Somnus

[paradoxicaljlb]

Named after the Roman God of Sleep. This blend helps bring on deep, restful, natural sleep.

My take on the scent is that it's primarily lavender with cammomile/herbal and very soft floral notes behind it. The lavender is toned down and not at all intolerable--the aroma is calming and relaxing.

Somnus works quite well for me. I dot a tiny drop with the imp wand beneath each nostril (don't worry, I'm not swapping this one ) and on my temples. Within 10-15 minutes, my eyelids are heavy. I'm a complete night owl and I have to be drop dead tired to fall asleep, so I was really impressed with how quickly Somnus induced drowsiness. I also wake up in the middle of the night sometimes and when I do I have trouble falling asleep again...but no more. One dot of Somnus under each nostril and I'm right back asleep within minutes. I've also noticed that when I use Somnus I tend to sleep through the night.

Good stuff, I'm ordering a bottle as soon as I can. I'm sure Somnus won't work for everyone, but it's certainly worth a shot if you've got sleep issues. For me it's "worked" better than any non-bpal calming/relaxing/sleep aromatherapy blend I've tried--I'd even say it worked better than Ambien. I can't wait to try the other Sominium blends. Edited February 10, 2006 by Shollin

[Kittyflop]

Works. Yep it does. I’ve tried it twice, and both times I’ve slept fairly solidly. It lasts quite a while, I took someone’s advice and put a couple of drops straight on my pillow. The couple of times I did wake up, I just rolled over and could smell it strongly again.

 

I honestly don’t know what it smells like, when I use it I’m not thinking of notes, but of losing consciousness as quickly as possible.

[parrot_suspect]

For a "sleep" blend Somnus smells surprisingly strong in the vial. The jasmine and lavender make their presence known in no uncertain terms. And even on the skin, it's pretty tenacious. If you're not fond of lavender or jasmine, I strongly suggest sampling this before purchasing.

 

I don't know if this is helping me to sleep or not. You know how some blends you're just not sure about, but you don't necessarily want to get rid of them either? I was considering swapping Somnus, but then I kind of got used to dabbing a bit on before bedtime. I have Oneiroi as well, and I slightly prefer Oneiroi as it's a softer and gentler blend. I think I'll try using both and seeing if that helps me sleep even better.

[niter]

Imp

Jasmine.

 

Wet

This is a mind twister. The lavender smells pretty but the jasmine is going very humid sweaty on me. It is gross and gorgeous at the same time. I had spilt some on my finger and had to wash it off because I was getting "sea sick" in the waves of delightful and nasty. My skin just loves both of these notes, and sadly I am not partial to one.

 

The odd part is that when I did have it spilled on my finger I started falling asleep at my computer. That could also be because I am wiped out, but it was a powerful sleep draw. NO clue if it was the imp or mental fatique.

Edited February 14, 2006 by niter

[k8tey]

Jasmine!

 

Rosemary!

 

Lavender!

 

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

 

This is sweet and good and the lavender keeps the jasmine from being too jasmine-y. Even my poor insomniac husband got a good nights sleep after I wrestled some onto his temples! Wonderful stuff.

[PurringPulsar]

Somnus

 

In the imp: herbal lavender. I think thyme and basil may be in this as well?

Wet on skin: still herbal lavender.

Dry: hmm, this is a potent herbal lavender scent, almost sharp, very powerful. It’s like a dusky cloud of soporific scent, knocking you out with its dark, smoky lavender aroma. There’s a slight undercurrent of olives there but it’s predominantly deep, dark lavender…

After a while: the scent is less lavender and more like…olives. Yes, olives. I don’t know what’s causing this but I get a definite olive oil scent here…maybe it’s some other herbs causing this? I’m not getting the same sleepy feeling that Temple of Dreams brought on but I’ll go to bed soon and see what happens.

The scent after a while becomes a dry jasmine-honeysuckle greenish drydown.

The morning after…this doesn’t work on me. I hade one of those scary night chokes where I woke up feeling like I couldn’t breathe and that my throat was blocked up. That was horrible…I was thinking ‘shit, I could have died if I woke up a bit later!’ not sure if it was the Somnus but I didn’t sleep very well that night at all.

