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Are you struggling to get a good night’s sleep? Do you suffer from insomnia and restlessness? Have you tried some of the other remedies or even sleep medications? Sometimes you may be able to find some level of success with medication but are concerned with the level of side effects.
Perhaps trying CBD could help give you some relief and improve your quality of sleep. In this post we will give some initial general guidance and strategies on how to utilize CBD oil to improve your sleep quality.
Can CBD Really Help Me Sleep?
Many individuals have found success utilizing CBD to assist with sleep. Is there a reason why? Simply, CBD interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system. It’s a system (which you may not know about) that controls a variety of different body functions that include mood and sleep.
The endocannabinoid system consists of the central nervous system and peripheral organs. When the system is out of balance then symptoms such as anxiety, restlessness, inflammation (there is a much longer list) can occur. Using CBD oil helps to rebalance your body’s endocannabinoid system which in turn can help individuals find relief and sleep better (in this example).
CBD oil has also been popular for those also seeking relief from pain associated with arthritis. In guidance released from the Arthritis Foundation, 70% of patients from surveys reported that they had improved their quality of sleep.
How Can I Use CBD Oil To Help Me Sleep?
When you seek to begin CBD, always speak with your medical provider first. This post will help give some general guidance on how to best utilize CBD oil. It will help you develop a personalized dose. Basically depending on your individual needs you may require a certain amount of CBD daily.
What may work for one person may not work for another. This simple strategy will help you develop and document dosages that help you find relief. Additionally, when you are actively working with your physician this will help you develop documented quantities to aid in your consultations.
It’s actually easy to do. You will just need to have a notebook or journal to document your progress. I have another related post discussing how to use CBD oil for pain. The strategy is the same, except here we are charting progress and changes related to sleep.
Developing Your Individual CBD Dose
When beginning with CBD you will need to help establish your individual sweet spot with dosing. This may take a little time. You will need to document a few things so keep a notebook handy for notes. Below are some easy to follow guidelines. This is a “Low and Slow Strategy”. You will begin with a small amount and gradually increase over time and document your progress along the way.
Please Note: The information shared should not be considered medical advice. Only your medical provider can give medical advice. Always seek guidance from your personal physician for medical advice.
- Select A CBD Product – A high quality CBD (Extract/Tincture) is best since it provides the best way to absorb CBD. Look for MCT oil as the carrier oil. Some may contain hemp oil as carrier oil but MCT is the optimal carrier oil. It’s highly recommended that you select organic CBD oil products – here is why.
- You May Also Use A CBD Edible – However be aware that some of the CBD may not always be fully absorbed. Additionally, it can be difficult to document dosages due to absorption. Here are some Pros & Cons to CBD Edibles that give more details on that subject. Since we are going to focus on optimal means to use CBD oil I am going to list best practices for using cbd oil in a tincture/extract.
- Select A Strength Level (concentration of CBD) – Most people will select a lower concentration level such as a 500mg vs 1000 mg. You can still do a high concentration level but just bare in mind the calculations that you will need to do moving forward. Most may find it easier with the lower levels until they establish their dosing levels.
- Ex. a 500mg (30ml) bottle will have about 16 mg of CBD for a full dropper.
- Here is the math 500/30 = 16.66mg. Since each dropper holds 1 ml then you will have about 16 mg of CBD per dropper. If you do half a dropper then 16/2 = 8mg
REMINDER: You will also see different types of CBD such as full spectrum ,isolate (THC Free) or a Broad Spectrum CBD oil. A full spectrum will contain trace levels of THC whereas an isolate (THC Free) will contain only CBD. Read the below posts to see which may be right for you.
Read More: What Is A Full Spectrum CBD Oil?
Read More: What Is A CBD Isolate? Is It Right For You?
- Keep A Notebook So You Write Down Your Notes – This is very important and makes this process easier for you.
- Begin Your CBD Regiment Low and Slow – Start with half or quarter size droppers under your tongue 1 – 2 times a day. Make sure to put the liquid under your tongue and hold for 60 – 90 seconds before swallowing. Then gradually increase those amounts every 2 days or so.
Reminder: SHAKE THE BOTTLE BEFORE USING! YOU SHAKE ORANGE JUICE BEFORE DRINKING. THE SAME LOGIC APPLIES HERE.
- Keep Notes Of The Dosage And Any Changes On Your Sleep Patterns, How You Sleep, How You Feel etc: As you increase the dosage keep accurate notes on your dosage and how you feel. Perhaps you may want to use a numerical scale of restlessness and write notes. Did you find yourself more calm, able to relax more? Did you sleep better during periods of the night? Note anything that can be relevant to your sleep. This is for you to document so you can keep track of changes and identify if CBD will work for you.
- Be Patient! – You need to realize that things may not change overnight. Your body chemistry is different from others. Some may see results sooner, others may need a little more time. It could be a few days or weeks.
- Reflect Back To You Notes Over Time – Once you have established the level that works for your sleep and rest, reflect back on your notes. The dosing level in which you were able to achieve that relief will be your individual sweet spot.
- Remember that everyone is different and your dosing may be different than others.
Most of the time when people do not see results they have either selected a poor quality CBD oil or just did not give proper time.
Read More: How Do I Know My CBD Oil Is Working? What Should I Do?
Once your individual dosing has been established you now know the proper amounts needed in order to help improve your quality of sleep.
Always keep your notes handy to reflect back. As mentioned earlier most may start with a lower concentration level. When you have established a dosing level that works for you then you may find that buying a higher strength tincture may be more economical. If that is the case just reflect back to your notes to know how much of a dropper to use.
As an example if you started off with a 500mg and moved up to a 1000mg you know that a dropper has twice the amount of CBD. Just do the simple math to know how much to take according to your notes.
It’s that simple.
Additionally if you are following back up with your medical provider you will have the notes to document your progress which will help during your visit.
Final Thoughts
Many individuals have found that CBD has been successful in assisting them in getting a better nights sleep. Could it be right for you? By using these simple strategies you can be able to determine if CBD can assist you and what individual dosing levels you will need in order achieve your desired results.
Chart your notes and progress. This will make things easier and will even give you a record that you can use on any follow-up visits with your physician. Don’t skip out and buy a cheaper inferior CBD product. Not all CBD is created equal. There are factors that distinguish quality CBD vs Inferior cheap CBD. Select carefully and look for those that create CBD products from organic hemp.
Looking For High Quality Organic Hemp? Here Are Some USDA Certified Organic CBD Products That I Use
I hope you found this helpful!
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