Sleep recovery · Liquid dietary supplement · Coming soon
Your shift is over. Your body hasn't caught up.
DEBRIEF is a melatonin-free beverage supplement created for the space between night shift and sleep — by a nurse who lives it.
Follow the road to run one, help shape the brand, and receive first access when the pilot is ready.
Free to join. No purchase required. Founding updates from Judith, RN.
- 3,000MGGlycine per can
- ZeroMelatonin, by formula
- 12FL OZLightly carbonated can
- RNNurse-founded
The 0730 problem.
You gave report. You badged out. It's full daylight, you're still running on the last four hours of adrenaline — and you need to be asleep by 0900 to make it back for 1900.
Nobody talks about the stretch in between. That's the part we built for.
- 0730Report given. Badge out.
- 0815One DEBRIEF, 30–60 min before bed.
- 0900Blackout curtains. Lights out.
- 1500Up for the next one.
Why there's no melatonin.
“You're not bad at sleeping. Your body clock is wrecked — and nobody built a fix for it.”
— Judith Gil, RN · Founder
Melatonin isn't a sedative. It's a timing signal — your body's way of saying it's night. After a night shift, the clock is already scrambled and the sun is up.
The research on melatonin for daytime sleep after night work is mixed,1 and plenty of people describe feeling worse the next day. So DEBRIEF leaves it out entirely — even the tart cherry is flavor only, without the fruit's own melatonin.
Heard on nights
Real words from nurses and shift workers in public forums. We didn't write these, and it's why we built DEBRIEF.
-
…basically wired and couldn't do more than cat-nap.
Night-shift nurse · allnurses.com -
I am one of the people who gets a melatonin “hangover” no matter how small the dose.
Reader letter · The People's Pharmacy -
I lay there for a while before being able to fall asleep.
LPN on day sleep after nights · allnurses.com -
when i take melatonin, i sleep exactly 4.5 hours. I wake up rested, but i crash later.
Nurse · allnurses.com -
I have trouble sleeping more than about three or four hours unless I take [melatonin].
Night-shift nurse, reader letter · The People's Pharmacy -
I just resigned myself that I will always be tired with weird sleeping habits.
Nurse on working nights · allnurses.com
Excerpts from public posts, quoted as written and linked to the source. The authors are not DEBRIEF customers and do not endorse DEBRIEF. Individual experiences vary.
The dose is the difference.
3,000MG
Glycine + Lemon balm
Built around 3 g of glycine — the amount evaluated in published human research — paired with lemon balm, a botanical traditionally used to support a sense of calm.*
The supporting cast
- L-theanineFrom tea leaves. Supports a relaxed state.*
- MagnesiumAn excellent source, as magnesium malate.
- ChamomileThe classic calming botanical.*
- Tart cherryNatural flavor. Melatonin-free by design.
Clinically dosed, lightly carbonated, sweetened with monk fruit, stevia Reb M, and allulose. Full Supplement Facts on every can.
The list matters as much as the formula.
What we left out on purpose, and why. The popular sleep ingredients have tradeoffs we didn't want in a can made for night shift.
| Left out | Why |
|---|---|
| Melatonin | A hormone that tells your body clock it's night. After a night shift, the sun is already telling it otherwise — we'd rather not add a mixed signal. Some people also report next-day grogginess.1 |
| Caffeine | It's the thing you're trying to come down from. |
| Hemp / CBD | FDA's position is that CBD can't be sold as a dietary supplement, and some products carry trace THC. Not a risk worth taking for people who get drug-tested at work.2 |
| Kava | FDA issued a consumer advisory on kava in 2002 after reports of rare but serious liver injury.3 |
| Ashwagandha | Liver-injury case reports and possible thyroid effects are on record, and it isn't recommended during pregnancy.4 |
| 5-HTP | A serotonin precursor. Taking it alongside common antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs) carries a serotonin-syndrome caution.5 |
| Valerian root | The research is inconsistent, and the smell is a lot.6 |
| Alcohol | It can knock you out, then break up your sleep in the second half of the night. |
| Erythritol & xylitol | Sugar alcohols can upset your stomach at drink-sized amounts, and recent studies have raised cardiovascular questions.7 |
| Artificial dyes | No reason to dye a drink you'll have with the blackout curtains closed. |
Leaving an ingredient out isn't a safety guarantee. If you take medications, or are pregnant or nursing, check with your provider or pharmacist before use.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources
- Morning melatonin has limited benefit as a soporific for daytime sleep after night work (CDC Stacks)
- FDA — Regulation of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, including CBD
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Kava
- NIH LiverTox — Ashwagandha
- MedlinePlus — 5-HTP
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Valerian
- Nature Medicine (2023) — Erythritol and cardiovascular event risk; NIH — Xylitol may affect cardiovascular health
One can. 30–60 minutes before bed. After your shift.
- Product
- DEBRIEF Original · Tart Cherry
- Format
- 12 fl oz (355 mL) can, lightly carbonated
- Category
- Liquid dietary supplement
- Storage
- Shelf-stable. Best cold.
Where we are
Formula locked. Pilot next.
No guesswork, no hype. This is the road to run one, updated as each milestone moves.
- DoneFormula locked.
- PendingPilot manufacturer selection.
- In progressPilot funding.
- PlannedFinished-product verification.
- OpenThe Founding Shift.
- Coming soonFirst cans.
The Founding Shift
Founding isn't a coupon. It's who was here first.
Join the Founding Shift for first access to run one, founder updates, and a voice in what DEBRIEF builds next.
- First access to run oneBefore public launch, before anyone else.
- Founder updates from Judith, RNOnly when there's something real to say.
- A voice in what's nextFuture flavors, future formats, the launch experience.
- Your name on the founding wallPlus founding pricing — 10% off, for life.
Free to join. No purchase required. Unsubscribe anytime.
Why the name
I used to debrief in the shower.
After every night shift, I'd talk the whole thing out to my fiancé in the shower. When I went looking for something to help my body come down after a shift, everything was either melatonin or a wellness label that's never met a nurse. So I created the thing that should already exist.
Questions
The short answers.
Is DEBRIEF available now?
Not yet. The formula is locked and we're preparing for the first pilot production run. Founding Shift members will hear first when initial cans become available.
How do I drink it?
One can, 30–60 minutes before bed, after your shift. It's a lightly carbonated 12 fl oz can — best cold.
Why no melatonin?
Melatonin is a timing signal, not a sedative — your body's way of saying it's night. After a night shift your internal clock is already scrambled, so we left it out and built around glycine, lemon balm, L-theanine, magnesium, and chamomile instead.
How do you keep it melatonin-free?
Tart cherry fruit naturally contains melatonin, so we don't use the whole fruit — only a melatonin-free natural tart-cherry flavor. Finished-product verification is planned as part of the pilot run.
Can I take it with my medications, or while pregnant or nursing?
DEBRIEF is a dietary supplement that contains botanicals. If you take prescription medications, or are pregnant or nursing, check with your own provider or pharmacist before use.
Is it a drink or a supplement?
Both. A lightly carbonated drink, formulated as a dietary supplement — that's what lets us put a full 3,000 mg of glycine in the can. It carries a Supplement Facts panel, not a Nutrition Facts panel.
What does the Founding Shift get me?
First access to run one, founder updates, and a voice in future flavors, formats, and the launch experience — plus founding pricing locked for life. Founding isn't a coupon. It's who was here first.