This article was produced in partnership with Charlotte’s Web.
Working from home is one of the best things to come from 2020—unless of course you’re a parent balancing your workload and kids’ schooling, an employee remotely fighting to prove your worth to a company making layoffs, or an executive trying to keep your business afloat. If that’s the case, working from home probably looks more like a frenzied college all-nighter, scrambling to do 12 projects at once—only that’s every day. You bring your smartphone to the bathroom, cook with your laptop on the counter, and toss and turn in bed ruminating over every little thing you didn’t get to.
Workaholics score some of the worst sleep quality, as stress, anxiety, and late-night screen time are three of the most disruptive factors in both falling and staying asleep. And poor sleep quality does more than just make you cranky—it also lowers your immune system and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
If you’re looking for one of the easiest—and most effective—ways to fall asleep faster and stay asleep better (aren’t we all?), start incorporating CBD products into your bedtime routine. No, it won’t get you high—that’s CBD’s cousin, THC. Instead, this non-intoxicating compound in cannabis just helps you achieve balance.
How CBD Is Scientifically Proven to Ease Work-Related Stress
A huge 2019 study published in the Permanente Journal had troublesome sleepers take CBD before bed. After one month, 67 percent were regularly getting a better night’s sleep. Meanwhile, an animal study found CBD helped increase the amount of time rats were able to stay asleep.
That’s largely because CBD supports the endocannabinoid system, which helps balance your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as your “rest-and-digest system.” It’s activated when you meditate or practice deep breathing, and counteracts your fight-or-flight response, letting your mind and body settle.
“CBD helps put us in a state of calm, which is required for drifting off to sleep,” says Jen Palmer, ND, director of education for Charlotte’s Web, one of the original companies to leverage CBD’s health benefits. We know CBD has a balancing effect on the body, so if a person is overly stressed and sleep-deprived, it’ll help them nod off.”
In fact, nearly 80 percent of people in the Permanente Journal study said nightly CBD also helped improve their occasional anxiety.
Most experts agree CBD products are a viable option to help support better sleep and ease anxiety. The biggest hurdle is it’s hard to know if the formula you’re buying is both potent and effective. The smartest bet is to buy from trustworthy brands. And being one of the first and most widely respected CBD companies on the market—engaging in quality-control protocols like 20+ tests on each product at various stages (from hemp plant in the soil to bottle on the shelf)—Charlotte’s Web is as trustworthy as it gets.
How to Know What Products to Buy
All of Charlotte’s Web’s CBD products are formulated with proprietary hemp genetics that feature naturally occurring phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, known as full-spectrum hemp extract. While the brand offers CBD in pretty much every form, some people are less inclined to take a capsule and others don’t like the taste of tinctures. Gummies are ideal for a reliable and desirable flavor (Charlotte’s Web naturally sweetens theirs with fruit and vegetable juice). The CBD is absorbed through the digestive tract, Palmer explains, making them just as effective as oil or capsules.
Two of the brand’s hallmark products, Calm Gummies and Sleep Gummies, are ideal for quieting your mind so you drift quickly off to sleep.
The Best Way to Create a Regimen of CBD Products
The Calm Gummies boast a botanical blend of full-spectrum hemp extract (10 mg of CBD per two gummies) with natural lemon balm and l-theanine to support a sense of calm. These encourage relaxation and ease normal anxiety without making you drowsy. You can even chew one mid-day after a particularly stressful Zoom call without any worry about your productivity later on.
Similarly, the Sleep Gummies also offer 10 mg of CBD per serving (two gummies), but these are fortified with 3 mg of melatonin, one of the best natural sleep aids. Combined, these two ingredients work together to support a regular sleep cycle. Palmer advises taking two an hour before bedtime to help you get the rest you need, when you need it.
While both of these formulas defuse everyday stress, they each support a different phase of winding down. Creating a regular routine of chewing Calm Gummies, then Sleep Gummies later in the evening, can help your body move toward relaxation and deliver more restorative sleep, night after night—even if you’re still logging long hours from your home office.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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