Verdict: as with other sleep related BPAL scents, this one is very lavender-y. this lavender is powerful and deep, a heady cloud of strong herbal lavender, mixed with other herbal notes. However, on my skin, lavender doesn’t last long, so when that fades, I get an odd scent…olive oil. Like lavender stalks macerating in olive oil, this is what it smells like, before morphing to sharp green floral notes. A very strange scent, not as nice as Temple of Dreams smelt on me, but that’s not the point. With the Somnium range, it’s all about the zzz-factor. So I tried this on the night when I needed maximum sleep for an early morning and a hard day…however, I didn’t feel that it worked for me sleep-wise. I got one of those ‘sleep chokes’ and had problems sleeping after that. I think I’ll stick to Temple of Dreams as my favourite Somnium so far.

[abberlaine]

Somnus is a heavy bouquet of lavender and jasmine. Unfortunately, it dries down to strong lavender soap and gives me a mild headache -- a headache of the "I haven't slept all night and my brain's long past dead" variety, as a matter in fact.

 

Rather than gently coaxing me into a state of rest, Somnus grabs me by the nose and attempts to drag me straight into REM sleep. He doesn't care for making slumber a slow, pleasurable ritual: this guy's focused on efficiency and the end result.

 

I'd venture to say that this is too potent to work well on me.

 

I didn't enjoy Somnus as much as I did the other sleep blends I've tried, both in terms of the scent and the physical reaction. It doesn't not work, however, and I do wake up feeling extremely well-rested.

Edited March 11, 2006 by Abberlaine Arrol

[Electra]

I find the scent of Somnus remarkably unpleasant (that would be the jasmine, which does nasty nasty things on my skin) - but I wouldn't care if it worked. I didn't get it for it to smell pretty.

 

Unfortunately it gave me screaming insomnia every single time I tried it. And I did give it a good number of tries.

 

Sigh. Oh well. I'll stick with my beloved Temple of Dreams.

[Frolic]

I dab a bit of Somnus on my flannel pillowcase each night and it helps tremendously. I used to use straight lavender and this is a bit less overwellming balenced with the other scents of rosemary and an undertowns of floralness.

[angstkitten]

Somnus

3/14/06

 

Wet: Once again, this reminds me of something that I can’t place. I can definitely sense the lavender, which is nice. We’ll see if this helps me sleep, as I'm a chronic insomniac…

Dry: I don’t think I’d wear this as a perfume, it’s too medicinal and herby for a day scent.

Verdict? No appreciable affect on my sleeping, unfortunately. I like lavender, but this doesn't seem to be anything special, imho.

[fiddledragon]

This stuff is wonderful! It's a warm, enveloping, quilt-like mix of lavender and jasmine, and maybe some other flowers that I can't pick out. I'd never wear it as a perfume, but it's perfect for inducing sleep. And the wonderful thing about this sort of practical/ritual scent is that if I wear it to bed, my brain comes to associate it with sleep anyway, so it just keeps working better and better!

[Naamah_Darling]

Sharply herbal and green yet sweet floral blend, reminiscent of dried flowers.

 

There's an underscent to this while it's wet that is almost like the unpleasant odor of valerian. A kind of musky smell, and by musky, I mean the way raw animal juice smells. Don't get me wrong, it's not off-putting. It's very well covered, and doesn't throw, it's only there if you nuzzle right up to it. It's a very clean scent otherwise, though, almost soapy. There's probably lavender in here. No surprise, it's a famous soother, as is valerian. There's got to be chamomile in this. It smells just a hair like my sleep tea. Jasmine, too, possibly; though it's not coming to the fore, I can smell something floral in the throw. Also eucalyptus? Citrus?

 

The unpleasant cat-bottom smell has retreated, and I am feeling more relaxed. But, then, getting my BPAL fix always soothes me, so I'm withholding judgement. Less relaxed now that I realize I got oil all over my label! Dammit!

 

My husband thinks it smells like tanning oil. Weirdo.

