Creating a Bedtime Ritual with CBD: Tips for Busy Moms

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is one of the best things you can do to help support your physical health and emotional well-being. Most sleep experts recommend supporting healthy sleep hygiene with a relaxing pre-sleep ritual – a routine that signals your body and brain that it's time to wind down for the night. For many busy moms, however, reading, sipping herbal tea, taking a warm bath, or listening to music isn't quite impactful enough to help ease the transition from wakefulness to sleep.   

If your whirlwind of daily activities and the inevitable stressors of parenthood are impacting your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep, consider creating a bedtime ritual that includes the sleep-promoting potential of hemp-derived CBD – a natural plant element that could help calm your mind, ease your tension, and get the restorative sleep you need to wake feeling refreshed.   

Understanding the Challenges Faced by Busy Moms  

There are many reasons busy moms have difficulty sleeping – everything from seemingly minor changes in daily routine to the complexities of juggling workplace responsibilities and family life. Even if you're not feeling particularly overworked or overwhelmed, day-to-day stress, hormonal shifts, or anxiety-inducing worries could still keep you awake. 

You're not alone. Women with children are three times more likely to lose sleep than non-parents.¹ While it was once believed that stress-related sleep difficulties resolve with effective stress management, current evidence suggests adults sleeping fewer than eight hours each night also feel more stressed during the day.² Left unresolved, the combined impact of sleep deprivation and stress can have a significant impact on your personal, parental, and professional well-being. 

Moods and Tolerance Levels  

Sleep is essential for mood stabilization and emotional regulation. Living under the influence of sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality is shown to intensify emotional responses to everyday stressors, decrease the intensity of positive emotions, and increase the risk of developing depression or anxiety.^3,4

Physical Well-Being  

Sleeplessness and stress can also impact your physical well-being.5 Research suggests adults sleeping less than six hours per night have 45% more cardiovascular disease than those getting adequate sleep, a 15% increase in strokes, and a higher risk of developing metabolic conditions, obesity, and cognitive decline.⁶ 

Productivity and Problem-Solving   

Sleep is also essential for multiple aspects of cognitive performance, including memory recall, decision-making, and problem solving. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, causes a type of "network instability" that negatively impacts focus and concentration, reaction times, and overall productivity.⁷

CBD and Sleep: Why Busy Moms are Incorporating CBD Into Their Nightly Routines 

CBD (cannabidiol) is the most abundant of 113 cannabinoids in hemp flower extract – an active plant element shown to interact with at least 65 molecular targets in the human body.⁸ Based on decades of study, most cannabis researchers credit CBD's impressive list of possible benefits to its influence on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) receptors. 

As the largest regulatory system in the human body, ECS signaling is involved in everything from stress responses and emotional regulation to sleep cycle regulation, melatonin production, and the perception of pleasure and pain. Researchers believe supporting ECS function with CBD helps promote homeostasis.^9,10 What could that mean for your nightly routine? A lot more than you might expect. 

Natural Relaxation  

According to a 2019 CBDistillery® survey of 1,900 customers, most CBD users report positive results using hemp-derived products for better sleep, discomfort after physical activity, and relaxation. While there's not much research specific to CBD's impact on relaxation, researchers have credited the cannabinoids "calming" effect for an overall improvement in participant sleep scores.¹¹ 

Improved Sleep Quality  

At the conclusion of a two-year study, researchers reported "statistically and clinically significant" benefits related specifically to sleep quality using CBD-dominant cannabis.¹² A similar investigation notes the cannabinoid's positive impact on sleep duration.¹³ Unlike most sleep aids, cannabidiol is not habit-forming, carries an impressively low risk of (mild) side effects, and won't cause morning grogginess. 

