3 Women In The CBD Industry Share Their Tips And Product Recommendations for Sleep

Laura told me how gentle and natural certain products are and that the sensation you feel from CBD is not to be compared with the feeling of being high from THC, which is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana. "[CBD] is a natural alternative to standard sleep medicine," she said. "It's a very different type of calm from THC-based products. CBD will give you a calm feeling, but it won't give you a sense of high."

Laura also told me that, at ShopCBD, hemp is preferred to marijuana. "You have this endocannabinoid system and endocannabinoid receptors that essentially allow your body to be able to benefit from the cannabinoid that is in the hemp or marijuana plant. We prefer to work with hemp because it has only 0.3% THC, so it's impossible to get high from the products on our site."

For her personal regimen, Amanda, who lives a very active lifestyle, said she uses CBD to aid with muscle recovery and relaxation when she's winding down before bed as well as a micro-dose of a THC-based tincture to fall asleep. "If you're really activated from running around all day, it just takes things down a few notches and helps you start the evening process of winding down to set you up for a good night's sleep."

Other times, she'll use a 1:1 product that contains equal parts THC and CBD because she says in addition to CBD, the THC is really good at relaxing her muscles.

Brooks also uses CBD and THC products for sleep and said that a 3:1 tincture with a higher dose of CBD is her go-to every single night. "It's so hard for me to disconnect and slow down at the end of the day. I use CBD to quiet my overactive brain so I can ease into sleep. It's the best way to turn down the volume of my busy mind. While THC is great for lulling to sleep, it can also, for some people with very active brains, continue to have your brain active."

Laura said to look for Magnesium, L-theanine, essential oils such as lavender, orange, and ylang-ylang, ashwagandha, and holy basil. You also want to look at the amount of CBD in a product. "Some people's' bodies are really sensitive to CBD and only require a really small serving size to have an effect from it, as where other people require a really high amount of CBD to really feel the difference," Laura explained. "My body is really sensitive. It takes me only a day to see a difference. The next day I already feel completely relaxed, as where some people can take up to a week."

To make sure you're seeking out reputable products, Laura said that it's important to research brands and look to see if they have lab tests on their website. In agreement, Amanda said that because hemp CBD is widely available, there is no regulation, which is why it's important for consumers to become educated on sourcing safe products and paying attention to claims made about different products.

"What you look for with that are people who are telling you about their growing methods, they're showing their lab results on their website," Amanda said. "You're looking for people who are disclosing the source of the cannabis and showing proof of what you get by saying, 'here are our lab results," or, 'here's what's in our product.'"

There are also CBD products that come from a marijuana dispensary. Amanda told me that those are all tested by the state that they're sold in so you know they meet the state's regulation standards. "It's worth it if you have access to a dispensary to buy from a dispensary, just because the regulation is on your side in that regard," said Amanda. "If you live in a state without a dispensary, there are great companies out there selling hemp CBD and you just have to do [the] research."

Laura said that for the average person, starting between 10 to 50 milligrams [of CBD] in a product is more than enough to feel a difference. She added that it's best to start with a smaller dose like 10 to 25 milligrams so you can learn how your body responds to a product. "If you have too much CBD for your system, you can experience some side effects," she added. "None of them are dangerous; there's no risk of overdosing with CBD, which is fantastic, but you can experience side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. [CBD] will also affect the way your body metabolizes medication if you have too much. That's why it's really important to start slowly."

If you're new to CBD and cannabis, Amanda said that formulas or products like tinctures or edibles that have both THC and CBD are great to experiment with in different ratios. "Different strains of cannabis with CBD in them will work differently for different people. So I would say if you find a few great products, it's worth experimenting, but doing it a little bit in a regimented way," she said.

Her advice is to record what you take, note your dose, and detail how you felt before, how you felt after, to play around with the dose, and to give it a day or two before trying another product.

Laura explained that CBD will be more effective if you take it with a meal, noting how she takes two doses a day herself, in the morning and evening, with her meals. "If you have another form of fat, being your meal, you're going to absorb more of [the CBD]."

Laura, who takes CBD once in the morning and once in the evening with her meals, said smaller doses help her feel balanced. "I took way too much the first time that I ever used CBD and the next day I was too relaxed. I was a couch potato. When you take a big amount of CBD all at the same time, that's when you're more likely to experience side effects. When you have it multiple times throughout the day, it [stays] in your system for longer. It doesn't overwhelm your endocannabinoid system. It doesn't make you feel drowsy. It just helps you to feel calm."

Andrea told me that she takes two to three dropper fulls of a 3:1 tincture with a higher dose of CBD at night, but that she'll sometimes take half-dropper fulls during the day. "I approach things a little bit differently. I use cannabis for sleep almost every night, and I only use it during the day on some days. I gauge how I'm feeling. So if I wake up and I feel sore or I feel tight, or if I have a stressful day, I might take a little bit to start easing myself into the day, but I'm not taking it [during the day] every single day. If I'm not taking it during the day, it's because I don't perceive that I really need it that day."