Somnus

[darkwitch]

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

I got this as a frimp today! In the imp total lavender with a bit of a sharp tang to it. I put it on about 15 minutes ago and I do not want to get out of my chair now, I feel all floaty and relaxed. Smell wise I still smell lavender, but also a hint of jasmine and I'm thinking the tang to it is clary sage. I'll have to put some more on right before bed and see what happens, I know everytime I've ever used clary sage I get the oddest dreams.

Edited to add: I used this right before bed last night, and I was out cold, I don't think anything could have woken me up!!! I know that I dreamed but I can't remember them, the only feeling that I had about them this morning was that they where strange ones, not bad though. So this is one that I will be buying a bigger bottle of for those nights that I have trouble sleeping. Edited September 28, 2005 by Shollin

[Little Bird]

Somnus is a sharp, clean, cool, white-smelling lavender. It almost has a bit of a soapy edge that reminds me of cleaning fluid. I like my lavender notes to be sweeter & creamier/milkier smelling, so this isn't working for me. After about a half hour, this smells like a weird, perfumey floral soap (maybe jasmine-y).

 

This is way too sharp for me and gives me a headache after a while. I love a lot of lavender blends & single notes, but this isn't a keeper for me.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Little Bird

[modesty_blaise]

I got this with my last lab order, and to be perfectly honest, I hadn´t even realized there were any Somnium blends... I guess it´s just one of those things I skip cause I tend to write it all off as mumbo jumbo... Heh, umm, yeah... Also, I have never had trouble falling asleep, or staying that way, quite the contrary.

 

Anyway. I was up really late last night and I dreaded having to work the early shift today. There is no use trying to drag me out of bed before 9 am, yet my early shift starts at 7.30. So I put some Somnus on. It smelled, like so many others have stated, like lavender. I tend to avoid lavendar, as it reminds me of small bags my mum and her friends used to make in the 80s, the ones they would fill with lavender-scented cotton and you were to keep them in the bathroom or something. It also turned soapy on my skin, which is not a good sign.

 

I went out like a light, though. And I slept all through the night. Or, I did wake up once, onl to find that I had woken from a deeeeeep sleep and my body was nearly paralyzed, but I still felt good. In the "morning" (ie just before my alarm clock went off at 6.40, it was still pitch dark outside) I actually woke up and felt rejuvenated. Colour me shocked! I didn´t feel the urge to take a nap after work either, and I´m still going strong (it´s nearly 10.30 pm now).

 

I will try this again, and if it works wonders another time, I think I will have to get a bottle. Downside is I can see myself getting addicted to this. It kinda feels like I´m on uppers or something.

Edited October 4, 2005 by modesty_blaise

[faylie]

Imp received from the lab 5 Oct, reviewed 5 Oct

Applied to: wrists and neck

 

In imp: Pure strong fresh lavender

 

Wet on: The same

 

After a few minutes: Lavender with a hint of rose

 

Drying: Sweet rose, not a lushious red rose, more soft and discreet

 

Dry: Slightly soapy, but not too much so. This is not overly strong, but that is a good thing in this case, if it was stronger I think I would have trouble sleeping. As it was I had the best nights sleep for a while. The lovely labbies must have known this when they tossed it in as a frimpy.

 

Throw: not a lot, but again a plus in this case

Lasted: I really can't say, too busy sleeping

Score: 3.5 I will try a few of the other Somnium ones before deciding which to keep as a bottle, but I will keep an imp of this on hand at all times.

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression:

From the vial step back somewhat astringement like.

 

Just applied a drop....Herbal lavender coming thru now. Maybe eucalyptus in there somewhere? Am I also detecting a citrus note? These blends are so very hard for me to review because of the scent complexity.

 

Lovely and peaceful now upon drydown. My Impression on a scale of 1-5...5

 

Will edit on its sleep properties later.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Clean, light, herby floral.

 

Wet: Herbaceous floral with something bordering on jasmine?

