How CBD is Helping This Busy Mom Get Better Sleep
Let’s face it: the past few years have been tough for us all. Between the lockdowns, the financial uncertainties, and the nearly-always-negative news...it’s pretty easy to see how one’s sleep schedule could be strained.
In an ideal world, we’d follow the natural flow of the planet, rising with the sun, and snoozing by sunset. However, this probably isn’t the most realistic approach for everyone. For me personally, as a mom to two toddlers, snoozing by sunset is so far from a realistic approach, it’s actually laughable.
I know firsthand that not getting enough sleep can be devastating. It’s estimated that over 80 million US adults get less than the ~7 hours of sleep needed to function well.
According to the Sleep Foundation, the results of sleep deprivation aren’t pretty:
- Slowed thinking
- Reduced attention span
- Worsened memory
- Poor or risky decision-making
- Lack of energy
- Mood changes (including stress, anxiety, and/or irritability)
Welcome to the scene: CBD. This unique “super supplement” is famed for helping people relax, unwind and most importantly, sleep. I had been hearing about CBD for months - through my Instagram feed, at my hairstylists, even from my own mother… she’s in her 60s by the way. I always disregarded it though. I’ve always been a skeptical person, and I never really thought CBD would work for me the way it seemed to work for others.
I’ve also never been one for recreational marijuana use. Don’t get me wrong, I was once known to partake… once or twice back in college… I just never really enjoyed the way it made me feel.
With that said, when CBD began to creep into my conversations, I always associated it with the “high” from smoking marijuana that I wasn’t fond of. However, the idea of being able to receive the relaxing, sleep-inducing benefits without any psychoactive effects was very appealing to me.
As it turns out, that appeal is why the majority of women use CBD. This survey of nearly 1,000 women found the top reasons for their CBD use are to reduce anxiety, aid relaxation, improve sleep and stabilize mood. The women surveyed found almost 55 percent of women rated CBD as effective in promoting relaxation and treating their anxiety.
Personally, I found CBD to be much more effective than that.
The first time I used CBD, I made sure to do some research beforehand. I learned that CBD stands for cannabidiol and is classified as a cannabinoid, like THC, except completely non-psychoactive. I also learned that it’s commonly extracted from the hemp plant, not the marijuana plant. You see, hemp carries high amounts of CBD and low amounts of THC. Whereas marijuana contains high amounts of THC and low amounts of CBD.
With my newfound knowledge, I sought out a natural and convenient form of CBD. That’s when I found a high-potency, sustainably-sourced CBD honey. I’m an avid tea drinker, so adding honey to my nighttime tea is as easy as it could get. So, the night I bought it, I drank it with my sleepytime tea one hour before bed. After only 30 minutes had gone by I had already begun to reap all of its blissful benefits.
My muscles slowly stopped tensing. The thoughts in my mind slowed down and weren’t immediately replaced by another. Honestly, I finally started to feel like I could just stay still for the first time in years. That night, instead of closing my eyes and counting the items on tomorrow’s to-do list instead of sheep, I felt a sense of inner peace and fell asleep within minutes of my head hitting the pillow. And I slept hard.
Today, I've been taking CBD as part of my nighttime routine for seven months now and I am definitely sleeping better than ever. Before CBD, I’d find myself exhausted in bed, trying to rest but tossing and turning instead, unable to sleep due to the anxieties of being a parent.
After CBD, I'm consistently falling asleep easier and not waking nearly as frequently as I used to from fever dreams, to check locks, or stress raid the pantry.
It’s safe to say I have retired my reservations around CBD and I wish I had tried it much sooner. Having CBD immediately after bringing my first-born, now 5-year-old son home, would have been a total game-changer. Thankfully though, I gave it a shot when I did and my sleepless nights are behind me.
