Frequently asked questions.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Starting a stim session, the app says “Reconnect” or “Wake up your Somnee”
- Make sure your mobile device is within Bluetooth range of Somnee and has Bluetooth enabled.
- Press the button on Somnee to wake it up. The LED light in the headband should light up yellow. If it doesn’t light up, put Somnee on the charging base to charge.
- Use the restart button on the settings page of the App to reset the Somnee and the app.
- If it still doesn’t connect, press and hold the button on Somnee for 8 seconds to reset the headband. Then close and re-launch the Somnee app (fully “swipe close” the app and restart it).
- When Somnee is connected, and has sufficient power to start the session, the battery icon in the upper right corner of the sleep tab in the app will appear green.
The app says “Charge your Somnee”
- Place your headband in the charger. You can check in the app settings to see the headband’s battery level.
- Remember to charge your Somnee between uses.
The app says “Session Timed Out”
- For safety, there is a software limit on how close together multiple stim sessions can be. After your bedtime session, if you wake up in the middle of the night, you can do a “top-up” session but it needs to be at least 2 hours after your previous session. This is true even if you stopped your first session partially.
- One top-up session per night.
- After that you should wait until the next night to use your Somnee. The “session timed out” screen will go away automatically.
The stim session sensation is too strong or uncomfortable.
- It is normal to feel a tingling sensation, or to see some light flashes during the stim session. These effects are harmless and stop as soon as the stimulation stops.
- If the sensation is too intense, if you have already used the same set of electrodes for a few nights, change to a new pair of electrodes. Between sessions, place the electrodes (with the flex clip) is placed on top of the charger base with the electrodes facing down to keep them from drying out too quickly.
- It can be uncomfortable if your hair is caught between the electrodes and your skin. Make sure to pull back your hair before putting the Somnee flex clip on your forehead.
- Some skin creams and moisturizers are conductive and can make stimulation painful. Wash your forehead before your stim session. Hyaluronic acid-based moisturizers are generally fine to use with Somnee.
- Press the electrodes to your forehead to ensure good contact.
- You can reduce the intensity of stimulation in the Somnee App settings.
- If you have acne or broken or irritated skin near the place where the electrodes make contact, you should stop using Somnee until the irritation clears.
I am not feeling any stim sensation.
- Some people do not feel any stim sensation. This is fine, and does not mean that Somnee isn’t working.
- If you press the electrodes on to your skin and you feel some sensation, then you should adjust the electrodes or headband to make sure that they are in contact.
The electrodes aren’t touching my forehead or keep losing contact.
- Adjust the headband so it is snug but comfortable. It should be tight enough that you cannot easily slide it around on your head.
- When you place the flex clip on the headband, press the sides of the clip to press the electrodes against your skin.
- If only one of the electrodes is properly touching your skin, make sure the band is centered horizontally on your forehead. The button should be above your nose.
- Typically the bottom of the headband should be on, or just above your brow, but if you do not feel the electrodes touching your skin on both sides, try to adjust the headband up or down a little on your forehead till the electrodes seat properly on your skin.
- Make sure there is no hair caught between the electrodes and your skin
- Try to relax and minimize moving around during the stim session.
My hydrogel electrodes feel dry and it’s only been 1 or 2 days.
- Store at room temperature. Heater may dry out the gel and cold weather may change the consistency of the sticky pads.
- If you need to change your electrodes early, that’s fine. If you run out, let us know at support@trysomnee.com and we’ll provide more.
I don’t feel like my sleep is improving after I use Somnee.
- It can take a few days for Somnee’s stim session algorithm to adjust to your individual brain patterns. Keep wearing it at bedtime and give it some time to personalize in the beginning.
- Soon via a free app update, you can use the sleep reporting in the Somnee app to quantify your sleep improvement
- If you have questions about whether or not Somnee is effective for you, send us a note at support@trysomnee.com to arrange for a call or video session with our sleep team.
Caring for the electrodes:
- Make sure that between sessions, the electrodes (with the flex clip) is placed on the mound of the charger base with the electrodes facing down to keep them from drying.
Caring for the device:
- Make sure that between sessions, the Somnee is placed on the charger base. It has a smart charger and it is okay to leave it on the charger always when not in use. This will make sure you do not have to remember to charge before using it.
