In This Article
In This Article
Trouble sleeping? You’re not alone.
Almost 40% of American adults suffer from insomnia every year.1
Sleep experts recommend getting at least seven hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep. And yet, 35% of U.S. adults sleep fewer hours.2,3
Insomnia symptoms include:4
Registered dietitian Elise Harlow says that inadequate and/or poor-quality sleep can affect more than just your energy the next day.
"Studies show that sleep can have a profound impact on even seemingly unrelated things. This includes your appetite, sugar cravings, mental health, and immune system," she adds.
I definitely have bouts of insomnia. There are nights when I can sleep like a baby and nights when a good rest seems impossible.
I have tried melatonin supplements, lavender tea, and even sleeping pills.
Inadequate sleep and poor sleep quality can affect more than just your energy the next day. Studies show that sleep can have a profound impact on even seemingly unrelated things, such as your:
Som recommends drinking their sleep aid 30 minutes before you go to bed. Since I wanted to fall asleep by 11, I should be drinking at 10:30 p.m.
On the first night, I forgot to take it early. So I ended up drinking at 11 and falling asleep at 11:40 p.m. I woke up the next day at around 8:30 a.m. and felt groggier than usual.
I took it on time the second night. I drank an entire can of Som at 10:30 and hit the sack at 10:55 p.m. I woke up the next day at 8:00 a.m. and felt a bit tired.
By the third night, I wasn’t even done with the whole can when I started yawning. I went to bed at 10:45 p.m. and woke up at 7:30 a.m. feeling refreshed.
I noticed the same trend on the fourth and fifth nights. I would fall asleep faster and wake up earlier without even finishing my drink.
By the end of my experiment, I was back to my usual sleep pattern.
Som Sleep™ is a beverage that can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better the whole night. Som Sleep™ is in the same category as sleep supplements—but better in many ways.
The company claims it is a drug-free and non-habit-forming option. We checked the nutritional information, and it’s true. It has no ingredients that you might start to rely on unhealthily.
The sleep aid is available in two variants:
Som Sleep comes in 8-oz cans. Each can contains the following:
The company uses a proprietary blend of melatonin, L-theanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) for its sleep aid.
Som Sleep does not indicate how much there is of each ingredient. But they make up a total of 375 mg.
Each can also contains 2 mg of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and 40 mg of magnesium.
Som Sleep contains 3 mg of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that your brain releases naturally and is highest at night.
This sleep hormone increases in the body when it's dark. Its main job is to maintain a healthy and normal sleep cycle.
Luis F. Buenaver, Ph.D., CBSM, a sleep expert at John Hopkin Medicine, recommends taking one to three mg two hours before bedtime.
You can use a melatonin supplement to try and improve your sleep problems. It can also help you adjust your schedule when traveling to a different timezone Melatonin is safe, but its potential side-effects include headaches, dizziness, and excessive somnolence.
Dr. Buenaver explains that while melatonin doesn’t make you sleep, it places you in a state of “quiet wakefulness” to promote sleep.5
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter produced naturally by your brain.
It relieves anxiety and promotes relaxation by reducing beta waves and increasing alpha wave activity in your brain.6
When the brain is aroused or stimulated, it makes beta waves. On the other hand, the brain generates alpha waves during rest or idle periods. To promote sleep, GABA receptors must be activated. GABA makes it easier for one to fall asleep.
L-theanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in green tea. It decreases stress and improves your mood, which helps promote relaxation.7
When taken together, GABA and L-theanine can help you get a better night’s sleep by:8
A mixed supplement also improves rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. These are stages of natural activity that your brain goes through when you sleep.
In adults, NREM sleep comes first and has three phases. You fall into a deep sleep during the last two stages of NREM. REM sleep occurs about 60 to 90 mins after the NREM stage. You may experience vivid dreams during this stage.
A person may cycle four to five times in these stages each night.
Studies show that you can use magnesium as a natural sleep aid. Magnesium supplements encourage good sleep by helping you:9
Vitamin B6 also prevents stress-related sleep issues. However, a supplement containing melatonin, magnesium, and vitamin B complex provides better results.