 

I wore this overnight. I got very sleepy, very comfortably sleepy, quite quickly, without the aid of sleeping pills. Unfortunately, aforementioned husband kept wiggling and tossing and turning and keeping me awake. After I killed him and stashed his body in the basement, I slept like a baby for about six hours, woke up feeling rested, went to the bathroom, and came back in to sleep for another two hours. Had nice dreams, too.

 

If it continues to do this on further experimentation, that would be nifty. Way better than sleeping pills. This is not a smell most people would want to wear as a perfume, since it's rather herbal, but it's quite nice for all that.

[Xiabelle]

For all that I generally despise lavendar and think it smells like weeds, this is a blend whose scent I actually don't mind. Whatever the other florals are in it, it gives it a sweetly herbal quality that I rather like. It's instantly relaxing, and while I wouldn't wear it as a perfume, to sleep -- swabed in the hollow of my throat and touched to my temples -- it does the trick.

 

I do find that I sleep well and get up feeling quite well-rested as soon as the alarm goes off with this. Surprising, really -- I sleep deeply already but this seems to enhance it.

 

I wore it last time the boy was over and he told me that I tossed and turned and whacked him a few times, which is very unusual for me. (Granted, I'd also combined it with Baku.) No idea what caused it. I did notice I'd torn the sheets up a bit, but I can't tell: am I sleeping restlessly but not noticing?

 

Weird. I wake refreshed, though, so I'm happy.

[Ehann]

This is my first review.

 

On first sniff, I definitely smell lavender. On my skin it dries down into a very floral scent, relaxing and homey. The image that comes to mind is being on vacation as a little girl at the beach house, and being so tired in the middle of the afternoon from playing in the sand and sea all day.

 

I can't tell much about throw or anything like that because my family is asthmatic and I didn't put muhc on. just some on my third eye and wrists.

 

Overall, I love it.

[kayte]

I don't know what to make of Somnus. I agree that it smells like lavender and jasmine, and these are two scents that I am not really friends with (especially jasmine). I've worn it to bed a few times now, and haven't really noticed any improvement in the deepness or restfulness of my sleep, but it is one of those situations where I will keep trying rather than swapping it off. Maybe continued use will incite a Pavlovian response where lavender leads to sleep.

[tidesong]

In the bottle: Medicinal floral. Green.

 

On application: Whoa. Lily of the Valley… first thing that comes to mind. Very delicate, velvety floral. Not overpowering at all. Very gentle. There's a bit of a bright note coming out now, perhaps something citrus, but still delicate. I don't detect any lavender like others have, just this scent of lillies, possibly rose or jasmine.

 

On drydown: Soft, powdery floral. Not overpowering in the least. When I take a whiff, I still get that delicate rose/lily/jasmine/whatever, almost powdery, but not in a bad way. Once I inhale, I get a faint waft of lavender. The citrus I noted on application has faded.

 

Comments: The scent of this is just gorgeous. Very delicate floral. I don't normally like florals because of how heady they are -- they give me headaches. Not the case with this, it's just a lovely scent. We'll test the sleep attributes right now. *thud*

 

Then, when I wake up, I will have to get a big bottle of this. It's wonderful.

[edenssixthday]

Somnus - Lavendar and lemongrass and an abundance of green herbs. Perfect for calming one's mind and relaxing one's body before a night of restful sleep. I have found that since I've been using Somnus, I fall asleep much more quickly and sleep more heavily than I do without it. However, the formula only seems to smell good during "that time of the month." The other 3.5 weeks of the month, the lavendar smells very "gamey" on me and has actually caused me to gag a couple of times. Nevertheless, it does a good job of helping me sleep, so I bought a bottle of it -- and guess what, the Lab was out of 5 ml bottles, so I got a 10 ml bottle of Somnus! I don't know if I'll buy it again because of that "gamey" aspect, and also because I've since discovered the Panacea blend Quietude which has a lovely lavendar that doesn't disturb my olfactory senses in the least and seems to have a similar calming and relaxing effect. When I'm done with this ginormous bottle of Somnus, I'll probably give it up and purchase Quietude instead.

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

lavender & herbs

 

wet:

there's something pungent in here besides the lavender!

