It’s hard to overstate the value of a good night’s sleep. If you’ve been having trouble getting enough rest, discovering a gentle, natural sleep aid like CBD gummies can feel like a dream come true. But you don’t want to feel drowsy the next morning, so getting the timing right is crucial. How long do the effects of CBD gummies for sleep last?
The answer can depend on tons of different variables, including your body composition, your diet, and how many CBD gummies you’re taking. In this article, we’ll walk you through all the relevant details of how your body processes CBD so you can figure out how long it will stick around in your system. We’ll also give you some tips on how to use it effectively for sleep.
At a glance:
The Best CBD Gummies For Sleeping Soundly
One vital thing to remember is that you can’t use CBD gummies for insomnia properly unless you know how much cannabidiol they contain. This can be trickier than you might think, since the industry is plagued with low-quality brands that take very little care to provide consistent dosage.
It’s essential to source your CBD products from brands that hold themselves to higher quality standards. Exhibit A is right here at FOCL. Our CBD sleep gummies are manufactured with WHO-recommended practices and tested by ISO-certified labs to ensure reliable dosing. They’re also made from organic hemp and all-natural flavors to give you the cleanest sleep support possible.
How Long Do CBD Gummies For Sleep Last?
How long will you feel the effects once you pop in a CBD gummy and settle down for a snooze? The exact length of time depends on a few personal factors (we’ll get into them below). But for most users, the noticeable effect of CBD sleep gummies should last about 4-8 hours.
In other words, you should be “under the influence” of CBD for roughly as long as it takes to get a good night’s sleep.
You may have noticed we said that’s how long the noticeable effects persist. We’re referring to the sense of tranquil happiness and relaxation that makes CBD gummies for sleep and anxiety so popular. But research suggests that cannabidiol can also do many things for your body that you may not be aware of, including:
- Reducing inflammation
- Protecting against neurological damage
- Decreasing your body’s response to stress
- Promoting muscle recovery after strain
- Reducing fear responses
Some of these effects of CBD may be going on in the background for hours or even days after you’ve stopped feeling a difference in your mood. They can give a powerful if indirect boost to your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?
The half-life of cannabidiol from CBD edibles like gummies has been estimated at 1-3 days. In other words, you can expect at least half of any dose you take to be present in your body about a day afterward. There may still be detectable traces in your body as long as 5 days later.
So why do you only notice the effects for 4-8 hours? First of all, like any biologically active substance, cannabidiol has a dosage threshold. Even if there’s still some CBD in your system, it may not be enough for you to feel the effects.
Second, CBD tends to be absorbed into fatty tissues. After a few hours, many of the molecules that haven’t yet been broken down may be “stored” in fat cells rather than in your brain or bloodstream. Plus, the receptors that get triggered by cannabinoid molecules may become temporarily desensitized once they activate. This can cause your response to the substance to slowly drop off until your body has a chance to “reset”.
Is it safe to take CBD gummies for sleep aid purposes?
In general, yes. Researchers have concluded that long-term CBD use seems to be safe even at up to 1500 mg per day. To put that in perspective, most manufacturers use doses between 5 and 100 mg per serving in CBD gummies for sleep and pain. Unless you’re eating them by the handful, you shouldn’t be at much risk.
Pregnant or nursing mothers are advised not to use CBD, and there’s a potential for some negative drug interactions for people using prescription medications. For most other adults, using CBD for better sleep shouldn’t be a problem.
What are the potential side effects of CBD gummies for sleep?
Some people do experience mild side effects from CBD sleep gummies. These can include:
- Diminished appetite
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
If you do encounter effects like these, reducing the dosage a bit is often enough to make them go away.
Will CBD make you fail a drug test?
Though it comes from the cannabis plant, cannabidiol by itself shouldn’t show up on a drug test. That said, CBD products made from full-spectrum hemp extracts can contain up to 0.3% of THC.
That’s usually not enough to show up on a test. However, if you’re regularly taking full-spectrum CBD gummies, THC could build up to detectable levels in your system.
In addition, some “CBD for sleep” gummies contain additional active ingredients aside from CBD — sometimes including enough THC to have mild psychoactive effects. In that case, even a single gummy might cause you to fail a drug test. That’s why it’s so important to stick to reputable suppliers like FOCL, so you’ll know exactly what’s in your CBD sleep gummies.
