Lately I've been having trouble going to sleep--watching the GOP convention will do that--not soporific entertainment at all. I went to bed agitated and depressed.

So I used the sleepy time method my Italian stepfather learned from his nonna, who brought it with her when she emigrated from Napoli.

It's simple and effective: 2 spoonfuls of honey about 15 minutes before bedtime.

Two caveats: One, the honey must be the real stuff made by bees from flowers. Beware of the honey that comes from bees fed sugar water by beekeepers. The real stuff is dark and thick and tastes like the flowers which the bees visited. I myself prefer organic honey (nonna would have known no other kind).

The other caveat is to be sure to drink some water or at least rinse your mouth with clear water afterward. It's not good for your teeth to consume something like that and then let it turn to acid and etch your teeth as you sleep. Your dentist would disapprove.

Went right to sleep and slept well. A rock could have taken my correspondence course in unconsciousness.