Drying: I was expecting lavender, but if so, this isn't the type of lavender I'm used to smelling. It's very soapy. I don't think this works for me.

Oh my-- something in this has my wrist burning, and its taken on that cat-pee jasmine hint that sometimes plays tricks with my skin chemistry.

 

Overall: My skin + anything jasmine-like=bad. This is DEFINITELY not for me. I washed it off, but its still hanging around. I wouldn't be able to sleep with this. My skin chemistry is too disturbing.

[cynthia1960]

Origin: I got a frimp with my 9/13 order; I had ordered a 5 ml back on 10/22 but was happy to have an imp to test the sleep properties.

 

Imp: Slightly soapy lavender.

 

Drying: It felt comforting when I crawled into bed; my cat seemed to approve because she spent a little more time snuggling under the covers than usual. I wondered if there was some weird collateral cat-attracting effect .

 

Dry: Couldn't describe it because I was out like a light

 

I woke up 6.5 hours later pretty refreshed and can't really smell any residual traces. I'm going to test it some more this week, and if I continue to get restful sleep, I'll probably get a 10 ml.

[Babylon]

I've had insomnia-type problems for over a year, and nothing really seemed to help. I ordered a 5ml of Somnus untried and unsniffed just because the reviews all said that it works. And WOW, it does. I drift off to sleep quickly, and if I do wake up during the night, I fall right back asleep. And I DREAM again! I wake up every morning and can remember my dream from the night before. This hasn't happened in so long!

 

I highly recommend this, it works perfectly and far exceeded my hopes. Now let's just hope my 5ml lasts until the next bottle I ordered arrives, or I'll be a cranky Babylon!

 

Wet: A sharp, very green smell. Think of a freshly smashed dandelion or crushing herbs in your hand. It's relaxing, even if it's sharp. When I had a stuffy nose awhile back, it helped me breathe deeply, kind of like Vicks VapoRub.

 

Dry - After about 10 minutes or so, the scent changes completely to a very comforting, soft floral scent. It reminded me of our lilac bush out back when I was a kid, and the fresh cut lilacs my mom would put in a vase on the kitchen table.

Edited November 13, 2005 by Babylon

[Wench457]

I wasn't really concerned with picking out the notes in this, as I was hoping more for the practical result of this oil. There was definitely lavender, but with an herbal edge to it - a very pleasant and soothing scent overall, but not one I would use for perfume. Which is fine, since that's not why I wanted it anyway.

 

I usually wake up every night at least twice, sometimes more often. Last night I rubbed some Somnus into my temples, and I slept from 11 to 6:30 without so much as turning over. Unheard of for me! I am elated that I have a 5ml already on the way! Thank you so much Beth!

[sophia_helix]

I'll have to try this again, I think. I wasn't crazy about the smell (a cloying, herbal lavendar), but I've been having terrible insomnia lately. It didn't seem to shorten the time it takes me to fall asleep (maybe 45 minutes instead of the usual hour), but then I wasn't able to smell it too well because I'm still getting over a cold. Oneiroi knocked me right out, and I almost might rather have the weird dreams it gave me just so I could sleep.

[Nachtwulf]

Bottle: Yay, nothing to go on! So you get what -I- think it smells like. Distinctly citrusy, with a hint of something that's probably lavender. It's definitely more floral than foodlike, though... this is more of a bright unsweet lemon than rich oranges. At least in liquid form, it makes me think more of 'good morning, sunshine!' than it does 'naptime!'.

 

Wet: .... Lemons. Lemon lemon LEMON. And maybe a hint of something else but mostly LEMON. Good heavens. Hm. Orange blossoms, maybe.

 

Dry: Lemons and.... seawater? I swear, it's like someone washing dishes in lemon Dawn on the seashore. Greh.