I got a replacement Somnee and need the app to pair with it.
- Go to the Somnee App settings, and tap “Remove This Headband” to unpair with your old Somnee.
- Press the button on your new Somnee headband to pair it.
ABOUT SOMNEE
Somnee is the only electronic headband that actively improves your sleep. Somnee delivers a 15-minute, personalized “stim session” to safely and naturally signal the brain to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It can also precisely track your sleep so you can see your own sleep progress.
Somnee was developed by a team of world-class neuroscientists and product developers at StimScience.
Your brain uses both electrical and chemical signals for all its processing and sleep is one of them! Somnee uses tES or transcranial electrical stimulation to mimic and enhance your brain's natural sleep signals. Our neuroscientists discovered that a 15 minute stim session is all you need before bedtime to get the complete benefits of a deeper, high-quality sleep.
We're here to help! Feel free to contact us anytime at support@trysomnee.com.
Yes. We've done a 3+ year sleep study in our sleep lab in Berkeley, CA and a home pilot with over 1,500 nights of data. Both our sleep study and our pilot were blind, controlled research studies that were overseen by our Scientific Advisory Board and approved by an independent Institutional Review Board. In both studies, Somnee cut the time it takes to fall asleep in half, and reduced the amount of overnight tossing and turning by a third or more.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Sleep is a brain activity - a series of electrical patterns in your brain as you transition from a high frequency wake state to low frequency deep sleep. Somnee measures your brain's individual sleep signature, and provides personalized stimulation to safely and effectively promote sleep. Each stim session is personalized automatically, so whether you have trouble falling asleep, or struggle with waking up in the middle of the night, Somnee will adapt to support your sleep needs. Wear it for just 15 minutes at bedtime for quality sleep every single night.
Somnee is designed to be used every night so you can get the best possible benefits from both the personalized stim session as well as the sleep tracking technology. Whenever you need a good night's sleep, trust that Somnee will be ready on your nightstand.
The Somnee subscription plan includes as many replacement electrodes as you need, delivered right to your door. It also includes on-going stim session personalization: Somnee’s stimulation settings will automatically adjust to determine the best stim session to improve your sleep.
Yes, you need your phone to set up and start a stim session. We designed Somnee to automatically turn off its wifi radio while you are wearing it.
The electronic components in Somnee can be easily removed from the headband, and the band can be hand washed with mild soap.
ABOUT tES
Somnee uses a safe, non-invasive and low intensity electrical stimulation called tES or Transcranial Electrical Stimulation which might sound scary but really isn't. tES has been used for decades to treat conditions like depression and migraine headaches. Somnee gives access to technology typically used only in the laboratory and brings it right to the comfort of your own home.
Safety is our absolute top priority. Somnee's electrical stimulation has been approved for at-home use in many other products, and Somnee has electrical and software safeguards that limit the amount of stimulation and electrical current to less than 1/10th the amount in consumer electrical muscle stimulator (ie. TENS) units. Somnee follows medical safety practices of no more than 15 minutes for a stim session. We've tested Somnee with hundreds of beta participants for thousands of nights, and we are 100% confident in its safety.
A stim session feels like a light tingling sensation on your forehead. Depending on your sensitivity, people describe it as a light scratchy sensation, while others even feel a little warmth at the site of the electrodes. You may also experience a blinking light sensation. When these sensations appear, that's how you know it's working and after a few minutes they fade away. These are normal, safe effects of a stim session, and they stop as soon as the stim session stops. You can always stop a stim session if it becomes uncomfortable, and you can also adjust the intensity of the stimulation using the Somnee app.
IS SOMNEE FOR ME?
We designed Somnee for nearly any adult who wants to improve their sleep, but there are a few people who should not use it. Somnee is not recommended for pregnant women, children under 18, epileptics or individuals with a history of seizures, or individuals with implantable metal or electronic devices in their heads or chests. Additionally, individuals with acne or skin abrasions on their foreheads should wait until the condition clears to use Somnee.