 

dry:

lavender and still something else…

 

overall:

not crazy about it

 

rating: 5/10

[minnalavender]

Somnus is one of my favorite BPAL scents yet.

 

I adore lavender, floral and herbal. Somnus, wet, is a sharp lavender softened by jasmine and what I perceive to be a rose scent; rose geranium? It's immediately soothing. On my skin, the lavender recedes and the softer florals immediately take over. The throw is above average, and I have to slather and reapply most scents. I dab a small amount on my inner wrists, then gently rub together, then on the back of each opposite hand. Because I sleep on my side with my hands curled under my chin, this brings the scent in with each breath.

 

It was difficult to describe the drydown scent because it is so effective inducing restful sleep that I never lasted that long at night! I finally applied it during the day when I was laid up with a migraine. Drydown is all softness and delicate jasminey overtones.

 

My husband has slept better since I began to use Somnus, too!

 

I only wish I could wear it as a perfume... it's that lovely and soothing an aroma to me. Unfortunately, it's like liquid Xanax and I don't want to try operating a motor vehicle under its influence.

[waffelo13]

I won't get into the notes too much because, well - 1. I didn't purchase it for the fragrance and 2. Um, (confession) I'm not too good at picking out individual notes, except my love vanilla)

Anyway - yes, sharp lavender. Crisper than I expected a sleep blend to be. Can't say much about the drydown since I don't think I've been awake to experience it yet.

I've had sleeping issues since I was young, and this is working wonders to help me snooze. No, snoozing implies dozing. With Somnus, I'm out, sound asleep!

My man loves it too, even though he has no sleep issues. I apply it around my hairline and in my hair, so he gets a good whiff of it was well, and the first morning-after he says to me "wow, that sleep oil works. It made me all swirly." I found it funny that he said that because I had the exact same feeling right before I fell asleep - my thoughts and mind-visions were all swirling around in and out of each other and then -poof- conscious no more. It was a pretty neat feeling, actually.

I suppose I'm rambling about the lovely Somnus - it's just a wonderful blend and very effective for me (and apparently the man, too). My imp is dwindling - 5ml is on order!

[Summerpixy]

This is a very effective blend, it just works, even if I had a stressful midterm the next day this scent managed to calm me and get me sleeping so I could be prepared. If I ever turn into an insomniac I'm getting a 5ml of this post-haste.

[bicyclette]

Sharp, strong lavender. It smells like it means business, and it certainly helped me get to sleep, although I'm not sure if that's a placebo effect or not. Placebos tend to help me a lot as an insomniac. I found this blend very medicinal at first, but it grew on me to the extent that I'd consider a 5ml just to scent everything with soporific lavender goodness. I put it on my pillow, my temples, and my throat so I can breathe it in while I'm doing my pre-sleep meditation. It's great to use as a focal point when I'm trying to get my mind into sleep-mode.

 

I would totally wear this around, but I'd worry about getting drowsy.

[Bagfish]

In the imp, strong lavender and jasmine. On the skin wet, still strong lavender and jasmine. On drydown, plain, white toilet soap; of the sort you find in public toilets It smells very clean, but very plain.

 

I don't like the wet phase because of strength of the jasmine and I'm not keen on the soapy drydown. The one time I tried using this as a sleep aid, I got very panicky, anxious and insomniacal - it had quite the opposite effect than it is meant to Gutted, as I need all the help I can get to drop off!

[Ciircee]

I got this one for my sister, the insomniac, so it's all her opinions:

 

Lavender, rosemary, and something that smells like roses, but isn't. It's pleasant if a bit sharply herbal. However, even a small dose wears so strong that it keeps her up. She keeps noticing the fragrance and it keeps her awake.

 

She has had some weirdly vivid dreams while wearing it, however. Sadly, it just wasn't what she was looking for.

[maijasu]

I smell lavender and a kind of general herbal-type scent. Lavender isn't usually my thing at all, but this is very well-blended, and it really does work! I went to bed last night feeling all keyed-up, but after putting some Somnus on, I started to feel calm. I didn't fall asleep right away, but once I did, I slept very well. Might get some of this for my mom, chronic insomniac that she is.