 

Final opinion: Okay, I do kinda like citrus scents, but this is waaaaaay too over-lemon for me. I'm debating keeping it and layering it with something like Bengal (since lemon spice tea is one of my favorite things), but just by itself, I can't say I fancy it. It just smells too much like dish detergent to me.

[urraca]

I like the lavendar but it is fleeting on me. Somnus on my skin turns to soap, sharp Dial soap and underneath it, the scent of someone who needs to use soap, a really unclean scent. But does it work? Alas, not on me. I have tried it twice now. Once I woke frequently in the night and the second time, I woke in the morning much sooner than I wanted to.

[zankoku_zen]

I feel like I should start this review saying that Oneiroi is my favorite Somnium blend, and therefore I am biased.

 

Somnus smells like a sharp herby lavender. I'm not so keen on the lavender smell myself and I do agree with the other reviews on the citrusy note.

 

All in all, its a bit too sharp for me for sleeping.

 

ETA: Maybe because it has aged a bit or perhaps because I've unwittingly slathered this on myself the past few nights thinking it was Oneiroi in my exhaustion...

 

But last night I got a whiff of a GOLDEN PEACH smell. Very warm and inviting. I drifted off to sleep in warm goodness.

 

And yes, I made sure that I wasn't hallucinating and saw that my bottle of Fae is neatly tucked away in the closet. Not in the bedstand... where Somnus was...

Edited January 12, 2006 by zankoku_zen

[perclexed]

As everyone else mentioned, VERY lavender. I was almost overwhelmed upon opening the decant I received from a friend. I think there are at least two additional notes, but I can't identify them. My nose wrinkles and I usually can't decide if it was really a good idea to put it on once it's on and wet, but it's definitely soothing on the drydown. It reminds me of sliding between fresh, crisp and cool sheets after swimming in the sun all day as a kid.

 

I usually sleep like a rock when I apply this, and have to make sure I am able to get at least eight hours of sleep before waking, because I find it difficult to get my bum outta bed after using this oil the night before. It takes probably twice as long to get going again, as my body/consciousness doesn't seem to want to leave the sleep state.

 

Overall, I would, and probably will purchase more from the lab. Good stuff!

[ancilla_morte]

it smelled nice and relaxing, but I still tossed and turned.

I'm very sensitive to scent and usually can't wear any scents to bed. What comforts me and puts me to sleep is my own scent and the scent of my snuggle fabric softener.

I mean, I think I'd rather use this oil for just relaxing instead of sleeping because the scent was new and unfamiliar and it kept me up.

[donsixgun]

Whoo! Strong! Its Lavender, with some other herbs mixed in. I cannot tell what they are, but this is obviously a 'purpse' scent, and not something to wear everyday. I can see how this could help a person sleep though.

 

I hope my sweetiegirl can get good use of it.

[Chrysantza]

This smells very strongly of lavender and rose.

 

I'm an insomniac and a light sleeper when I DO get to sleep. I tried this last night and I slept better than I have in a long time and woke up feeling refreshed. Somnum really works for me (so far!) and smells nice to boot. The only drawback is if you're a guy, or a girl who hates rather fussy floral smells because this is an old-fashioned floral/herbal. What I did to make sure the smell stayed in the bed and not on me was put a few drops on a tissue which I then tucked into my pillowcase.

 

I want a big bottle of Somnum. I also want to see if I can make this into sachets and a linen spray.

[weaver]

Slightly sharp herbal, not unpleasant. Something that may be found in the medicine woman's pouch. The best part is - it works! A definite 10ml bottle in my future.

[girlmadasbirds]

lavendar.. something green and herbal..and something that reminds me of the "linen" note in other blends.

i have a terrible time with sleep and i'm hoping this will help me. i plan to try it out tonight.

the scent is really pleasant and i'd love to make a mist of this for my pillows and sheets.

[Juliet's Silk]

I got an Imp of this because I have trouble falling asleep lately - more trouble than usual to be exact, because I don't have an easy time falling asleep anyway, it takes one or two hours for me.

