These had to arrive sooner or later. For the past few years, the energy drink market has kept us all revved up and over-stimulated so we can keep up with our multitasking lives. Now, an emerging set of soft drinks is hitting the shelves, under the umbrella of "relaxation beverages", designed to help calm you down, and chill out. Sound too good to be true? Let's take a closer look.

Caffeine-free, low-sugar or sugar-free -- these drinks contain a variety of nutrients and plant compounds associated with relaxation and sedation. The names are clever, and include products like: Drank, iChill, Purple Stuff Pro-Relaxation Formula, and Vacation in a Bottle (or VIB). But do they work?

There's a lot of science behind the compounds, but the translation to whether these work in the drinks remain unknown. Still, a caffeine-free, sugar-free item is already a plus when it comes to an anti-energy effect.

Among the most popular ingredients:

Valerian: This is a plant compound, derived from valerian root. It has been widely studied for its sleep-promoting properties, and is a widely used dietary supplement. It is most popular in capsule form, since the root itself (in a food form) has a totally awful smell. Whether there's enough valerian in the drink to make a difference is anyone's guess.

L-Theanine: An amino acid (the building block of protein) which has been reported to have calming properties, when tested in clinical studies. While the jury is still out on its effectiveness, L-theanine has FDA approval for use in foods and beverages.

Melatonin: This hormone made in the pineal gland (located deep within the brain), has been related to sleep inducement. The scientific evidence here as a "relaxation agent" is pretty slim, but studies remain ongoing.

So, should you try these relaxation beverages? If you want to spend the money, and give it a try, it's a personal experiment. It's unlikely you'll have any negative effects.

But don't count on a special effect, as the "active" ingredients are not as well studied for both dose (how much is in the drink) and effectiveness (does it relax you?), compared to studies on caffeine and other active compounds in energy drinks.

Whether these work better than any other caffeine-free or sugar-free soft drink is anyone's guess. Maybe the biggest part of the effect is simply taking a short "beverage break." Or maybe it's what's NOT in them.......

Have you tried any of these "relaxation" drinks? Do they work for you?