If there’s a chance you might be drug-tested, go with broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate. Both of these should be fully THC-free.
Factors Affecting How Long CBD Gummies Last
The timing estimates given above are only guidelines. Lots of different variables impact exactly how long the effects of CBD gummies last, and how long the ingredients remain in your system. Here are the most important ones:
Your CBD dosage
The more CBD you consume at once, the longer your body will take to break it down. There isn’t a 1-to-1 relationship — in other words, taking twice as much won’t make it last twice as long — but you’ll definitely feel the effects from a 50 mg gummy longer than you would with 5 mg.
This is one reason it’s often a good idea to start your dosage low and step up gradually when trying to figure out how much CBD to take for sleep. Too large of a dose might mean you still feel sleepy when you wake up the next day.
Whether you’ve eaten anything else
When you smoke cannabis or take CBD oil under your tongue, most of it heads straight to your bloodstream. But when you take a CBD edible, the ingredients have to pass through your digestive system and liver first. And cannabidiol is lipid-soluble, so if you take it with food, it will get soaked up by the dietary fats.
That’s generally a good thing — it means less of the chemical will be destroyed by digestive enzymes, so your body’s total CBD absorption will be greater. The effects should be slower but stronger and longer-lasting than if you take your gummies on an empty stomach. If you’re using CBD for sleep, try taking it shortly after dinner or along with an evening snack of high-fat foods.
How often you use CBD
We’ve already mentioned that cannabidiol can build up in your body’s lipids, then trickle out into your bloodstream little by little as you metabolize those fatty tissues for energy. So if you consume CBD regularly, you may wind up experiencing low-dose effects that last for days or even weeks after you stop.
Don’t worry — this generally doesn’t mean you’ll still be feeling sleepy during the daytime. Most users just feel the gentle background effects we discussed above, like subtle reductions in anxiety, pain, and stress.
Other medications you’re taking
Cannabidiol is broken down mainly by the same liver enzymes as many pharmaceutical drugs. When there are too many molecules for the same enzymes, they may not work as quickly, meaning the effects of CBD may last longer.
Note that this works the other way, too — using CBD may cause the concentrations of other drugs to build up in your body, sometimes to unsafe levels. Always talk to your doctor before using cannabinoids when you’re on prescription medication.
Your body composition and metabolism
There’s a personal factor in the effects of any drug, and CBD is no exception. If you have a fast metabolism, chances are you’ll clear this compound from your system more rapidly than most. In contrast, users with a higher percentage of body fat will likely experience somewhat longer-lasting CBD effects.
Sadly, there’s no simple formula that can predict how you’ll respond to CBD. Even with the best CBD gummies for sleep, we always recommend beginning with small amounts and experimenting to find your ideal dosage.
How Long Does It Take For CBD Sleep Gummies to Kick In?
Typically, the effects of CBD gummies kick in after around 30-60 minutes. Some of the same factors affecting how long they last can also influence how quickly you feel them.
For instance, taking CBD gummies on an empty stomach will likely make them kick in faster in addition to wearing off sooner. On the other hand, this may increase your odds of unwanted effects like nausea. A faster metabolism and a leaner build may also speed up the onset of CBD.
Most people get the best results from taking CBD gummies for sleep aid about 45-75 minutes before they hope to fall asleep. That should leave you feeling relaxed and a little drowsy as your head hits the pillow.
Sleep Through the Night With the Best CBD Gummies Around
If you’re curious how CBD may improve your sleep, there’s no substitute for trying it out yourself. Our Premium Full Spectrum Sleep Gummies are a fantastic choice for anyone seeking longer, deeper, healthier slumber.
Each one contains a carefully calibrated dose of CBD and CBN (cannabidiol’s sleepier cousin), extracted from organic hemp using pressurized CO2 for maximum purity. Botanicals like passionflower and green tea extract offer an added touch of natural relaxation. And our publicly available testing certificates help ensure your peace of mind.
We’re confident that these will be the perfect CBN CBD gummies that help you sleep for our restless readers. That’s why we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee, giving you enough time to experience the long-term effects on your sleep quality. Head to our product page to begin your trial!