Scientific research supports the use of a combination of these ingredients when treating insomnia.10 One thing to note, however, is that Som Sleep doesn’t contain vitamin B12.
Available research about the link between vitamin B12 and sleep remains inconclusive. However, evidence suggests that vitamin B12 affects the body’s sleep patterns.
Som Sleep original contains 40 calories. It has a total carbohydrate content of 15 grams, including eight grams of cane sugar.
Meanwhile, the sugar-free version (Zero Sugar Som Sleep) only has 10 calories. It has eight grams of carbohydrates, including eight grams of erythritol.
Erythritol is an abundant polyol (sugar alcohol) in fruits and vegetables. It’s a natural sweetener used as a sugar and artificial sweetener substitute.
Unlike sugar, erythritol is non-glycemic and has minimal effects on blood glucose. It’s a good option for diabetics or anyone who wants to lower their diabetes risk.
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Som’s sleep drinks are available in a berry flavor. They taste great, albeit slightly different from other flavored drinks.
Zero Sugar Som Sleep has a more natural flavor, while the Original Som Sleep leaves an artificial taste in your mouth (think Diet Coke).
Thankfully, I was able to improve its taste by refrigerating it. Even though it tastes like a lemon-lime seltzer, Som Sleep is a non-carbonated drink.
Som Sleep should be safe for consumption. Apart from being a drug-free and non-addictive sleep product, they are FDA-compliant and NSF-certified.
If you have a specialized diet or food sensitivity, Som can also safely meet your needs. Their sleep drinks are:
Melatonin supplements are associated with short-term side effects. These include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and drowsiness.11
Some people also report more vivid dreams when drinking Som’s sleep aid. This is probably from the melatonin since it increases REM sleep.12
Magnesium citrate, the form of magnesium used in Som Sleep, may also cause the following symptoms:13
Som Sleep offers original and zero-sugar variations of their drink. Here's how much they cost:
Each can will cost you $2.50 with a one-time payment. But you can get a 20% discount if you opt for a subscription.
Subscribers can purchase a 12-pack for $23.99 and a 24-pack for $47.98. This brings down its price to $1.99 per can.
You can choose to have your orders sent every 30, 45, or 60 days. The company provides free economy shipping for all orders.
However, they charge an additional $5 on trials, $10 on standard shipping, or $25 on priority shipping.
The science behind it says it does, but I really wanted to see it for myself, so I decided to try it out. Before I talk about my experience, I’d like to fill you in on the details:
Som recommends drinking their sleep aid 30 minutes before you go to bed. Since I wanted to fall asleep by 11, I decided to take it every night at 10:30 p.m.
On the first night, I forgot to take it early. So I ended up drinking at 11, then I fell asleep at 11:40 p.m. I woke up the next day at around 8:30 a.m., feeling groggy.
I took it on time the second night. I drank an entire can of Som at 10:30 and hit the sack at 10:55 p.m. I woke up the next day at 8:00 a.m. and felt a bit tired.
By the third night, I wasn’t even done with the whole can when I started yawning. I went to bed at 10:45 p.m. and woke up at 7:30 a.m., feeling refreshed.
I noticed the same trend on the fourth and fifth nights. I would fall asleep faster and wake up earlier, without even finishing my drink.
By the end of my experiment, I was back to my usual sleep pattern.
Som Sleep drinks can be an effective sleep aid. It can help people who have trouble sleeping get better rest. Some sleep medications are addictive. Others need higher doses to effect improvement in sleep. These are good alternatives without developing tolerance and addiction.
You can drink it if you want to fall asleep faster or stay in bed longer. Som is also useful if you have sleep problems and want to adjust your sleep schedule.
That said, we do not recommend it for daily use since it’s unlikely that you will need it that long. As soon as your sleep-wake cycle returns to normal, you can stop drinking it.
If you’re experiencing sleep disturbances or insomnia that persists for several weeks, we suggest seeing a health professional. Some sleep disruptions are associated with more serious diseases that require specialist consultations. They can assess your condition properly and provide medical treatment if necessary.
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