Sweet dreams are made of this

US: Are you tired of life's hectic pace or just plain tired? A range of new lifestyle foods promise to help you to chill, relax — and even fall asleep. 

Most people have heard of melatonin, a brain hormone that works to regulate sleep cycles. Some people take it as a supplement to prevent or help overcome jet lag. It is also used to help insomniacs fall asleep. The latest craze for overstressed workaholics is eating cupcakes or brownies that contain melatonin.

The most popular of these, Lazy Cakes, is a "relaxation brownie". The product's maker does not claim that the baked goods are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They even deny that the product is a food. "We look at the brownie as a supplement," Tim Barham, co-creator of Lazy Cakes, told The New York Times.

Barham denies rumours that the brownies also contain marijuana, but he advises consumers not to eat them in combination with alcoholic drinks, before driving or before operating machines, as the product does cause sleepiness in most people.

Health officials say that baking a sleep aid inside a dessert suggests that the substance is harmless. "It's making it much more difficult for the consumer to recognize that they are taking a drug," said Dr Charles Czeisler, who heads the division of sleep medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Dr Charles Czeisler




"It's difficult for consumers to recognize they are taking a drug." 

Several communities are considering a ban on Lazy Cakes, as the adult dose of melatonin contained in the product is potentially dangerous for children.