 

Wet, it is a very nice lavender. It does not have this astringent sting I'm accustomed to from my lavender EO, which is a very pleasant surprise. There is a hint of lemon, but not very much at all (I really don't care for lemon, so I'm very happy about that).

As it dries down, the lavender starts to fade and makes room for a sweet and very soft rose, the faint lemon hint is gone completely. It smells exactly like the roses my mother grows in her garden. I'm not sure about other florals, so I'm pretty sure that my skin makes a single note rose out of Somnus. And what a pretty rose it is!

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't help me fall asleep, staying asleep or being more refreshed in the mornings at all. It is nice to have something pleasant to smell while trying to sleep, though, so I'm using up my Imp, but I won't buy a big bottle of this.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Lavender extreme

 

On Skin: This scent is so sharp and strong… it almost smells noxious. After drying a bit, it turns a bit medicinal. It smells like lavender and mint. I am not a fan of these dream formulas sadly, I can’t get past their sharp notes. It does fade a bit, maybe if I put it in a sachet and kept it a distance from my head while sleeping I could handle it. I’m curious to see if it works for it’s intended purpose. It does clear my sinuses that’s for sure!

[Mountaingrrl00]

I put this in a plug-in diffuser in my bedroom last night. It's good I didn't put it in an oil burner, because I fell asleep with it on and slept through the night. So it is definitely effective. It's also really pretty after the brief initial lavender stage. I get soft flowers - jasmine? a hint of orange blossom? - and an underlying sandalwood. I could see using this as a room scent at other times when I'm awake to appreciate it better.

[crescentwench]

OMG! This is amazing. After two week of restless or nonexsistant sleep, this worked wonders. It didn't make me sleepy right away, but it made me calmer and more relaxed so i could fall asleep. And i sleep like a baby.

 

The smell is lavender and something else, somewhat sharp, as someone said. But i was so worried about the lavender, as it can not bother me at all, or give me sinus headaches from hell. luckily tihs was the former. The smell reminds me of soap, but not unpleasant.

 

I applied to my forehead and my collarbone before bed, and there is some lingering this morning, but just faintly. I will definately be purchasing a bottle.

[targeter]

In the imp (and 5 ml bottle), this blend smells like lavender, with a sharp green component as well...I can't pick out any exact herbs, though some previous reviewers have said chamomile, that that would certainly make sense, though I don't get citrus or rose from it on my skin. The scent doesn't change at all on my skin, and is vaguely medicinal, though the lavender keeps it from being too harsh. It's not too sweet, and is a very calming, soothing blend.

 

I usually have difficulty calming down enough to fall asleep, and it regularly takes me 30 minutes or so before I can finally sleep. This blend seems to help a little bit, and I'm hoping that as I continue using it, the scent will eventually get equated with 'sleepy', and it will become effective just because of that mental link.

 

I wanted the scent to be obvious, so I dabbed generous amounts on my temples and wrists, which created nice wafts of the scent without being overpowering, and when I woke up in the morning, the scent was gone.

 

End Result: I wouldn't wear it out as a perfume, but for a relaxing bedtime scent, it's definitely a keeper!

[Thaleia]

Frimp from the Lab! I could definitely have used this in my first semester of graduate school. Oh, well, I'm sure I'll be able to find a use for it at some point (I'm going to law school next year).

 

In the vial, this is sharp, cold lavender. Definitely not Sylph-lavender, which is softer and less sharp in terms of herbal and/or citrus notes. There's something else in this that makes me think either white daffodil or narcissus. It stays just about the same on my skin, with maybe a little less lavender and a little more white floral. Very relaxing. I'm falling asleep.

 

Oh, man. I just yawned. It's too early to go to bed. I should've reviewed this later in the day.

 

I don't think I'd wear this during the day as a perfume, because I'd probably fall asleep wherever I was at the time, but this'll stay on my nightstand in case I have trouble sleeping. 8/10.