Need to Calm Down Before Bed? These CBD Sleep Products Could Help You Tackle Restless Nights
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Everyone is trying to get better sleep today, and there are no shortage of products that promise to help ease you into deeper slumber, from weighted blankets to fancy sound machines. But more and more people are adding CBD to their sleep checklist as well.
More from Rolling Stone
From (CBD) Pillows to White Noise Machines, Here Are 13 Ways to Get Better Sleep
Bronny James Debut Livestream: How to Watch LeBron James Jr.'s First USC Basketball Game
Related: From (CBD) Pillows to White Noise Machines, 13 Ways to Get Better Sleep
When Travis Barker had trouble falling asleep on tour, after a grueling schedule had him in a different city and different bed each night, the drummer started to look for more “natural ways to wind down.” That’s when he discovered CBD.
“I used to have trouble with sleep,” Barker tells Rolling Stone, “and I would take a ton of melatonin, valerian tea, Tylenol PM, or Nyquil,” he admits, “but CBD was like the best kind of result that I got.”
The immediate benefits that Barker found with CBD led him to create Barker Wellness, a new line of cannabinoid-infused products that includes a unique CBD tincture for sleep. While CBD is not a medically-approved solution for sleep, experts say a little CBD could go a long towards promoting more soothing, stress-free slumber.
In This Article
What Is the Best CBD For Sleep?
How Does CBD Work for Sleep?
Will CBD for Sleep Make You Drowsy or High?
What is the Best CBD for Sleep?
If you’re looking to try out CBD products for sleep, we’re rounded up some of our favorite options below. These have all been tested by our editors for ease of use and efficacy, though CBD will affect everyone differently. All the products on our list have also been tested by independent third-party labs for quality assurance and safety but you should read the ingredient list and labels before using to find the right products for your needs.
1. evn Sleep Powder
If you’re used to a warm drink before bed to calm you down, evn’s Sleep Powder will help you ease your way into some Zzz’s. Each serving (about a spoonful) contains 20mg of full spectrum CBD which you blend into milk (of any kind), tea or hot water about 30 minutes before you go to bed.
Not only is the hemp organically-sourced and lab-tested, but the powder also has a “sleep-enhancing” blend of magnesium, passionflower, L-theanine, melatonin, vitamins, and minerals to give you a deeper sleep that you wake up from feeling refreshed instead of zonked. If you don’t want the “grassy” taste of a CBD oil right before you knock out, evn’s Sleep Powder has a pleasant cocoa flavor that tastes more like a pre-bed treat than a medicinal tincture. While it can take have an effective boost to your sleep quality after one night, evn recommends trying it for 2-3 nights to get the best rest possible.
2. Cornbread Hemp AM/PM CBD Oil Bundle
One of the easiest ways to get into CBD is with this AM/PM CBD oil bundle from Cornbread Hemp. Take a drop or two of the Distilled CBD Oil in the morning to start your day, and chill out at night with the Whole Flower CBD Oil. To use: place a few drops under your tongue and hold for 30 seconds before swallowing, or mix a few drops into a glass of water or your bedtime tea (it’s virtually tasteless and it dissolves easily).
Cornbread uses only USDA-certified organic ingredients, with no preservatives, flavors or sweeteners. Choose from an original strength or extra strength pack. What we like: the included dropper has four size markings (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1ml) so you can easily control your dosage and work your way up (for reference, one serving is 1ml).
3. Prima Sleep Tight Soft Gels
Take one or two of these Prime Soft Gels before bed each night as part of your wind down routine. In our experience, the easy-to-swallow capsules have worked wonders in helping us fall asleep faster — and stay asleep without waking up in the middle of the night.
While other CBD blends for sleep use melatonin to help you doze off, Prima’s formula is melatonin-free, swapping the popular sleep aid for other natural remedies, like the amino acid compounds 5-HTP and GABA (which promote relaxation and mood enhancement), plus natural herbs like passion flower, California poppy and lavender to help calm and sedate without the need for a prescription.
We woke up feeling less groggy too and the CBD capsules don’t give you that intoxicated feeling you get from cheaper generic CBD brands.
4. Sunday Scaries “Side Piece” Bundle
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all the CBD choices out there, Sunday Scaries’ “Side Piece” bundle is one of the easiest and least intimidating ways to get into a CBD routine. The bundle includes a bottle of fruit-flavored CBD gummies for when you want to chill out, and then a bottle of CBD oil for sleep. Typically $98 when you buy each item separately, the bundle gets you both for just $54 right now (a $44 savings).
Aside from being an incredible value, both the gummies and tincture have rave reviews online. Start with one gummy (10mg of CBD) after work, while you’re watching a movie, or when you want to zone out while doing chores or housework on the weekend. The CBD tincture, meantime, can go directly under the tongue, or in your tea, water, mixed into a smoothie or even mixed into your favorite lotion. Sunday Scaries also recommends trying a few drops of the CBD oil in your bath to help you relax. One bottle for the day and one bottle for night – your CBD routine just got a whole lot easier.
5. Charlotte’s Web CBD Sleep Gummies
We’re big fans of these raspberry-flavored CBD gummies from Charlotte’s Web, which has helped us ease into sleep with less tossing and turning (or anxious thoughts). Each gummy contains 10mg of CBD, along with other natural sleep aids like 3mg of melatonin. We’ve found that these work fast, so take them just before bed (like 15-20 minutes before you hit the sack).
