How to Use Cannabidiol (CBD) to Help Sleep

Choosing the Right CBD Product

Speak with your doctor before using CBD. While there are few known side effects of CBD use, you should still check with your doctor before starting. More research is needed to understand exactly how CBD affects the body. Specifically, there is no universal dosage. This depends on your weight, body type, diet, and medications you’re on. Discuss this with your doctor to determine the proper product and dosage for you.

Use CBD in a tincture or edible form. These two methods are considered the best for receiving a quality sleep. These forms are most likely to keep you asleep longer because your body absorbs the CBD slowly over a period of hours. While you may not fall asleep right away, these are the best options for staying asleep through the night. Tincture is an oil form that is taken orally. Usually, you place a drop of oil under your tongue and let it absorb for about a minute. There are various types of CBD edibles available. Gummy bears are some of the most popular. This option is best if you don’t like the taste of CBD oil.

Buy from a reputable manufacturer. There is currently little regulation in the CBD market, so some products are of low quality. Investigate the manufacturer for any product you’re considering to ensure you’re receiving a safe product. There are a few things to consider when buying CBD products. If you're based in the United States, buy products that were grown and manufactured in the US. Hemp plants imported from overseas may have been grown with chemicals or pesticides that are illegal in the US. Also, make sure the CBD was manufactured and grown in the US. Some manufacturers import hemp plants from overseas and use them to produce CBD, meaning the product was technically made in the US. If you're not based in the US, check what chemicals or pesticides were used in growing the hemp plants. Look for products that are pesticide-free. The hemp plant can absorb chemicals like these from the soil. Ask the manufacturer for a certificate of analysis demonstrating the CBD levels in their product. If the manufacturer does not provide this without question, don’t buy the product. If possible, buy CBD products from a pharmacy or health store instead of the internet. There is very little regulation on internet CBD products.Warning: Make sure the CBD product you get doesn’t contain any THC, which is the chemical in marijuana that gets you high.

Avoid vaping or smoking CBD oil. These are not the best options for staying asleep. Vaping or smoking CBD oil makes your body absorb the entire dose at once. This may help you fall asleep faster, but the effects will wear off more quickly and you could wake up in the middle of the night. Vaping CBD has also come under scrutiny for health reasons. Some people have experienced lung infections that may be linked to vaping cannabis. Avoid vaping CBD until more research is done.

Using CBD at Bedtime

Check the CBD concentration in any product you use. Whether you use CBD in oil or edible form, always check what the CBD concentration is. This should be listed in milligrams on the label. Using CBD as a sleep aid requires a slightly higher dose, so you have to know the concentration to calculate the correct dose. If a product does not clearly state how much CBD it contains, don’t buy it. Remember to get a certificate of analysis from the manufacturer so you know the product is labeled correctly.

Start with a 25-30 mg dose in the evening before bed. If you use CBD as a sleep aid, a slightly higher dose is necessary. While some products recommend 10 or 15 mg for everyday use, this dose is too low for help sleeping. Doses of 25 mg or more are required to help you sleep. Start with this dose, and then slowly work your way up if this doesn’t bring you relief. Since CBD in oil and edible form works slower, take the dosage 30-60 minutes before bed so your body has time to absorb it. Working your way to higher doses also helps your body get used to CBD if you’ve never used it before. Also keep the cost in mind. Using CBD in high doses can get very expensive quickly, so keep your use under control.

Place a drop of CBD under your tongue if you use the oil form. If you swallow CBD oil, your body will break it down without absorbing most of it. Instead, let it absorb through the membranes in your mouth. Put 30 mg in the bottle dropper and drip the oil under your tongue. Then wait 60 to 90 seconds before swallowing. Rinse your mouth out with water or juice if you don’t like the aftertaste.

Eat the necessary amount of edibles for a 25-30 mg dosage. All edibles contain different levels of CBD, so check the product to see how much is in each serving. For example, if a serving contains 15 mg, eat 2 servings for the full dosage. Increase this serving gradually as you get used to CBD. It’s a good idea to keep the edibles away from your other snacks so you don’t absentmindedly eat one when you weren’t planning to. Keep CBD edibles away from children since there have not been many studies on how CBD affects them.

Use CBD for no longer than a month for help sleeping. Using CBD as a sleep aid should be a short-term solution. Studies suggest that your body will get used to CBD and it will have less of an effect over time. After that, you’ll need higher doses for a similar effect, which will get prohibitively expensive. You can take a break for a few weeks and then start on CBD again after your body’s tolerance lowers. If you have chronic sleeping problems, speak with your doctor.