Best CBD for Sleep
Good morning, friends! We all know that sleep is incredibly important to our overall health. On a surface level, I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets super crabby when I haven’t slept well. But on a deeper level, sleep is essential for proper cognitive and behavioral functions. Without enough sleep, your brain simply can’t work properly. That is a BIG deal!
There are a lot of tips and tricks out there to help you sleep – don’t look at blue light screens right before bed, limit your caffeine in the afternoon, remove stressors from your bedroom, etc. But it’s very possible that you might still have trouble falling and/or staying asleep even if you do all of these things. You may have even turned to products or supplements to help you out, too. I’ve never been one for sleeping pills, but I’ve definitely taken melatonin in the past. But today, I want to talk about the ingredient that has helped me the most over the past few years: CBD.
Best CBD for Sleep
First of all, no matter what reason you have for trying CBD, it’s important to find a good reputable company. This can be tricky since there aren’t a ton of regulations on the industry. You really need to look into each company! I have tried a few different CBD brands and Equilibria is by FAR my favorite. They own their own organic farm where they pay incredible attention to detail to make sure they’re offering the highest quality product available. Equilibria also hand-harvests the flower of the plant only. This ensures that there are no fillers or unnecessary additives – just premium CBD. They also have a wide variety of products. And you can set up a FREE consultation to help you create a plan based on your needs.
When I got the idea to write this post, I reached out to the most knowledgeable CBD expert I know – Maia Reed, the Senior Director of Member Education at Equilibria. While CBD has helped me with sleep, she made a great point about how CBD isn’t used to treat specific conditions. (That’s why it’s not called “cbd oil for sleep”!) Instead it’s used to address the symptoms of conditions by amplifying your body’s balancing and healing properties.
Maia explains it like this…
“CBD works with a fully integrated system in our body, called the Endocannabinoid System (or ECS), that keeps our whole body functioning, and fundamentally staying healthy. You name it, the ECS regulates it. When your ECS is performing at its optimal level it acts as a master regulator, keeping all of your major systems humming along in homeostasis.
One of the reasons CBD is often linked to calmness or sleepiness is because it amplifies the natural signaling effects of the GABA-A receptor, which produces a calming effect by reducing stress and fear. In other words, if you can’t fall or stay asleep because of your racing mind, CBD may be an effective tool!
However, it’s important to note that CBD does not inherently make us sleepy. Many people find that CBD can have an alerting and focusing effect. This is because CBD can work with our own circadian rhythms, so if we take it during the day, while we’re alert, it may amplify those effects. Dosing is also very important. Larger doses of CBD tend to have a more sedative effect and smaller doses can have a more energizing effect. That’s why it’s important to take it slow and work with a dosage specialist!”
I love the way she explained this, because CBD does not work the same way melatonin or a sleeping pill does. Whenever I mention that it’s great for sleep, I always get questions asking if it will knock them out, if they’ll have trouble waking up, or if they’ll get sleepy after taking a dropper during the day. The answer is no to all of that! Instead, it simply helps me shift from work Lauren to relaxed Lauren – which helps my body and mind calm down and then fall asleep. I love this more holistic approach to my evenings!
Is there a difference between broad spectrum and full spectrum CBD for sleep?
Before we dive into the exact products I like best, I’m going to let Maia explain the difference between broad spectrum CBD and full spectrum CBD. You might have thought that you want a brand that is THC free because you don’t want to feel high. I hear you, but Maia makes a REALLY important point below. The very small amount (0.3 THC) in their full spectrum CBD oil isn’t there for that reason, I promise!
Maia’s explanation:
CBD can come in various forms, both in delivery mechanisms as well as the product itself. When looking at the different types of CBD products it’s important to remember that CBD is actually just one important compound found in hemp plants, called a phytocannabinoid, THC is also a phytocannabinoid. CBD and THC are the two famous ones but there are well over one hundred that have been discovered in the plant thus far, and they each have their own therapeutic properties!
Scientists have discovered that when all these phytocannabinoids, and therapeutic compounds in the plant are combined, they start to act synergistically and amplify each other’s properties. So it’s not 1+1=2, it’s more like 1+1=4! Scientists call this the Entourage Effect.
So, when you see a product that’s called ‘Broad Spectrum’ or CBD isolate, this means it’s THC free; BUT the reason THC is important here is because you only get the full entourage effect when you have some THC in it.
Our product is called ‘Full-Spectrum’ which means it has tiny, trace amounts of THC; less than .3%, so it cannot get you high, it’s federally legal, but it is enough that your body benefits from the Entourage Effect. You only get the full benefits of the Entourage Effect if you have THC!
My Favorite CBD Products for Sleep
Another thing to remember with CBD is that it’s not a one size fits all solution. Every body is different so you need to find the dosage and routine for you. I personally have been taking a dropper of the Daily Drops and a Softgel at night – the dropper to help me wind down and the softgel to help me stay asleep. That being said, I highly recommend setting up the complimentary call with a dosage consultant to figure out the best plan for you!
Daily Drops
Equilibria has a few variations of their daily drops. Their regular strength drops contains 300 mg of CBD per 30ml bottle (10mg per 1 ml dropper). These come in unflavored and mint – I personally like the mint flavor! If that isn’t strong enough for you, you can also get their extra strength drops with contain 1500mg per 30 ml bottle.
To take these, you put a dropper of liquid under your tongue for at least 60 seconds to allow the CBD to enter your bloodstream. This helps you feel the effects sooner than if it had to work through your digestive system. The drops have an onset time of 10-30 minutes with effects lasting between 4-6 hours. That’s why this is a nice way to wind down at the end of the day to help you get in the mindset for a good night’s sleep.
Daily Softgels
Similarly to the daily drops, Equilibria softgels come in regular strength (10mg per capsule) and extra strength (25mg per capsule). But instead of holding these under your tongue, you just swallow them like a vitamin. Because they have to make their way through your digestive system, they have a slower release (just like if you ate CBD gummies). That means the onset time is 1-3 hours and the effects last 6-8 hours. Because of this, they’re great for anyone struggling to stay asleep all night.
I have personally experienced improved sleep taking these before bed. If you aren’t feeling the effects that way, they suggest that you take them with a healthy fat to increase bioavailability. (I know people who just get in the habit of taking it with their dinner.)
Mindful Mineral Soak
Okay this one is a little bit more of a stretch, but I always sleep like a baby after I take a bath with their Mindful Mineral Soak that I had to include it. I swear, these are the best and most relaxing bath salts in the world. This soak has over 30 minerals, as well as 200mg of full-spectrum CBD to help destress. It also has Gardenia and Jasmine oil blends that help nourish the skin, but also smell AMAZING.
Want to try it?
Right now, Equilibria is offering 30% off all of their subscriptions right now – and you can use that on top of 15% off with my code LAKESHORELADY! Consistency is key when it comes to CBD, so I highly recommend signing up for a subscription. You’ll be more likely to see the real benefits if you take it regularly, and you’ll get a discount too 😉 Plus, if you don’t like it, you can always cancel right on their website. Super easy!
Has CBD helped you with sleep at all? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
—
PS. You might also like My Experience with CBD, Mother’s Day Gift Guide, and My Relaxing Bath Essentials.
