ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs

3.9

Sleep latency

3.0/10

Sleep quality

2.0/10

Price

1.0/10

Safety

9.5/10

Negatives

• Minuscule proprietary blend - JUST 100MG!
• 3/4 ingredients do absolutely nothing!

Vicks ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Review: What Does It Do Exactly?

ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs is probably the most popular sleep supplement in the world right now – at least among pre-made sleep stacks. It is made by Vicks; the OTC medication giant and Procter & Gamble subsidiary. There are a few different ZzzQuil products. This review will focus on ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs. What does this sleep stack claim to do? How does it work?

According to the manufacturer, ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs helps you in the following ways:

• Helps you fall asleep faster
• Wake up without grogginess
• Promotes deep, restful sleep

ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs claims to achieve this through a “unique” blend of herbs. We’ll be interested to see if it really is that unique!

On the face of it, this sounds like a good sleep enhancer.

The question is, does ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs really work? Is it safe? Can you use it long-term? Are there better options out there? You can find answers to these questions and more in our detailed ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs review below!

ZzzQuil Ingredients

Here is the ZzzQuil ingredients list as it is displayed on the bottle:

Here is a run through of each ZzzQuil ingredient. In each case we explain what the ingredient does, whether or not it can actually help you sleep better, and what we make of the dose. If you have any specific questions about the ingredients in ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs, please post them in the comments section at the end.

Chamomile – Dose Unknown

Chamomile is known as the archetypal calming tea. It is the go-to brew for stressed out people all over the world. So it isn’t surprising to see that it is used in dozens – if not hundreds – of sleep aids. However, the logic doesn’t quite hold up under scrutiny. We have never seen an independent clinical trial in which chamomile supplementation has led to significantly better sleep in humans. People often report better sleep after drinking chamomile tea, but this isn’t the same as taking it as a capsule.

We think until more research is done on chamomile – and until it proves to be effective – this is best used as a nice, caffeine-free drink around bed time. Unproven plant extracts have no place in modern, premium sleep aids like ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs.

In any case, what we get from ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs is a chamomile flower extract. We don’t know what the active ingredient in chamomile might be, so we don’t know if we’re getting any of the good stuff!

Lemon Balm – Dose Unknown

Lemon balm has a long history of use as a sleep enhancer. But unlike chamomile, there is a fair bit of scientific data to back this one up! Recent clinical trials have found that lemon balm helps speed up the onset of sleep. In other words, it reduces the time it takes you to fall asleep after your head hits the pillow. Lemon balm seems to be particularly effective in people struggling with anxiety-related sleep problems.

However, the fact that the total blend size is 100mg is a real problem. The studies showing good results from lemon balm supplementation have used a significant amount of lemon balm extract – 100mg or more per night. ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs is 100mg IN TOTAL, split between four ingredients. Not great!

Valerian Root – Dose Unknown

Valerian root is used in lots of sleep stacks today. It is another traditional medicine staple (in some parts of the world at least). While there is extensive anecdotal data for this one, there isn’t so much hard scientific evidence. We’re tried our best to find some, but as yet we’ve not been able to find any conclusive clinical data proving that Valerian Root can enhance sleep in humans.

We are amazed at how many unproven ingredients are in ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs. Like chamomile, vaerlain root is best used as a tea. You shouldn’t be paying good money for substances that have no concrete scientific backing. If you think Valerian Root works, just drink a nice herbal tea before bed!

Lavender Flower – Dose Unknown

Lavender oil is a classic natural sleep enhancer. Many people put drops of lavender on their pillows at night to help them drift off to sleep. Some people use lavender scented candles to reduce anxiety in the lead up to bedtime. We have no doubt that this works; not only is the anecdotal data overwhelming, but there is some good scientific evidence that the olfactory stimulus of lavender promotes sleep and sedation in humans (source).

However, the evidence for use of lavender as an oral supplement remains inconclusive. Only a few studies show good improvements in sleep quality from lavender supplementation. Some show no benefits whatsoever. More research is needed, but as it stands it appears that lavender is best used as a sleep-inducing scent, not as a potent nutraceutical.

We have no idea why ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs has become one of the most popular sleep supplements in the world. It certainly isn’t because of the formula!

If you want help getting a better night’s sleep, use a more potent product offering total formula transparency.

The best products are proud of their formulas and the quality of their ingredients – they go out of their way to talk about these things. ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs does not. Think about that.

Side Effects – Is ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Safe?

None of the ingredients in ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs are known to cause side effects. Even mild side effects are very rare with these substances. They are all natural. They are routinely consumed in teas. Each ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs ingredient has a long history of use in traditional medicine.

More importantly each ingredient in ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs has been tested in clinical conditions. None have ever been found to cause serious adverse effects.

There are no known long-term health risks associated with the regular consumption of these natural substances.

So yes, on the whole, we think ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs looks like a safe sleep aid for practically everybody.

But of course you are all different. You each have your own unique physiology. So while we think ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs is safe for 99.9% of users, there is always the chance that you will be the exception that proves the rule. The substances in ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs are, after all, unusual herbal extracts.

You must do your own research and seek proper medical advice where necessary.

In Conclusion – Is ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Any Good?

ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs is one of the most popular sleep supplements in the world. We have absolutely no idea how this has happened. As far as we’re concerned, it is a TERRIBLE sleep stack!

There are two massive problems with ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs.

One is the fact that all of the ZzzQuil ingredients are lumped together into a single proprietary blend. Prop blends are always a sign of a rip-off stack. There’s no good reason to use them; the manufacturer just wants to hide how bad the formula is from prospective customers.

The other is the fact that most of the ZzzQuil ingredients are totally unproven – they don’t work!

Neither chamomile, nor valerian root, nor lavender flower have ever been shown in clinical trials to improve sleep quality or duration. Not by themselves anyway; only when coupled with known sleep aids.

To make things even worse, the ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs proprietary blend is just 100mg in total size. That’s absurdly small. Each of the ZzzQuil ingredients should be dosed above 100mg (because that’s how the lowest quality stacks dose them).

If you need some help getting to sleep on time each night, or help getting more high quality sleep, then natural sleep stacks can definitely help. But ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs cannot. It is an extremely low quality, weak sleep stack.

B. Johnson

Brian Johnson is a former academic researcher, psychologist, and tireless proponent of bio-hacking. Brian has dedicated all of his time since leaving academia and private practice to promoting the benefits to be obtained from the application of biotechnology and bio-hacking supplements. He has years of experience with nootropics, as well as prebiotics, probiotics, and other natural nutritional supplements. He has published scholarly research on natural nootropics; you can find his papers on his Google Scholar page.