Best Times of Day to Take CBD (and Why) - FOCL

Best Times of Day to Take CBD (and Why)

When should you take CBD? Fortunately for you, CBD can be taken at any time of day. Some individuals enjoy CBD in smaller quantities for added focus to their morning routine, while others take CBD strictly as a sleep aid. 

And while everybody is different, our tried and true favorite times of day to take CBD are as follows:

 

Looking to take CBD for energy and focus?

There has been lots of talk about CBD for sleep and calm, but what about CBD for focus & energy? Can you take CBD as part of your morning routine to stay focused throughout the day? Is there CBD that gives you energy? In short, yes. And you’ll probably love it. 

CBD is understood to interact with the endocannabinoid system, which influences mood, appetite, immune function, and sleep cycles, so it actually influences a lot more than just sleep. 

How much CBD should I take for focus? 

Every body reacts differently to cannabinoids, hence why this question gets asked a lot. The regular dose tends to be around 10 to 12mg of CBD.

While this is equivalent to a full dropper from a 1,000mg tincture, as with all cannabinoids, we recommend building the dose up.

By this, you can start with half a dropper or even try a smaller dosage in general so you feel comfortable. Then slowly increase the dose until you feel it should be enough to help you focus. 

The important part is to do it in small increases and find out what’s better for you. Some users report that heavier doses work better for other ailments, such as muscle relaxation or even as a sleep aid. 

For focus, you should keep slower doses so it can relax your system without a full sedative effect.

 

How does CBD give you energy?

CBD binds with receptors that produce serotonin. These receptors are known to regulate basic fear and anxiety related behaviors. Because of this, CBD can support normal mood fluctuations and promote an overall sense of calm. Good mood and a calm mind and body = perfect recipe for increased energy and focus. 

CBD also interacts with GABA receptors responsible for calming the nervous system. This provides an overall calm for the mind and body, without making you feel tired. Simply put, CBD can promote the right environment for your body to fall asleep, but it doesn’t necessarily make you tired. 

When taken in low quantities, CBD can be just what you need to focus on the day ahead. 

What’s more, for all you coffee lovers out there: CBD perfectly balances the jitters of caffeine. So if you're the type of person who needs a dose of caffeine to get out of bed in the morning, add some CBD to your mug for the focus you desire, with a little added chill! 

For sustained focus and energy, we recommend taking a dropper or two of CBD oil in the morning. Or, learn more about how CBD and caffeine are the perfect pair

For daytime use, we suggest you try FOCL Day. This supplement will help you stay productive so you can power through your tasks without losing focus.

 

CBD effects on the nervous system 

While non-psychoactive, CBD can affect our nervous system. This is because it interacts with the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for certain chemical signals in our body like appetite, mood, or even pain.

By binding to the proteins in the CB1 receptors, it can change or block certain signals from happening. This was noted by this 2018 review, which explains that is why cannabidiol can help soothe pain or pain-related symptoms that usually activate in this system.

 

Does CBD work for relaxation?

Feel a bit overwhelmed by the day or just need an extra push? CBD can help. Keep a bottle of gummies in your gym bag, backpack, or purse, and pop a few when you feel that mid-afternoon slump coming for added focus, anxiety-relief, and a little pick-me-up. 

Gummies are discrete and perfect for on the go, and taking them in the afternoon provides a mellow environment for your mind and body to get through the rest of your day. Mood fluctuations throughout the day are natural.

By taking a gummy or two when a dip in mood or focus begins, you can sustain that beginning of the day brain power. 

Plus, taking CBD at this time of day soothes aches and pains from sitting at a desk or from a tough workout the day before. 

Don’t love gummies? No problem.

You can always swap out gummies for a tincture or two. And, an added bonus of a tincture in the afternoon is you will not need to wait for the effects to kick in.

When CBD oil is taken sublingually, it absorbs into the bloodstream quicker (instead of going through the digestive tract) for that afternoon pick-up you want. 

 

Taking CBD for sleep

CBD as a sleep aid is all the rage lately, and for good reason. 

CBD interacts with GABA receptors which calm the nervous system. GABA levels enable the body and mind to relax, fall asleep, and stay asleep. GABA’s ultimate role is to calm the brain down. So, when CBD interacts with these receptors, calming the brain and nervous system down become CBD’s role as well. 

