Wellness Wire
Sunday, April 17, 2011

Dream Water: Do you need this souped-up water to sleep?

Bottles of Dream Water

Bottles of Dream Water. It also comes in a 2.5-ounce shot for air travel and those that have to pee a lot in the middle of the night

Considering that almost 70 million Americans don’t sleep well—and that we’re addicted to coffee and energy drinks—we shouldn’t be surprised to see bottles of Dream Water in every Duane Reade.

The opposite of wire-you-up beverages, Dream Water wants to knock you out when the clock strikes bedtime and you’re still staring at the ceiling, going over today’s anxieties and tomorrow’s to-do list.

So what’s in this sleeping-pill-in-a-bottle? Three “naturally occurring chemicals” that can help bring about sleep (so it might be a step in the right direction if you’re using drugs like Ambien):

1. Melatonin, which the body produces to regulate your sleep cycle

2. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan), the amino acid that’s released from warm milk and gives a metabolizing assist to L-tryptophan found in turkey

3. Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA), which works like an anti-anxiety, muscle relaxer (Bonus facts: It’s used as an anticonvulsant in drug form, and as topical Botox in some anti-aging skin-care products.)

Still, you might be better off with a bedtime cup of herbal tea. Like a lot of health beverages out there, Dream Water’s ingredients might be found in nature or your body, but they don’t grow on trees (although 5 HTP can be plant-derived). And the drink also contains food dyes and sucralose, a sugar substitute.

What do you think? Does Dream Water sound better than your guided meditation CD or a totally depleting spin class? What are your tricks for getting more shut-eye? —Melisse Gelula

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