When is the best time to pop a CBD gummy for optimal sleep?

Experience sleep difficulties and disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. This leads to daytime drowsiness, impaired focus, and increased risks for health conditions. Those struggling to get quality rest often turn to things like sleep medications, but prescription sedatives cause problematic side effects and dependency.  As an alternative, CBD has emerged as a natural sleep aid. CBD promotes sleep thanks to its anxiety-relieving, pain-reducing, and sleep cycle-regulating properties. CBD gummies in particular provide a tasty and convenient way to take CBD at night to improve sleep.

Promotes sleep

Before getting into when to take CBD gummies, it’s helpful to understand how CBD works to improve sleep in the first place.  CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-intoxicating compound derived from the cannabis sativa plant. Unlike the cannabis compound THC, ingesting CBD will not cause any “high” or impairment.  Research suggests CBD supports sleep in a few key ways:

1. Anxiety reduction – Stress and racing thoughts can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. CBD has demonstrated natural anxiety-relieving properties that lead to overall calmness. This paves the way for better sleep.
2. Pain relief – Physical discomfort or chronic pain symptoms disrupt sleep. Through interactions with the endocannabinoid system, cbd gummies for sleep provides anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects for more comfortable rest.
3. Regulation of sleep-wake cycle – The body’s endocannabinoid system plays a role in controlling natural circadian rhythms. CBD can help get these biological rhythms into a healthy sleep-wake pattern.

Through these mechanisms, evidence suggests CBD makes both falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night easier. It may also improve sleep quality, leading to more restorative deep sleep. High-quality rest is vital for health, immunity, mood, and more.

Timing considerations for cbd gummies

CBD’s effects are an important first step, but getting the timing right is also essential to harnessing its sleep-promoting benefits. Here are the key factors to consider:

Onset and duration

Unlike pharmaceutical sedatives that work within 30 minutes, CBD gummies must pass through the digestive system first so effects take longer. It takes 30 minutes to an hour before the soothing results of a CBD gummy kick in.  The duration of effects also depends on the gummy’s CBD formulation. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum gummies that contain complementary cannabinoids and terpenes may produce longer-lasting results than CBD isolate gummies. Overall, expect the sleep-enhancing effects of a CBD gummy to last 2 to 4 hours.

Optimal timing

Keeping in mind the slower onset time, it’s recommended to take CBD gummies 1 to 3 hours before your target bedtime. This provides enough lead time for the CBD to start interacting with the endocannabinoid system and exert its calming, sleep-boosting effects. It also prevents taking CBD too late which has the opposite effect of disrupting your sleep.

Taking your CBD gummy 1 to 2 hours before bed is optimal for most people. This gives the CBD enough time to work its magic so you’re drowsy and relaxed when you lie down to sleep. The effects will last long enough to fall asleep easily and get several hours of sound rest.

Consistency

Consistency is key with CBD gummies, as they build up the beneficial effects over time leading to greater relief. Taking CBD gummies at the same time each evening trains your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and makes both getting to sleep and waking up easier.