Each pack contains 30 servings. Not sure how your body will react? We started by taking half a gummy, before slowly graduating to taking the full piece.
6. Barker Wellness Sleep Tincture
Travis Barker’s CBD line includes this easy-to-take sleep tincture. The unique formula combines CBD and CBN (another naturally occurring cannabinol said to help with insomnia), along with melatonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid believed to have stress-relieving properties.
Take half a dropper to start and put it under your tongue or dissolve the drops into water. In our experience, we’ve found that a full drop under the tongue works best, though it takes an hour or so before you start feeling sleepy, so time it accordingly.
7. Zolt “Dreamy” Drink Mix
Nothing helps you unwind and get ready for bed quite like a hot, soothing drink, which is why we like these “Dreamy Mixie Sticks” from Zolt. Essentially a drink mix with CBD, each individually-wrapped pack contains 20mg of Kentucky-grown hemp, 3mg of melatonin and adaptogens (think aswagandha to help you de-stress). Natural honey, lemon and orange gives this a light citrusy flavor.
To use: pour one stick into about 8oz. of water. We like taking it with hot water about 20-30 minutes before bed. Prefer a more refreshing treat before you sleep? The Zolt drink mix blends easily into cold water too.
8. CBDFX CBD Gummies with Melatonin for Sleep
These CBD gummies are the easiest options on our list to take, and the least-intimidating way to get into CBD for sleep. Take two of these gummies 30 minutes before bed for best effects. The lemon-flavored chews combine CBD with melatonin, which is a natural sleep aid. The company says the addition of magnesium helps to promote calmness.
Each serving of two gummies contains 50mg of broad spectrum CBD. Everything is certified vegan, all-natural and gluten-free, so it’s easy on the stomach too. A bonus: they actually taste pretty good too.
9. NuLeaf Naturals Full-Spectrum CBN Oil
Colorado-based NuLeaf Naturals makes some of the most straight-forward and fast-acting CBD products on the market, with easy-to-take formulas that promise to help clear your mind and prepare your body for sleep. We like their full-spectrum CBN oil, which uses CBN, another cannabinoid in the cannabis plant that is said to have sleep benefits. While some CBD can have energizing effects, researchers have found that CBN is used more as a natural sedative.
This bottle contains 60 servings of CBN oil — about 30mg per dropper. Start with half a dropper to see if you feel sleepy; gradually increase to a full dropper for maximum effect.
10. Uncle Bud’s Revitalizer Hemp + Collagen
A drink that’s good for your stress — and your skin? That’s the premise behind this new drink from Uncle Bud’s, which contains hemp seed oil, turmeric, ginger and magnesium to help ease stress, and sustainably-sourced marine collagen to help improve the look and texture of your skin. Collagen has also been known to boost shiny hair and longer and healthier nails.
Choose from three different flavors: lemon lime, “tropical” and peach tea (the latter contains real tea so we don’t recommend drinking that one before bed if you’re prone to the effects of caffeine).
How Does CBD Work for Sleep?
“CBD is a compound that supports a powerful, yet widespread network of receptors in the body called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is known to help regulate energy, mood, sleep, and more,” explains Dr. Jason Wersland, Founder and Chief Wellness Officer of Therabody, the newly-rebranded company that now includes the popular Theragun percussion devices. “Researchers have found that CBD, found naturally in the hemp plant, interacts with ECS receptors throughout the body much like molecules the body naturally produces.”
Experts say the best CBD products for sleep also help you wind down by addressing some of the root causes of restlessness and stress.
“Most people don’t realize the quality of sleep is closely related to stress and maintaining a strong immune system, and you need both systems properly in check if you want an optimal immune response to anything,” adds Jay Hartenbach, CEO of CBD brand Medterra. “If your cortisol levels are elevated, it can keep you awake. CBD is thought to decrease this and keep your body in a homeostasis state.”
If you’re just easing into CBD, Hartenbach suggests finding CBD products that also contain other ingredients that work together to help you feel more restful and relaxed. “CBD, amino acids, L-theanine and 5-HTP, and relaxing herbs like passion flower, chamomile, and lemon balm have each individually been shown to help with providing a full restful night and have been expertly formulated to work together for desired results to address the most common issues,” Hartenbach says. “Proper sleep and circadian control are absolutely essential to an optimally functioning immune system. If your body lacks restful sleep, so does your immunity.”
Will CBD for Sleep Make You Drowsy or High?
The best CBD for sleep is designed to help you ease into slumber — not knock you out. And unlike THC, which may have some psychoactive effects, Wersland says “CBD is non-intoxicating and will not make you feel high.”
If you’re new to CBD, trying a CBD gummy for sleep is an easy way to test out its effects in an easy-to-take format (basically like a gummy bear or gummy vitamin). Many brands also have flavorless CBD oils (or “CBD tinctures”), which come out of a dropper, letting you control exactly how much you want to take. Wersland’s suggestion: start small and then see how the tincture affects you. “If you’d like to take one full dropper that’s 33mg of full-spectrum CBD you can,” he says, “or you can take a ¼ of a dropper which is about 8mg of CBD.”
Of course CBD is primarily meant for therapeutic benefits and is not meant to replace any doctor-recommended prescriptions if you suffer from serious insomnia. You should also see a doctor if you have a severe sleep disorder, restlessness or anxiety, as CBD is not meant to treat those issues.
Best of Rolling Stone
