The best time to take cannabidiol (CBD) oil before bed is 30-60 minutes before you want to fall asleep. This will allow the CBD oil to be absorbed by your body and begin having an effect.
Depending on how you consume CBD oil, the time it takes to begin feeling benefits will vary. If CBD oil is taken under the tongue, or sublingually, it will begin working in just 10-15 minutes. But if you add it to a food or drink, it won’t begin working for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
In this article, we’ll break down the best time to take CBD before bed, depending on how you’re using it. We’ll also discuss some of the benefits of CBD for sleep, and how much you should be taking for the maximum benefit.
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When is the Best Time of Night to Take CBD?
If you’ve shopped for CBD online, you know there are a plethora of ways to take CBD, from oils to gummies to capsules to drinks.
In this section, we’ll discuss how to time your dosage for each product so that it begins working right when you want to fall asleep.
When to Take CBD Oil for Sleep
CBD oil consists of hemp extract and carrier oil. These products are designed to be taken under the tongue and absorbed into the blood vessels in your mouth, thereby delivering the CBD directly to your bloodstream.
However, CBD oil can also be added to foods or drinks and consumed that way.
If you go the sublingual route, you’ll need to wait just 10-15 minutes to begin feeling the calming effects.
If you consume CBD oil with food or drinks, however, you’ll want to take it 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want to fall asleep.
When to Take CBD Gummies for Sleep
Gummies are the most popular types of CBD edibles. Since these CBD-infused candies will have to pass through your digestive system, you’ll need to take them roughly 45 minutes to one hour before you want to fall asleep.
When to Take CBD Drinks for Sleep
There are a variety of CBD drinks out there, including sodas, teas, and seltzers.
Whatever beverage you consume, you’ll want to have it roughly 30-60 minutes before you want to sleep.
This large variability is because CBD drinks are absorbed in two ways; you’ll swallow and digest most of the drink, but part of it will be absorbed directly into your bloodstream via the blood vessels in your mouth.
When to Take CBD Capsules for Sleep
CBD can be taken in capsule form, similar to many over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Since capsules, like edibles, have to be digested, you’ll want to take them 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want to sleep.
When to Use CBD Flower or Vapes for Sleep
Smoking hemp flower that contains large amounts of CBD, or using a CBD vape, are some of the quickest ways to get CBD into your system.
Since the smoke or vapor delivers CBD directly to your lungs, you’ll need to use this method just 5-10 minutes before you want to sleep.
Why You Should Take CBD Before Bed
Knowing the right time to take CBD for sleep is important – but why should you even use it in the first place?
CBD renders a variety of beneficial effects by interacting with your body’s Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and other mechanisms.
In this section, we’ll cover the benefits of CBD that make it ideal for supporting restful sleep.
Insomnia
Some people who suffer from clinical Insomnia have found that CBD can replace medications like Ambien and OTC melatonin for supporting restful sleep.
There’s research to support this, too: one research review found that CBD may provide therapeutic support for insomnia, even though it isn’t psychoactive like THC is.
Science suggests that CBD renders benefits for sleep by altering the way your brain interacts with serotonin, a hormone critical to regulating the sleep-wake cycle. CBD also helps with sleep in other ways, which we’ll discuss below.
Pain
Pain, whether acute or chronic, makes attaining restful sleep incredibly difficult. It also create a vicious cycle: more pain means less sleep, which then means more pain.
CBD may help break this cycle. Research suggests that CBD may have analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory effects for chronic pain. It’s used for many types of discomfort, including nerve pain, pain from tendonitis, gout pain, and even tooth pain.
These beneficial effects from CBD may come as a result of it changing the way that certain receptors in your body respond to painful stimuli, ultimately reducing the amount of discomfort you feel.
Stress
Many people struggle to sleep because they can’t get into a restful mood toward the end of the day. With everything going on in your life, it can be hard to wind down such that you’re able to sleep.
CBD’s calming effects may help to tame the whirlwind of thoughts in your brain. CBD may also help you get into the mood for other calming activities, such as reading, journaling, and meditation.
Anxiety
Anxiety is another common sleep disruptor – but it’s something CBD may help with.
In one study, CBD reduced physiological and behavioral responses to stress and anxiety. Another study found that taking CBD decreased anxiety in participants subjected to a public speaking test.
CBD renders these benefits by interacting with various neurological systems and receptors in your body. As with insomnia, CBD also helps regulate the interaction of serotonin with the cells in your brain, helping to re-establish mental equilibrium.
Depression
As with stress and anxiety, depression creates mental states that make going to sleep at night very difficult.
Many people have been turning to CBD for depression, and anecdotal evidence suggests that it may help promote mental relaxation.
However, more research on CBD for depression is needed before we know how reliable it is.
CBD Dosage for Sleep
Dosing CBD for sleep takes a bit of experimentation, as your ideal dose will look different depending on what issues are causing you to have trouble sleeping.
