It's recommended that you drink Som 30 minutes before bed, and since I'm a night owl, I did my best to follow this rule of thumb. It worked for me — I'll tell you that right off the bat — even if the effects weren't 100 percent consistent every time I drank it.
I took Som for a total of five nights over the course of two weeks. The first night I took Som, and the morning after, was when I felt the most jarring effects. I finished the entire can while on the phone with my boyfriend, and by the end of the call, my eyes were drooping. I was at ease. It's common that I wake up with a headache Monday through Friday (I admit that I could do a lot better in the sleep department since I rarely ever get the recommended seven hours during the week). But, after the first night of Som, I woke up headache-free. The four other nights I drank Som, I felt noticeable effects before bed: I was calmer and, if I wasn't dozing off within 20 to 30 minutes, I was pretty darn close. Work days still had me feeling tired, but my recent cut out of caffeine could be to blame there.
I also want to note that I felt the effects more when I wasn't actively on my phone checking emails or scrolling through my Instagram feed — which makes sense because blue light can suppress the production of melatonin. Even when I was using electronics though, I did notice a sense of calm that I normally don't feel at all. Nine times out of 10, I'm wired right before bed, so the fact that I was more relaxed definitely made falling asleep an easier, gentler process. If I'm having a particularly stressful week where my sleep schedule is out of whack, I would absolutely incorporate this into my nighttime routine.