Dream Water Shots

Dream Water is a very cute little shot - like a miniaturized Vitamin Water, only like the name says; it is made to put you down like a rabid sheep. Unlike a rabid sheep however, everything about this is cute, from the name to the flavor to the bottle. The idea behind the drink is a solid one too - it is supposed to transport you to a sound and restful place. There is even a dreamcatcher printed on the label to help you get there. This is not supposed be be a heavy duty sleeping pill, or something to help folk who have real medical cases of insomnia and other serious sleep issues. This is just supposed to mellow you out enough to be gently lulled to slumber. Dream Water is supposedly all natural, orthodox kosher, and non-addicting.

Of course, I could say that about my other favorite natural, Kosher, but more addictive sleep aid, Rancho Alegre 100% agave tequila. But, there are some nights when a margarita just does not seem appropriate. So after a particularly long day, and after I mistakingly guzzled an 8 ounce Pit Bull Energy drink way too late, I thought I would put this stuff to the test.

Packaging:7
But there is a very good reasons why this is just in a little 2.5 ounce bottle. That is the size allowed for all liquids to be carried onto a plane, and can definitely see this drink as perfect for slipping into your pocket for one of those long late flights. While it won't get you through a plane full of screaming babies being beaten or flight attendants who are mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore, it should at least be something else to concentrate on instead of that smelly dude drooling on your shoulder.

I should mind the Willy Wonka silliness of the flavor called snoozeberry. ButIi just can't- it is just the right amount of silly. These also come in bigger bottles and 'Lullaby Lemon, but both bottles I recieved as samples were of the snoozeberry blueberry pomegranate flavor. The whole natural thing even though it is not natural still bothers me, and the fact that it refuses to mention on the bottle or on the website of just how much of what it has in it. Melatonin is a hormone, folks - and it would be nice to know just how may hormones I am gulping down, you know?

Flavor:9
This is like a tiny version of Vitamin Water. IT tastes and looks like a Pomegranate Blueberry XXX Vitamin Water. This is a very nice thing - sweet and flavorful, if a little fake Kool-aid. It was super easy to drink this shot right down - and want more. IT would have been super easy to drink it if it was even a 20 ounce shot. The lack of any aftertaste and overall yumminess of the flavor already improved my mood.

Anti-Buzz:6
Dream Water has three ingredients that are supposed to help ease your way to dreamland. There is 5htp, which increases serotonin levels by supplying the building block material needed to make tryptophan, thus enhancing sleep health. There is Melatonin, which is a hormone that supposedly helps put you to sleep as well, and GABA, which helps you relax and unwind. This is not a big prescription grade knock-your-ass-out supplement - but more of a peaceful-easy-feelin'-helps-you-drift-away shot.

The rest of the ingredients are safe, but why are they pushing the "Natural" Angle? There is nothing Natural about the synthetic petrochemicals Red #40, Blue#1 or Sucralose , which is an artificial sweetener 600 times sweeter than sugar. I don't mind that it is not a natural product - but just don't pretend that it is.

Placebo effect? Maybe. All in all, this is a very mellow sleep aid. With other pill form sleep aids I have had in the past, the effect was fast and strong. With over the counter stuff, I can usually count sheep, rabid or no, for about ten seconds. After I took a shot of this, I still managed to watch the rest of some dumb non-engaging reality show ( because I am not going to admit to everyone that I am completely hooked on Top Chef, D.C.) and took a nice long hot shower before I started feeling anything.

Either way, Within the hour I was dreaming, for some reason, about some Oompa Loompas being voted out of their Chocolate Factory. I woke up a full 7 hours later with no sleep-aid hangover, and ready to start fresh on my day. Was this the doing of Dreamwater? Maybe. I am just glad I did not need a pound of coffee and a good vat of menudo, unlike the Mexican sleep aid I was considering.