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I Tried SOM, The Trendy Drink That Makes You Fall Asleep

YAWN.

The following is my experience trying this sleep product, meaning you might not have the same results. If you do have a problem with insomnia, you should talk to your doctor first to see if they think this is worth trying.

Hannah Wong / BuzzFeed

Hi, I'm Michelle and I have a hard time falling asleep.

@porucz / Via porucz.com

Over the years, I've perfected a few different strategies to make myself fall asleep and STAY asleep, like yoga, screen-free time before bed, reading, and meditation, but I still struggle with insomnia on a regular basis.

So when I read about a new drink called SOM that's supposed to make you fall asleep, I knew I had to test it on my own restless self.

Getty

So many articles claimed this drink, which launched in January 2018, made them fall asleep in "under 30 minutes" but I'd heard people use the same words to describe other things, like white noise, melatonin pills, herbal tea, etc etc. and none of those remedies had worked for me. Suffice to say, I had my doubts — but was hopeful for a potential new escape out of my never-ending nights.

So I decided to test the product, and to get a different perspective, I enlisted the help of two co-workers who also struggle with sleep, though perhaps in different ways. I also asked Michael Breus, a psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders, for his opinion on the drink.

SOM comes in two flavors — an original, sweetened flavor, and a sugar-free flavor — but both have the same amount of sleep-inducing ingredients.

Som

As the website prominently notes, it's also "drug free," "vegan," "dairy free," "gluten free," "allergen free," and "non GMO," in case that matters to you.

What it does contain is a cocktail of ingredients engineered to enhance sleep in multiple ways. Their blend of sleep-inducing ingredients can be broken down into three tiers, a SOM spokesperson told BuzzFeed Food. "Magnesium and Vitamin B6 help ensure your body's natural sleep cycle is running as smoothly as possible. L-Theanine and GABA help calm your mind before bed. And Melatonin helps jumpstart the natural process of falling asleep."

For my test, I tried the original flavor, which I was worried would give me a sugar high*. But honestly? It kind of worked.

Michelle No / BuzzFeed

Okay, so it didn't knock me out within half an hour like the other reviews said it would. But it did make my eyes feel heavier (like when you read a boring book) and persuaded me to put my laptop away and try and fall asleep. As usual, it took me about 40 minutes to fall asleep, so no changes there. AND I woke up in the middle of the night — as I do almost every night — so it didn't help with that problem, either. But I did wake up feeling groggier than usual. This might sound like a bad thing, but for someone used to waking up feeling immediately anxious and alert, it felt kind of soothing and natural. Is this what it's like to not live with insomnia? Additionally, I liked that it made me less groggy than if I had simply taken melatonin pills.

*It contains a very reasonable 8 grams of sugar and has 40 calories, but I don't like taking chances right before bed, ok?

It made my co-worker Jesse feel drowsy earlier than usual, and made him a little extra groggy the next morning. 😲

@jesseszewczyk / Via instagram.com, Jesse Szewczyk / BuzzFeed

Jesse's review: OK, so the first night I tried this I didn't feel anything but the second night I definitely felt a lil' something.

About 20 minutes after drinking it, my body sank deeper into the couch, my legs felt a bit heavier, and I was totally fine with going to bed even though it had to have been no later than 9 p.m. I slept through the night but did feel a bit hungover the next morning. Not bad, but just a little more tired than usual, completed with a slow, steady walk to the train, constant complaining, and designer bags under my eyes.

But whatever. A baby hangover is totally worth a full night's sleep, so stock me up and GOODNIGHT.

My other co-worker Hannah had a similar experience, and thought the drink made her feel a little extra hazy in the morning.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

Hannah's review: It definitely made me sleepy. I drank it around 10:30 p.m. while watching TV and by around 11 p.m. I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I woke up once during the night but I went right back to sleep. I will say I felt a little groggy this morning while I was walking my dog, sort of like after you take NyQuil, so I'd definitely try it again but maybe try it with just half a can.

Finally, I talked to a psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders about it. His take? "I don't think trying something like SOM can hurt you, but I would be surprised if it helps you."

NBC

That's because, as Dr. Michael Breus explained to BuzzFeed Food, there are numerous types of different sleep problems and reasons for those problems, and it's a lot to ask for a single drink to solve all of those issues in a single go. Also, as Dr. Breus pointed out, the beverage doesn't list the exact doses of each active ingredient in their "proprietary blend," so who knows what you're actually drinking besides melatonin (which has a mixed bag of effects for different people)?

And by the way, this is what it looks like poured into a clear glass.

Michelle No / BuzzFeed

The zero sugar flavor tastes almost identical to the original flavor (which had a mild, grape flavor) — but has that familiar sweetener aftertaste (which TBH I'm into).

TL;DR: It may or may not actually help you feel sleepy, but it will most likely make you feel groggier the next morning (which might be a sign of restorative, heavier-than-usual sleep).

Walt Disney

You can grab a 4-pack of the original flavor on Amazon for $9.99, or a 4-pack of the zero sugar flavor on Amazon for $9.99.

Have you tried SOM?

Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

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