I Tried Blue Bear's Melatonin-Infused Nighttime Tea Drink. Here's What I Liked

I often have a hard time falling asleep at night. To overcome poor sleep, I regularly drink Sleepytime tea, which contains chamomile, spearmint and lemongrass -- all calming ingredients regularly found in teas for sleep. On top of that, I will sometimes take a melatonin supplement. 

There is now a drink that combines the calming properties of Sleepytime tea with melatonin. Enter Blue Bear, a wellness tea that tastes good and helps you maintain healthy sleep cycles. 

I stopped drinking my usual tea and supplements to try Blue Bear for five nights. In addition to melatonin, this drink claims to be made with adaptogens, botanicals and nootropics (we get into what these are below). Here's what I found. 

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What are adaptogens, botanicals and nootropics?

Adaptogens have become a huge buzz word in the health world. These substances are plants, herbs or mushrooms that naturally help our bodies manage stress. The adaptogens used in Blue Bear are ashwagandha (an herb known to ease stress and anxiety) and white tea. 

Botanicals refer to a group of plants and herbs that are used for medicinal purposes. Sometimes the plants' scent and flavor is extracted (especially for essential oil), other times botanicals are extracted for their health benefits. The botanicals used in Blue Bear include lavender and chamomile. 

Nootropics are natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs used to support cognition. Caffeine is an example of a nootropic, because it gives you energy to focus. The nootropics found in Blue Bear are L-theanine (used to promote calmness) and Gamma-aminobutyric acid. The latter, GABA, is an essential amino acid that helps to calm the central nervous system as a neurotransmitter. 

What is Blue Bear?

Blue Bear is a fairly new wellness company specializing in tea drinks that aid relaxation and sleep. Blue Bear focuses on drinks that both are functional and tasty. Its website states that its ingredients are natural and high-quality. 

For this review, I only tested Blue Bear's Functional Sleep Drink in the white peach flavor. There is also a Peace drink available, but it seems to be less popular.  

The Blue Bear Sleep Drink is vegan, kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO, keto-friendly and caffeine-free. It is also sugar-free, naturally flavored and made without preservatives. One can (8.4 fluid ounces) contains 5 calories, 9 grams of total carbohydrates and 2 milligrams of potassium. There's also 12 mg of chamomile extract, 102 mg of L-theanine, 7 mg of ashwagandha root extract, 12 mg of lavender extract, 102 mg of GABA and 5 mg of melatonin. 

Besides the supplements mentioned above, the ingredients also include filtered water, organic erythritol (a zero-calorie sugar alcohol), organic white tea flavor, natural peach flavor, organic white tea extract, monk fruit juice concentrate (a natural sweetener), L-malic acid and citric acid.   

How much does Blue Bear cost?

The Sleep and Relax tea drinks both cost the same. A four-pack of tea costs $16, and a 12-pack is $48. Free shipping is available if you order a 12-pack.

There's also an option to subscribe to Blue Bear and save 5%. If you opt to subscribe, you can have Blue Bear shipped to your door every 14 or 30 days. You can change or cancel your subscription at any time. You can also subscribe and save on Amazon. Currently, the price of a 12-pack of Sleep tea is cheaper on Amazon ($37). 

Flavor, smell and my experience

I was surprised at how great Blue Bear tastes. It reminds me of Peace Iced Tea I used to drink as a kid, only without all the sugar and caffeine. Blue Bear does taste a little watered down, but that is to be expected of tea. The flavor isn't too strong, which I didn't mind. As for the smell, I was expecting it to smell a little chemically, but it doesn't at all. Smells just like peach tea to me.  

Blue Bear is recommended to be served chilled, and I agree that it tastes best over ice or after it has been in the fridge. It is also recommended to be consumed 30 minutes before bed. I, however, drank it an hour before bed. That way, I had time to drink it slowly, get ready for bed and have time to go to the bathroom before I went to sleep. You have to drink the entire can for all of the effects, and I don't recommend chugging it before you get into bed (as you may have to wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom).

After about 25 minutes I had finished the can and was feeling sleepy. I had no issues falling asleep that night, which I was thankful for since I had trouble sleeping the two nights prior.    

Does Blue Bear work?

I can't say for certain if Blue Bear will work for everyone, but I know that melatonin works for me. I sometimes take 5 mgs of melatonin before bed, so I was fairly confident that this melatonin-infused tea would work for me -- and it did. While I can't certainly say whether or not the added adaptogens, botanics and nootropics helped me, I know the melatonin did.  

While I have never had any side effects associated with melatonin, be aware that these are possible. Side effects may include dizziness, headaches, stomach ache, strange dreams and feeling tired the next day. Talk to your doctor before taking any melatonin supplements or melatonin-infused nighttime drinks. 

Where to buy Blue Bear 

Blue Bear is available on Amazon and on its website. Amazon only offers the 12-pack, but you can get a four-pack on the Blue Bear website. The Relax Mixed Berry Drink is also available there.  

Blue Bear White Peach Tea Sleep Drink $16 at Amazon

The drink isn't available at your local grocery store, pharmacy or department store just yet.

Is Blue Bear really worth it?

Here's what you need to know before buying a pack of the Blue Bear Functional Sleep Drink. 

Pros of Blue Bear

• Chamomile extract, L-theanine, ashwagandha, GABA and melatonin all-in-one tea
• Convenient and tastes great
• Makes you sleepy and ready for bed

Cons of Blue Bear

• A bottle of melatonin supplements is less expensive
• Hasn't been tested by a third party (which is important to verify the quality and quantity of supplements)
• Must drink the whole can and can make you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night 
  

If you're considering any of Blue Bear's products, I would first encourage you to look into melatonin supplements. Comparing the price of a bottle of melatonin to a four-pack of Blue Bear, you can save around $7 when opting for a supplement. Also, a bottle of melatonin can last you up to 90 days compared to four with Blue Bear.  

However, if you want the added L-theanine, ashwagandha, lavender and GABA, and don't want to buy and take those extra supplements, Blue Bear is a good inclusive option. On top of being convenient, it also tastes great for those who don't drink tea often.   

As always, talk to your doctor before starting any supplements. Do not drink Blue Bear if you are pregnant, nursing or under the age of 18. Ask your doctor if L-theanine, ashwagandha and GABA are right for you.