Of all the reasons people take CBD, sleep is one of the most popular. But if you look at the label on a bottle of CBD oil, it’s not going to tell you something like “Take X amount for sleep, Y amount for anxiety” and so forth. So how do you know how much to take?
How Does CBD Help You Sleep?
When choosing the best CBD oil for sleep, consider why you’re having sleep problems to begin with. If you’re experiencing chronic insomnia, you should definitely see a physician because it often signals an underlying medical problem. But there are also more transient reasons you can have trouble sleeping. Maybe you’re traveling and experiencing temporary jet lag. Maybe you’re suffering persistent pain and it’s keeping you awake. Maybe you’re just stressed out.
CBD isn’t a traditional sedative, and in fact, many people take it first thing in the morning and go about their day just fine. But it does help people relax, manage stress, and feel more comfortable, and much of the time that’s enough to improve sleep.
For other issues like jet lag and pain, however, it can be helpful to combine the CBD with other ingredients targeting those problems.
Choosing a CBD Sleep Aid
If mostly you’re looking to de-stress, you’ll want to choose a high potency CBD product and take it consistently every day. Many people find CBD even more relaxing if it includes a bit of THC in it – not enough to be intoxicating, but enough to create a little more calm. If you like that idea, then full spectrum CBD products are the way to go.
However, if you’re avoiding THC because of drug testing or another reason, you can still benefit from using high potency broad spectrum CBD products. You just might need more of it to get the same effects.
If a strong CBD product isn’t enough, you can also look for CBD products that combine other ingredients. For instance, cbdMD’s CBD sleep products are made with melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that helps manage your body’s sleep cycles, as well as an array of herbs traditionally used for relaxation. This can be especially helpful if something disturbs your normal sleep routine, like travel or a change in schedule.
If pain is an issue, take a look at cbdMD MAX for pain, which combines high potency full spectrum CBD with Univestin, a proprietary blend of herbal extracts clinically proven to help joint discomfort and improve mobility.
The CBD sleep aids are available in both broad spectrum and full spectrum forms, but cbdMD MAX is currently available only in full spectrum. You can also help joint and muscle pain without THC by using medicated CBD topicals, however.
When to Take CBD Oil for Sleep
If you’re taking a regular CBD oil, capsule, or gummy, you’ll want to take it consistently every day. You don’t necessarily need to take it just in the evening, though you can do so if it mellows you out a little too much for your work or play. cbdMD MAX in particular is designed to be taken daily, and you’ll start to feel the benefits within three to seven days of everyday use.
The sleep aids with melatonin, however, should only be taken at night. CBD oil generally works fastest if you hold it under your tongue for 30 to 60 seconds before swallowing, which usually leads to results in about 30 minutes. Edibles, such as CBD gummies for sleep, should be consumed an hour or so before bedtime.