As a benchmark, some studies show that just 25mg of CBD per day improved sleep quality in adults with anxiety, while other research suggests much larger amounts (300-600mg per day) are necessary to induce sedative effects.
However, starting out, we recommend you take a low-strength dosage, which can be calculated using this formula:
(0.1) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your nightly dosage of CBD in mg.
Once you’ve taken this dose and seen how it works for you, you can gradually increase it each night until you’ve found what works for you.
Below are a few more things to consider when dosing CBD for sleep:
- It takes consistency to see results with CBD. Most people report that it takes 1-2 weeks of consistent CBD use to begin seeing results, as your body needs to adjust to it.
- Small doses of CBD may promote energy, rather than sedation, in healthy adults (i.e. those no dealing with anxiety, depression, or pain). In this case, you might need to take more CBD for it to promote feelings of sleepiness, or you may need to combine it with small amounts of THC to achieve a more laid-back effect.
- You may find that CBD is more effective if you take your total dose in small amounts throughout the day, rather than all at once. For example, if your dose is 60mg, you might take 20mg in the morning, 20mg in the afternoon, and 20mg 30-60 minutes before it’s time for bed. This will help you address pain, anxiety, and other discomfort throughout the day, making it easier to sleep at night.
Can You Take CBD with Melatonin?
From a medical perspective, mixing CBD and melatonin is completely safe.
Many people find that using CBD and melatonin together renders more complete sleep support than using either supplement on its own.
This is because CBD promotes overall wellness and addresses things like pain and anxiety, while melatonin supplements specifically reduce sleep problems caused by melatonin deficiency.
Because they have different functions, combining them renders increased benefits.
However, if you take melatonin and CBD at the same time, you may feel increased side effects of both. This usually doesn’t pose an issue, but it’s important to be aware of.
Which Kind of CBD Is Best for Sleep?
Getting the timing and dosage right is critical for achieving restful sleep – but so it choosing the right kind of CBD.
There are three main types of CBD:
- Full-spectrum CBD – In addition to CBD, full-spectrum blends also contain other cannabinoids (such as CBN, CBG, delta 9 THC, and CBC), as well as terpenes, which are beneficial naturally occurring compounds in the hemp plant. Because full-spectrum CBD contains most of the elements of the hemp plant together, it renders the entourage effect: the elevated benefits you get from using hemp in its natural form.
- Broad-spectrum CBD – Broad-spectrum CBD is the same as full-spectrum CBD, minus the THC. While broad-spectrum CBD is still very beneficial, it isn’t quite as effective as full-spectrum CBD. This is because CBD and THC work better when used together: CBD may reduce the side effects of THC, and THC may increase the benefits of CBD for pain and sleep.
- CBD isolate – CBD isolate is what it sounds like: just CBD, with no other cannabinoids or terpenes. Because isolates have had all the other cannabinoids and terpenes stripped away, they aren’t as effective as other forms of CBD. Still, they render the benefits of CBD, just not to as great of a degree.
Generally, full-spectrum CBD is the best type of CBD for sleep. You’ll get the beneficial effects of the CBD-THC interaction, and you’ll also get other cannabinoids like CBG, which is effective for pain, and CBN, which is effective for sleep. Many of the terpenes in full-spectrum CBD are beneficial for sleep and related uses, as well.
However, broad-spectrum and CBD isolate have their place – they’re ideal if you want to use CBD, but don’t want to consume THC due to drug testing concerns.
Conclusion: A Natural Sleep Aid
For many people, CBD is a miracle. It helps them get restful sleep at night without the side effects of prescriptions such as Ambien. And it does what many prescriptions can’t: provide support for both the body and mind, making it useful for many conditions and uses.
For the best effects, take CBD oil 30 to 60 minutes before you want to fall asleep. The best dose of CBD will vary from person to person. To find your dosage, start with a low dose of CBD and slowly increase the amount you’re taking until you land on the right amount.
When to Take CBD Oil for Sleep: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions customers often ask us about CBD and sleep.
Is it safe to use CBD oil every night?
Taking CBD each night before bed is generally considered to be safe, but research into its long-term effects is limited. CBD may promote restful sleep by improving sleep duration and quality.
Is it best to take CBD before bed?
For restful sleep, taking CBD 30-60 minutes before bed allows it to be absorbed into your body and begin promoting feelings of mental and physical calming and relaxation.
Does CBD oil make you drowsy the next day?
Although anecdotal evidence suggests CBD may have benefits for sleep apnea and irregular sleep patterns, it shouldn’t make you feel groggy or drowsy the next day. Unlike cannabinoids like THC, CBD does not produce a sedative effect in moderate doses.
What happens if I take CBD oil before bed?
Taking CBD before bed will help you feel calm and relaxed, which makes it easier to get into a restful state and fall asleep.