Reduction of Nighttime Anxiety   

In a double-blind controlled trial, 17 research participants given CBD reported a significant reduction in anxiety during a four-week study compared to the 20 volunteers assigned to the placebo group. During a recreation of a 2011 study, participants given CBD 90 minutes before a simulated public speaking event reported less anxiety-related discomfort than the control group for a second time.¹⁴ 

Practical Advice: Choosing the Best Products for Your Nightly Routine  

The best CBD product for sleep support is the product type that fits seamlessly with your routine. But you'll need to keep in mind that purity, potency, and overall product quality can vary significantly from one brand to the next. Before committing to any purchase, look for a certificate of analysis (COA) – documentation that confirms you're choosing a product screened for heavy metals, pesticides, extraction residue, and other potentially harmful contaminants. 

That's something that can't be stressed often enough. Although most manufacturers label their products as third-party tested, only about 13% of companies submit samples for at least 90% of their products.¹⁵ Once you're reasonably sure you're doing business with a reputable, industry-leading brand, the rest is up to you – consider narrowing your options based on the following product descriptions. 

CBD Topicals  

CBD topicals could be your best option for fast-acting, targeted relief of discomfort after physical activity and stress-induced muscle tension. Since CBD applied to your skin doesn't circulate in your system, topicals can be used on their own or combined with CBD oil tinctures, softgels, and gummies.   

CBD Oil Tinctures  

CBD oil tinctures can be added to a relaxing cup of herbal tea or cocoa about an hour or so before bed. That's how long it can take for the cannabinoids in consumables to metabolize. Alternatively, hold the oil beneath your tongue for 45-60 seconds before swallowing. 

CBD Softgels and Gummies  

CBD softgels and CBD gummies are convenient, portable, and give you a precise, pre-measured amount of CBD in every serving. Once you're more familiar with how long it takes for your system to respond, it's easy to optimize your timing so their effects peak around the same time you plan to hit the pillow. 

Sleep-Specific CBD Gummies  

CBD isn't the only cannabinoid with sleep-promoting potential. Our expert botanist created several sleep-specific formulas, including our THC & CBN Deep Sleep Gummies. CBN is known for promoting relaxation.¹⁶ THC enhances the product's entourage effect and provides a mild, uplifting buzz. 

Maximizing Your Results: Complementary Practices for a Better Night's Sleep  

Hemp-derived CBD is well-tolerated, safe for most adults, and The World Health Organization found no evidence of "public health-related concerns."¹⁷ Most side effects, if they occur, resolve with smaller serving sizes. You can, however, reduce your risk of developing a dry mouth, daytime fatigue, digestive upset, or changes in appetite by disregarding the serving sizes printed on product labels – at least at first. Instead, consider starting your CBD journey with a partial serving and working from there. 

If you don't get the results you're hoping for with your first partial serving, increase the amount of CBD you're using gradually in small increments to give your system time to adapt and respond. But don't be too discouraged. Most of our 1,900 survey respondents reported achieving their best results within 7-14 days of consistent use. Some rely on CBD as their only method of sleep support; others prefer using CBD to complement the overall impact of the following recommendations. 

Creating a Sleep-Conducive Environment  

Bedtime rituals may not be all that helpful if your environment isn't optimized for sleep. If you're losing precious hours tossing, turning, and trying to get comfortable, check your mattress for signs of wear and tear, and also consider the temperature in your bedroom. Although preferences vary, most experts believe the ideal temperature for sleep is between 60°and 68°F.¹⁸ A room that's too warm can interfere with your transition from wakefulness to sleep and disrupt REM sleep.¹⁹ 

Limiting Stimulants and Distractions  

In addition to going to bed and rising on a consistent schedule, most sleep experts recommend avoiding stimulants like caffeine and energy drinks at least eight hours before bedtime and avoiding the blue light from digital devices for at least an hour before turning in. If the sound of wind, traffic, or your partner's snoring keeps you awake, try running a fan or humidifier in your room or downloading and installing a white noise app on your smartphone – provided you won't be tempted to scroll. 

Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation 

Mindfulness is a state of active awareness. Instead of allowing your mind to analyze the events of the day, you're focused on the sights, sounds, and sensations of your environment. Mindfulness meditation is similar but more involved. Simply sit in a relaxed position and focus on the sensation of your breathing while inhaling and exhaling naturally. When your mind wanders, redirect your focus back to your breathing. Most experts recommend 10–30-minute sessions daily to help calm stress responses.²⁰ 

Discover How CBD Could Help Support the Benefits of Creating Your Bedtime Ritual  

During sleep, your brain releases a surge of hormones that help regulate your mood, fortify your immune system, and help with multiple aspects of cellular repair.²¹ If you're a busy mom who's tired of feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted because of difficulty falling asleep or frequent waking, maybe it's time to create a CBD-supported bedtime ritual – a cannabinoid-infused routine that helps you wind down, drift off naturally, and wake feeling refreshed and invigorated. 

If you're leaning toward trying CBD for its sleep-promoting potential but not quite sure where to begin, visit CBDistillery® to take our CBD Product Quiz or request a personal consultation. While you're there, take a few minutes to browse our selection of CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBN, and naturally occurring Delta-9 THC-infused products. All CBDistillery® hemp-derived products are rigorously tested, quality assured, made with 100% clean ingredients, and every label has a QR code linked to a certificate of analysis. 

References

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2. Nollet M, Wisden W, et al. (2020) Sleep Deprivation and Stress: A Reciprocal Relationship. 10(3) Interface Focus. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2019.0092 

3. Sleep and Mood. (2021) Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine. 

4. How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health. (2022) Columbia University Department of Psychology. 

5. Cherry K. (2023) How Prolonged Stress Impacts Your Health. Very Well Mind. 

6. Perez-Pozuelo I, Zhai B, et al. (2020) The Future of Sleep Health: A Data-Driven Revolution in Sleep Science and Medicine. 3 NJP Digit Med 42. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-020-0244-4 

7. Suni E. How Lack of Sleep Impacts Performance and Focus. Sleep Foundation. 

8. Elsaid S, Foll B. (2020) The Complexity of Pharmacology of Cannabidiol (CBD) and Its Implications in the Treatment of Brain Disorders. 45 Neuropsychopharmacol 229-30 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0518-1 

9. Ren S, Zhang Y, et al. (2020) Potential Application of Endocannabinoid System Agents in Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Diseases—Focusing on FAAH/MAGL Inhibitors. 41(10) Acta Pharmacol Sin 1263-71. doi: 10.1038/s41401-020-0385-7. PMID: 32203086; PMCID: PMC7608191 

10. Sallaberry C, Astern L. (2018) The Endocannabinoid System, Our Universal Regulator. 34(6) JYI 48-55. https://www.jyi.org/2018-june/2018/6/1/the-endocannabinoid-system-our-universal-regulator 

11. Shannon S, Lewis N, et al. (2019) Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. 23, Perm J 18-41. https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/18-041 

12. Vigil J, Stith S, et al. (2018) Effectiveness of Raw, Natural Medicinal Cannabis Flower for Treating Insomnia Under Naturalistic Conditions. 5(3) Medicines 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines5030075 

13. Moltke J, Hindocha C. (2021) Reasons for Cannabidiol Use: A Cross Section of CBD Users, Focusing on Self-Perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Problems. 3(1) J Cannabis Res 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-021-00061-5 

14. Stanciu C, Brunette M, et al. (2021) Evidence for Use of Cannabinoids in Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD: A Systematic Review. 72(4) Psych Serv. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.2020001 

15. Harrington A. (2021) 25% of CBD Products Are Not Tested for Purity. Forbes. 

16. Harris D. (2022) What Is CBN (Cannabinol)? CNBS. 

17. World Health Organization. (2020) Cannabidiol (CBD) Critical Review Report. PDF https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/controlled-substances/whocbdreportmay2018-2.pdf?sfvrsn=f78db177_2 

18. Silver N. (2019) What Is the Best Temperature for Sleep? Healthline. 

19. Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K. (2012) Effects of Thermal Environment on Sleep and Circadian Rhythm. 31(1) J Physiol Anthropol 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1880-6805-31-14 

20. Cherry K. (2024) What to Know About Mindfulness Meditation. Very Well Mind. 

21. Suni E. (2022) What Happens When You Sleep? Sleep Foundation.