REVIEW OF RELAX AND SLEEP

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

RATING: 7.4 OUT OF 10.

     Although this site's main focus to provide reviews of various caffeinated products, relaxation beverages still remain one of my favorite products to review. And despite only reviewing about seven or eight of these products, I can safely say that Better Life Beverages is taking a new approach to the world of anti-energy drinks. Unlike most of these drinks, Relax and Sleep utilizes an herbal blend, rather than hiding behind a few milligrams of melatonin. It's time to find out if their new approach works, or if it falls flat on the floor.

     Relax and Sleep utilizes the same bottle shape that made 5 Hour Energy so popular. It's the easily recognizable 2 ounce container. On the front, I noticed that the flavor was listed as "lemon drop." After giving it a few shakes, I popped the top and inhaled the fumes that escaped the beverage. I was hit with a calming herbal scent. Intrigued, I guzzled down the contents of the bottle with ease. While I am not disappoint with the overall flavor, I do believe that the flavor is incorrectly labeled. Relax and Sleep had more of a herbal flavor than a lemon drop flavor. Of course, the herbal-ness was expected, especially when you take a closer look at the relaxation blend.

     As I stated previously, Relax and Sleep uses a special botanical blend to promote relaxation and calmness. In all, the blend totals a whopping 4,640 milligrams. In that blend, we have organic violet leaves, organic English lavender flowers, organic rose buds, organic nepeta cataria, blue lotus leaf, organic California poppy seed, organic passion flower leaf, and organic hops flower. There is absolutely no question that these are some interesting ingredients.

     After I consumed the contains of the minuscule container, I waited patiently for the effects to kick in. After approximately 20 minutes of waiting, I was struck with an adequate amount of calmness. Keep in mind, Relax and Sleep is designed to give you a relaxed feeling, with an added benefit of lulling you to sleep. That being said, I managed to feel more relaxed, but I had no trouble keeping my eyes open.

     Relax and Sleep's unique approach to relaxation is a tad risky, but it actually works. Yes, the flavor is incorrectly labeled, but it is still palatable and easy to consume. The ingredient list is filled with several organic herbs, which all promote serenity and tranquility of the mind. And while the effect isn't perfect, it does do an ample job at putting me in a calm state of mind. All things considered, I believe Better Life Beverages has created a solid product.

REVIEW OF 8 HOUR ALERT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 10.

     Typically, when I am asked to review a product that comes in a pill format I kindly turn them down and accept the energy drink instead. However, I have over 3 years of experience and reviewing a caffeine pill is about as dangerous as your favorite No-Doz. While it is easier to overdose on caffeine this way, you know what the golden rule is: Everything in moderation. That being said, let's check out the first pill ever reviewed on this site, the MHP 8 Hour Alert.

     Inside each small, blue bottle of 8 Hour Alert, you will find just 14 bi-layer tablets in a bottle that could probably fit 40. Why they choose to leave so much air space is beyond me. I opened up the container and shook a pill into my hand. The tablets are elliptical in shape, with a white and yellow hue. Each pill is two-thirds of an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide. That being said, these are some adequately sized tablets. I popped one in my mouth, and the flavorless pill was effortlessly washed down with a glass of orange juice.

     8 Hour Alert is not identical to your standard No-Doz, because it has a lot more energy enhancing ingredients. Starting off, it contains 150 percent daily value of niacin, 2,000 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of folic acid, and 8,333 percent daily value of vitamin b12. It also contains an energy blend worth 655 milligrams. In that, we find taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, l-theanine, malic acid, n-acetyl-l-tyrosine, l-phenylalanine, and phosphatidylcholine. Of course, they hide the caffeine content under this statement: Contains caffeine comparable to a 12 ounce cup of the leading premium coffee.

     Even with that statement, I still have absolutely no idea how much caffeine is contained in one of these pills. My best guess is somewhere around 200 milligrams, although I could be off by a substantial amount. And it does seem like this is the case, because after I consumed the bi-layer tablet, I felt little to no effects from it. That's right, this failed to lift me out of my lackadaisical spirit. I must say, my first caffeine pill didn't have the same effectiveness that I predicted.

     Taking everything into consideration, I must conclude that 8 Hour Alert is a mediocre energy pill. They use your basic laundry list of ingredients, an undisclosed amount of caffeine, and cram it into a medium-sized pill. It all sounds fine and dandy, but I just wish it worked on me.