Somnee reduces the amount of overnight tossing and turning by a third or more; by contrast, in third-party academic studies, melatonin only improved sleep by around 3%. Additionally, because Somnee is personalized based on your brain patterns and sleep habits, it is much more likely to be effective for you than melatonin. If you've tried melatonin and it wasn't effective, give Somnee a try risk-free. (And if you do take melatonin, you can keep taking it alongside Somnee; they work great together.)
Somnee is the only electronic sleep aid that uses personalized brain stimulation. Other neurotech-based sleep aids are one-frequency-fits-all, but everyone's brain patterns are unique - in order to improve sleep, the stimulation needs to be personalized. And compared to over the counter sleep aids, Somnee has fewer side effects and is 4x more effective.
Many women experience challenges with sleep that begin in perimenopause and continue through menopause and beyond. Sleep disruptions are associated with hot flashes, but they are often caused by hormonal or age-related changes that occur at this stage. Somnee is a safe, side-effect-free way to improve sleep quality and reduce sleep disruptions for women who are struggling with menopause-related sleep issues.
PRODUCT USAGE
Somnee's hydrogel electrodes snap into place easily in the flex clip. The metal part of the electrode should click into the flex clip and the black hydrogel part should touch your skin. Electrodes are reusable. We recommend using the pads for three nights, then replacing them with a new set.
Somnee is compatible with iPhone and Android smartphones.
Your Somnee's wifi radio signal will turn off while the headband is on your head.
If you stop paying for the Somnee sleep service, you lose access to our personalized sleep algorithms that improve your sleep, as well as the hydrogel pads for your stim sessions, delivered to your doorstep.
You only need to wear your Somnee headband for 15 minutes before going to bed. Your 15 minute stim session will give you all the benefits of falling asleep faster, and sleeping more deeply. If you choose to wear Somnee during sleep, it will track your sleep and use that information to automatically improve future stim sessions. We designed Somnee with luxurious silk and soft cotton padding, so it is comfortable for all types of sleeping positions.
Yes, it's safe and highly-encouraged that you travel with your Somnee. The TSA and FAA allows small electronic devices like Somnee to be taken with you in your carry-on baggage.
Over-the-counter sleep aids are safe to use with your Somnee headband. Consult your doctor if you wish to use Somnee with prescribed sleep medications.
To get the full benefits from your Somnee, it's best to wear your headband every night. Somnee is made to be there for you whenever you need to guaruntee a good night's sleep so don't worry if you miss a session, we've got your back!
Somnee and the Somnee Sleep Service are generally covered by Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA's). If you have a HSA/FSA-linked credit or debit card, you can use it to check out on trysomnee.com. Somnee is not generally covered by primary health insurance providers.
No, Somnee is personalized based on your brain's individual sleep patterns, and every member of the household needs their own Somnee.
Yes! You can try Somnee for 30 days risk-free with our Sleep Well Guarantee. If your sleep doesn't improve within the first month, send it back for full refund and we'll even pay for return shipping.
SLEEP REPORTING
Tap the Reports icon in the tab bar of the Somnee app.
No you don’t. There are two types of metrics in the sleep report: sleep quality predictions that are based on your brain state right at the end of your stim session – these metrics are available for nights that you use Somnee; and overnight sleep summaries – these only show up for nights where you sleep with your Somnee on overnight.
Yes. All of our user data is stored in secure cloud storage on US servers. You can read our complete privacy policy here. Customers can choose to opt out of sleep reporting by contacting our support team.
Most sleep trackers measure movement or heart rate, and use that data to estimate whether you were asleep or awake. But sleep is a brain activity, which is why professional sleep labs rely on brain signals to measure sleep. When compared to the sleep lab standard (polysomnography), most sleep reports from apps, watches, or smart rings are only 65-70% accurate. Because Somnee measures brain activity directly, our overnight sleep reporting models are able to achieve a best-in-class 80% accuracy. In addition, every sleep tracking device can have variation in sleep metrics based on fit, movement, or other factors.
Sleep reports are only available for nights that you use your Somnee, and overnight sleep summaries only show up for nights where you sleep with your Somnee on overnight. In addition, Somnee automatically filters out nights where the data indicates that the headband was loose or not in good contact with your forehead overnight. If this happens regularly, try tightening your headband slightly - it should be snug but comfortable.