aloe vera water,” says O’Keefe, who had learned about plants as a perfumer creating fragrances for multimillion-dollar brands in the U.S., Europe and Japan before getting her degree as an herbalist.
After years of experimentation and improvement, she came up with Escape to Sleep, which contains organic aloe, herbs and flowers selected for their ability to treat insomnia, help you relax and aid in gastrointestinal problems. These plants have been around for thousands of years and have long been used to treat people with anxiety and similar issues, she says.
Escape to Sleep, whose tagline is, “Let them drink flowers,” is available at www.escapetosleep.com or through The Wellness Café (www.thewellnesscafe.com) by famed fashion designer Norma Kamali, for whom O’Keefe created a fragrance in the 1980s.
The product is designed to help you sleep for eight hours, and she recommends drinking it 20 to 30 minutes before bedtime and also avoiding caffeine and alcohol late in the day to help its effectiveness.
“It’s not a knockout drug,” she stresses.
Escape to Sleep can be used nightly or on an as-needed basis. A six-pack of 2-ounce bottles is $39.95 and, because of the small size, can be brought onto airplanes for those who need help sleeping on longer flights.
“This is the real inner-beauty drink, because there’s nothing like getting a good night’s sleep to help you look good and live longer,” says O’Keefe, whose career spans more than 40 years and who still consults for Revlon, Bath & Body Works and others.
“Escape to Sleep is a gift that I’m looking to share with people. This is like a divine calling, and I’m compelled to get the word out there.”
Escape to Sleep contains an organic aloe vera water base and stevia and is free of additives, artificial fillers, melatonin and 5-HTP. It has less than 4 calories per serving. It is in dioxin-free glass and will be available in recycable plastic.
Read Full Article: Click here
Organic Army received a 6-pack of Escape to Sleep tonic for review from Geraldine O’Keefe, popular herbalist and founder of Escape to Sleep - May 7, 2012.
The Escape to Sleep sample that we received contained six individual 1.7oz glass bottles of natural sleep tonic made from an organic Aloe Vera water base. It contains a potent formula of time-honored plant-based ingredients that have been found to aid the digestive system, reduce anxiety, and help with blood circulation.
Note: Follow the instructions of taking 1 or ½ bottle of tonic 20 to 50 minutes before your planned bedtime. Based on my experience, I suggest starting your trial on a weekend night because of the potency of this product. This will help your body adjust to any potential effects from the tonic.
I consumed one bottle per night for six consecutive nights. It tasted great, similar to Snapple peach tea. The effects of the tonic were immediate, not in aiding me to fall asleep, but rather in enabling me to stay asleep throughout the night. I fell asleep as usual, but I definitely experienced the potency of the tonic throughout the night as I slept. I normally get up 2-3 times in the middle of the night to use the restroom, even when I cut off the liquids at a reasonable hour. I did not need to get up for at least three of the nights during the review.
I experienced some radical dreams while using the tonic, but I am generally susceptible to this when I’ve taken medication in the past. Again, I suggest trying this product on a weekend night or an evening when you do not have to wake to an early alarm clock. Please note that although I experienced these dreams, I did not wake from my rest, so score one for Escape to Sleep.
Overall, this product definitely delivers on a natural potency that helped me stay asleep throughout the night and wake feeling well rested. As a helpful reminder, Organic Army recommends always consulting your doctor before trying any type of sleep aid.
Also, make sure you check out the link below provided by Escape to Sleep to be sure that you are meeting the basic requirements for a good night’s sleep and hearing what others have to say about the benefits of Escape to Sleep.
Click here to read the full article
Escape to Sleep samples to be provided at the First Annual Professional Day - Friday, May 18th – 1 to 4pm
Shhh...Don't let the cat out of the bag- but ESCAPE TO SLEEP is a "secret" co-sponsor of the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of Nurse Practitioners of NY First Annual Professional Day in Tarrytown, NY. This event is complimentary for NPANYS members, a nominal non-member fee will be applied at the door for non-members.
Their "Integrative Therapies Boutique" speaker, Michelle Fortney, Holistic Nurse and Healer, will be talking about the vital influence of biologicals, mind-body therapeutics, biofield therapies, manual therapies, and electromagnetic therapies as vital keys to optimal wellness, and her presentation will feature experientials in all 5 categories of complementary therapies.
We here at ESCAPE TO SLEEP, are very proud and pleased to announce that ESCAPE TO SLEEP has been chosen to be featured as part of the program, and through our charitable giving track, has gladly contributed a gift sample of ESCAPE TO SLEEP (Oprah style!!) for each member of the audience.
The esteemed members of this chapter don't know it yet, but they will each be treated to an opportunity for a blissful night of sleep on us. What a great way to extend our gratitude to these hard-working caregivers as an extension of National Nurse Week!!
Escape to Sleep's Geraldine O'Keefe appeared on Natural Mom's Talk Radio!
Click here to learn more
Escape to Sleep was featured on The Morselist!
Click here to learn more
Escape to Sleep was featured in In Jersey Magazine
Click here to learn more
Photo: Bob Bielk
Fragrance Innovators- Geraldine O'Keefe Talks to the Forum Spring 2011
Click to learn more
Geraldine O'Keefe to Present at Norma Kamali's Wellness Cafe- Best in Beauty 2011
Click to learn more
15 Tips- How to Escape to Beauty 12/9/11
Click to learn more
15 tips: How to Escape to Sleep 12/9/11
Click to learn more
Health- 15 Tips on How to Escape to Sleep 12/16/10
Click to learn more
Janice Taylor- 15 Tips for Better Sleep Huffington Post and Kick in the Tush Club 12/13/10
Click to learn more
Tips on How to Sleep Better 12/13/10
Click to learn more
Diet Tip Tuesday: Escape to Sleep 12/9/10
Click to learn more
Good Morning America
Geraldine O’Keefe appeared on Good Morning America with Elizabeth Vargas. She gave a presentation on the current fragrance trends.
FOX News
Geraldine appeared on FOX News discussing Aromatherapy and how these types of fragrances can affect our lives in positive ways.
WORTV
Geraldine did a piece on showcasing Givaudan, a fragrance house.