So what products are best for this increased sense of calm?

The short answer: tinctures are always a good idea. Add a dropper to your chamomile tea for added relief before sleep. Or, take sublinguilly to get quick results to get you ready for a good night’s sleep. Pro-tip: get mint flavored CBD oil to pair perfectly with your toothpaste. 

Another way to get to dreamland quicker (with the help of CBD), is to lather on some topicals before bed. One popular component of sleeplessness is simply discomfort. Whether you’re sore from a workout, have achy joints, or simply want to feel great, adding CBD topicals to your nightly routine can greatly improve your sleep. 

And while we love CBD, there are also many adaptogens and botanicals with effectiveness in helping aid sleep. Use your CBD topicals and tincture alongside supplements like Passion Flower, Valerian Root, Ashwagandha, Hops Flower, and 5-htp to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. 

While these general times of day tend to work for most individuals, our advice is to experiment with different dosages and CBD products at various times of day until you reach your desired results. 

CBD for a good night sleep

If you have problems getting to bed, whether it is falling asleep or having a poor rest quality, CBD could potentially aid you in that sector. 

While we know there’s still plenty to research about Cannabidiol and its potential therapeutic benefits, some studies have shown progress toward using CBD as a natural sleep aid.

While insomnia has different factors, CBD can potentially help with some of them. This 2019 research shows that cannabidiol could improve sleep and reduce anxiety in general.

By investigating the response of 72 people who experienced both anxiety and poor sleep, the researchers concluded that both types of symptoms could be reduced.

With over 79.2% of patients feeling lower anxiety levels and 66.7% reporting a night of better sleep, CBD could be helpful towards some of these factors.

For the ultimate CBD-powered sleep aid, we created FOCL Night, a supplement that pairs CBD with 5 soothing botanicals to help you get a night of deep, rejuvenating sleep.

  

Can you take CBD during the day? 

Yes! Taking CBD during the day can be helpful with several things. As CBD is non-psychoactive, it is safe as it won’t affect your perception or senses. This makes it perfect for small doses like a mood uplift, or even chronic pain.

These benefits could be really helpful during the day. It’s as easy as taking some drops if you need pain relief or want a slight mood lift to help you boost through your tasks. 

Cannabidiol can potentially aid due to its therapeutic benefits while still keeping natural or without prescription.

With that said, users have reported sometimes that they can feel drowsy after taking it. Hence, we recommend using a lower dosage before trying a full dose, microdosing or slowly building up the dose can be helpful if you want to try taking CBD during the day.

 

When to take CBD before bed 

As we noted above, CBD can sometimes make you feel slightly drowsy with higher doses. Hence, why it’s great as a sleeping aid relief. It can relax your muscles, ease down your thoughts, and even help you take a deep breath before heading to bed.

If you wake up at night or feel like your sleep needs better quality, then CBD could also help you. This 2014 review noted that CBD could improve REM Sleep in general, which usually makes the user wake up violently or get poor sleep quality.

It is also important to say that you can pair CBD with other specific terpenes that help with relaxation. This causes what is known as an entourage effect. The entourage effect means cannabinoids, including terpenes, can work together in synergy and potentiate each other effects.

This is also true for other cannabinoids like CBN, or even CBG, which are great for restoring your sleep quality. Their effects complement each other and have different benefits depending on how you pair them. So if you want to learn more about the differences between CBN and CBD, you can check this article over here.

Sleep is different for everyone and it can depend on several factors. These include age, metabolism, and even healthy habits. This is why it’s important to understand the potential benefit but also other factors that could be leading to those symptoms.

How much CBD take before bed

Cannabidiol has plenty of potential to help as a sleeping aid. We usually recommend using CBD at least 30 minutes before bed. If you are starting to experiment with CBD, always start with a lower dose and fix the dose as you find yourself comfortable.

With this said, we also recommend creating a sleeping routine that works for you. Some things that stimulate, such as your smartphone or screen, can also be a major detractor from getting you better sleep.

Having a light dinner could also help, or trying out meditation or mindfulness exercises to calm your mind. In the end, you have to help your body ease itself by creating a healthy routine that works for you in harmony with the CBD doses you take.