Caucasian woman using cell phone in bed (Photo by Adam Hester via Getty images)
The best edibles for sleep are any edibles, right? Wrong! Even though edibles may make you sleepy, there are some brands making edibles specifically designed to help you catch some serious Zzz’s. If your busy mind is keeping you up at night, or you suffer from insomnia, check out our list of the best edibles for sleep, so you can stop tossing and turning.
Our pick for the best edibles for sleep is this product from a brand that is making its way in the CBD space with superior products and true full-spectrum formulations. A powerful CBD gummy sleep formula that boasts of a 5:1 ratio of CBD to THC, CBG, CBN, CBC, and other beneficial cannabinoids.
A strategic combination of terpenes is also present in this one of a kind edible that helps the 25 mg of CBD accomplish their desired effect on the body. You also have the option of going with Five CBD’s other presentation of a 50 mg CBD gummy with a higher dose of THC (4.8 mg/gummy), if that’s something you’d be interested in.
These gummies are yet another home run from CBDistillery that makes you forget about the meaning of insomnia before hitting the hay and reminds you what a good night’s sleep feels like the next morning. Packed with 30 delicious mixed berry flavored gummies, each containing 2 mg of melatonin and a whopping 30 mg of CBD per piece. CBDistillery gummies are made with the highest grade broad-spectrum CBD extract and promise a 0% THC dose.
CBDfx is a brand that does not miss a heartbeat to make itself present in almost every CBD product ranking list. It’s not the exception when it comes to gummies. These powerful, melatonin-infused sleep gummies pack 10 mg of cannabinoids and a whopping 5 mg of melatonin per gummy. If that doesn’t say, “I’m made to make you sleep”, I don’t know what is. With CBDfx there’s no going wrong, as the brand’s quality standards are set high and promise a solvent-free, US-made, and 30-days guaranteed product.
Charlotte’s Web CBD Gummies are formulated with their full-spectrum hemp extract and contain 10 mg of CBD and 3 mg of melatonin in every serving. Made from full-spectrum USA grown hemp extract, these gummies are formulated with natural ingredients to help you get the rest you need when you need it. Charlotte’s Web CBD Gummies feature all naturally cannabis occurring components like phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids with the addition of nature’s favorite sleep aid, melatonin. Get some and say goodbye to sleepless nights.
Medterra’s Sleep Tight CBD Gummies are made with premium 99% CBD isolate and feature a precise blend of natural sleep-aides such as Lemon Balm and Chamomile. With 25 mg of CBD and 3 mg of melatonin per serving, Medterra’s naturally flavored Sleep Tight Gummies will be your favorite part of getting ready for bed.
Joy Organics CBD Gummies feature 10 mg of CBD each combined with other clean ingredients like organic tapioca syrup and organic cane sugar. These tasty treats are gluten-free, vegan, and THC free. Find them in Green Apple and Strawberry Lemonade flavors. These premium, delicious gummies deliver mind and body soothing sensations that will kickstart your night of deep sleep.
You’ve probably noticed by now that we really value a proper night’s sleep. Sleepy Zs are a fun Green Roads’ product that helps put the snooze to work with a 5 mg dose of melatonin per piece, each made with broad-spectrum CBD with the promise of no artificial sugars and flavorings. These bedtime gummies come with 25 mg of CBD, which promises that the sleepy effects of melatonin come accompanied by a myriad of relaxing sensations.
Nu-X CBD Gummy packs contain three different enticing flavors: Strawberry, Grape, and Orange. Each gummy has 15 mg of broad-spectrum CBD that delivers mind and body soothing sensations. These are vegan-friendly gummies that aren’t made with any artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners either, making them some of the most natural on the market.
Sunday Scaries CBD Gummies are the perfect on-the-go solution to eliminating your excessive worrying and calming you down. They support a relaxed vibe no matter what day of the week it is. Each bottle contains 20 CBD infused gummies with 10 mg of CBD per gummy and no THC. Find these calming gummies in Orange, Cherry, Pineapple, Lemon, and Apple flavors.
With a whopping dose of 50 mg per piece, these delicious treats from Savage CBD will for sure get you ready for a night of amazing sleep. These gummies are made from hemp extract and are have been third-party lab tested for quality and potency.
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Go a few days without getting proper rest at night and it becomes painfully apparent just how crucial sleep is to overall health and wellness. Despite years of research, scientists don’t fully understand the functions of sleep, however, we do know it has an impact on several key functions.
Learning and memory, for example, can be severely affected by sleep deprivation. Without proper sleep to allow neurons time to rejuvenate, they become exhausted. This leaves us unable to recall information or to coordinate it properly. It affects muscle function, mood and the ability to focus. Depending on what you do for work, that could result in anything from clerical errors to major accidents. And in fact, insomnia-caused accidents and injuries reportedly cost the US close to $63 billion dollars.
Characterized based on duration, insomnia is one of the leading causes of sleeplessness and is surprisingly common in adults. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:
Beyond diagnosable insomnia, sleeplessness can be caused by a number of other factors, including pain, anxiety, PTSD, and many other conditions. And it just so happens that these are some of the conditions that may be better managed by using cannabis.
In one study, increasing the dose of THC also increased the amount of time spent sleeping. Look for indica-dominant strains with a high THC concentration to get the best effect.
Deep sleep is restorative sleep, the time that your body is able to regenerate itself, and the portion of the sleep cycle most affected by cannabis.
Research has found that the primary psychoactive in cannabis, THC, extends the amount of time you spend in deep sleep. So by partaking in a bedtime blunt or edible in some other way, you alter your endocannabinoid levels.
For more information on how cannabis affects deep sleep cycles, check out this article.
REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it’s one of four primary stages in the sleep cycle. Consuming activated cannabis before bed extends your time in deep sleep, the stage just before REM sleep.
The downside of this, however, is that evidence shows that REM sleep is for processing memories and information received during the day. Cannabis changes the length of the sleep cycle, so many nighttime canna-lovers tend to remember dreams less than their non-consuming counterparts.
Sleep apnea is a medical condition where a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep due to a lack of oxygen to the brain.
According to this study, animal data suggests that THC may be able to combat the condition by stabilizing breath and blocking the serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea.
Which is great news for the 25 percent of men and nine percent of women suffering from sleep apnea.
A number of factors go into determining the specific strains ideal for each individual. THC tolerance and sensitivity, experience, and personal preference should all be considered when selecting a strain. Also, keep in mind that consumption methods should be considered when using cannabis for sleep.
For example, when eating or consuming cannabis through the digestive tract, we can actually stay asleep longer and with fewer disturbances because the effects of cannabis have a greater duration. Inhalation, on the other hand, has a much faster onset time. What we gain in speed, however, will be forgone in the length of the effects.
When looking for better sleep, Indica strains with their higher levels of myrcene are the place to start. What’s most interesting is how myrcene interacts with the cannabinoids in a given strain to produce a compound effect.
A 2011 study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology called “Taming THC: Potential Cannabis Synergy and Phytocannabinoid-terpenoid Entourage Effects,” discovered that while myrcene is an effective sleep aid, it can combine with CBD to decrease pain, inflammation and even potentially fight cancer. Combining the terpene with higher THC strains results in pain reduction, muscle relaxation, and sedation in high enough doses.
Integrating cannabis, as well as other positive habits, like exercise, healthy eating and good sleep hygiene can go a long way to making sure we get the restorative sleep we need to help us be our best selves.