After years of being an insomniac, I’ve discovered something rather disturbing and it’s this: Not sleeping sucks. This comes from someone who, given the chance, would enjoy 9-10 hours of blissful slumber a night until my late 40s.

Something changed when menopause hit. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not alone here. Few ladies I know around my age who aren’t on a low dose of hormones sleep throughout the night. I’m envious. I’ve asked my doctor about this and I get the same response my sleepless friends receive…

Keep a sleep routine; don’t use your computer late at night; get a sleep app; take Melatonin; no caffeine at night; take a hot bath…yada, yada. Well let me tell ya, none of that worked. And since Alzheimer’s is on both sides of my family, my doctor advised against taking sleeping pills and using hormone therapy.

So out of desperation I decided to try cannibis. Not the smoking kind of pot that gets you high and gives you the munchies. God knows I eat plenty without the help of an appetite stimulant. I’m talking about edibles like cannibis gummies. I had no idea they even existed.

I’m sure you’re thinking, what’s the big deal? Lots of people use some form of marijuana these days for everything from pain relief to stress and anxiety relief. And yes, sleeplessness. But I’m one of very few humans I know who’ve never tried pot in any form. Not even in a brownie. And I love brownies.

I guess you could say I’ve always been a bit of a good girl. No smoking cigarettes or pot. Definitely never used harder stuff. Never had the need or desire. So eating it in a gummy never occurred to me until I became an insomniac. My poison of choice has always been simple: a lemon drop martini. Or, when I’m feeling really wild, a slightly naughty martini with just a splash of olive brine as opposed to a downright dirty one (more brine, for you martini virgins).

Anyway, a friend who uses the gummies for anxiety told me about some that help you fall asleep and others that help keep you asleep — which could be an issue if I fail to hear my dogs needing to go out at 5:30 a.m. But either way, they had me at the word sleep.

So I researched and found a dispensary close to home. Best of all, they deliver. I went online to check out their offerings and received quite an education. They have stuff you drink, stuff you smoke, stuff you put under your tongue, stuff you rub into your skin…it’s a smorgasbord of pot products for every need. I was drawn to the gummy tins labeled Calm and Relax and Unwind. Naturally, my choice was Plus Sleep Lychee. Yeah baby, come to mama!

When I called to place my order, the guy sounded sleepy. I wanted say, “I’ll have what you’re on.” But I somehow refrained. I placed my order, then took my dogs for a half hour walk. When I got home, the delivery guy was pulling up to my house. Now that’s what I call service.

I’ve been eating a pot gummy almost every night for two months and guess what? They really work. As a matter of fact, one night last week I slept 6 hours before waking! That’s almost a miracle. So after years of being an insomniac, I’ve discovered something rather thrilling and it’s this:

Pot gummies rock!