Is there anything more frustrating than lying in bed expecting instant blissful sleep,  only to have your brain replay that one super embarrassing thing you did in high school?

Yeah, it’s the worst. But when your options for shutting off your overactive mind aren’t much better (flipping on Netflix, counting sheep, or popping a sleep supplement that takes too long to kick in and makes you feel groggy the next morning) is sleeping for eight hours a night even possible?

Liquid I.V. founder Brandin Cohen had the same problem: typical 21st-century sensory overload during the day leading to major sleep issues with no relief. Then, the lightbulb went on. He realized he could use the same breakthrough technology utilized in Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier to help people fall asleep faster.

With the aim of helping people catch those elusive zzz’s, Cohen enlisted the help of medical director Brad Thomas, M.D. to explore the possibility.

“Over a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis—and it’s killing us,” Dr. Thomas says. “Sleep affects us on so many levels. When you toss and turn all night, the next day can be brutal—your focus is off, you’re emotionally reactive, and your performance can really suffer. And long-term, you’re more susceptible to weight gain and serious illness.” Enter Liquid I.V. Sleep—a product that helps you fall asleep fast in a way those sheep never could.

That’s right, your trusted source of mega hydration is using its groundbreaking Cellular Transport Technology™ (don’t worry, we’ll go over that later) to bring you better shut-eye by way of a simple pre-bed beverage. We got to chat with Cohen and Dr. Thomas about how they developed the key to sleeping through the night—Every. Single. Night—and boy did science pull through.

Keep scrolling to learn how to fall asleep faster with Liquid I.V.—plus, all the science that went into creating the new bedtime essential.

1.  What is it?

First off, we’re sure you want to know what even is this magic. Liquid I.V. Sleep is a drink mix that combines a unique blend of Melatonin, L-theanine, and Valerian root (to help you fall asleep), B vitamins (to maximize sleep’s restorative powers), and blueberry and lavender flavors for a delicious and effective nighttime elixir.

“[It’s] a high-quality product because it’s biologically efficient,” Dr. Thomas explains. “It doesn’t just blast your body with a ton of ingredients—it uses less of the sleep ingredients than traditional sleep aids because more of them actually get into your bloodstream.”

Unlike other sleep aids, Liquid I.V. Sleep focuses on small doses of those three key ingredients to get you to sleep, instead of overloading your system with high doses (which is what usually gives you that foggy feeling the morning after taking a typical sleep supplement).

“The smaller percentage of sleep ingredients in Liquid I.V. Sleep means that by the time you wake up, the ingredients have already been processed out of the bloodstream, so you can actually wake up refreshed,” Dr. Thomas adds. Did we just discover the secret to being a morning person?

2. How does it work?

Here’s the breakdown on the three sleep-inducing superstars: Melatonin is our body’s sleep hormone, so by consuming it, it signals to the rest of your body that it’s time for bed. L-theanine promotes relaxation and can decrease levels of anxiety, and Valerian root may increase GABA, a neurotransmitter that also promotes relaxation in the brain (allowing you to forget said embarrassing thing you did in high school).

The big question Cohen had to answer was how to maximize the absorption of these ingredients for the best possible sleep outcome. “Natural products can sometimes be ineffective simply because the body doesn’t know how to absorb them efficiently,” Cohen says. That’s where Liquid I.V.’s Cellular Transport Technology™ comes in.

“Think of it this way: Sodium, glucose, and potassium are like tour guides who know their way around the body,” Cohen says. So, when an ingredient (like Melatonin, L-theanine, or Valerian root) enters the body with these “tour guides,” they avoid the large intestine, and are granted special shortcut access to the small intestine. Here, the ingredient is processed and streamlined right into the bloodstream. Voila, you’ve got sleep.

3. How do you use it?

Raise your hand if you remember the last time you fell asleep within 15 minutes of hitting the sack. If you’re thinking “that’s literally impossible” instead of raising your hand, Cohen has good news for you.

An independent clinical study showed Liquid I.V. can enter the bloodstream within 15 minutes of drinking it. “That means instead of tossing and turning for hours, our customers can fall asleep in as little as 15 minutes,” Cohen says. Just think about how few sheep that is.

To get to snooze town, all you have to do is pour the formula into eight ounces of water, stir, and sip. “Sleep is a time for rejuvenation and replenishment, and Liquid I.V. Sleep provides the ingredients for optimizing both,” Dr. Thomas says.

Plus, thanks to CTT™ and its ability to streamline smaller doses of these superhero ingredients into your bloodstream, you’ll be able to wake up *not* as a zombie, but as a real-life person.

Shop Liquid I.V.

Liquid I.V. Sleep $30

In partnership with Liquid I.V.

Top photo: Getty Images/andresr