The Ultimate CBD Nighttime Routine

One of the most common questions we’re asked is when to take Holmes Organics CBD? Some of our clients take it to begin their day, others take it to ease into the end of their day, or both! To determine what’s best for you, try it at different times of the day. If it works best for you in the evening, these tips will help you create the perfect CBD nighttime routine.

The Restorative Power Of Sleep

Our bodies are miraculous and naturally repair and heal while we sleep, but only if we can get a sufficient amount of sleep. For the average adult, this is between 7 and 9 hours of quality sleep per night. Creating a sleep routine may help if:

• Your racing mind keeps you up
• Pain makes laying down difficult
• You fall asleep but can’t stay asleep
• You often spend the night tossing and turning

If you’re someone whose schedule is too busy to prioritize sleep, it’s time to focus on the facts. Insufficient sleep can decrease your focus and cognitive performance, as well as increase your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke, depression, and more. Professionally, quality sleep is linked to improved performance and more effective leadership. Personally, you are prone to premature aging (fine lines and wrinkles) and less likely to feel like yourself.

You May Be Contributing To Your Poor Quality Of Sleep

If you struggle with insomnia or any other sleep issue, you may have developed a few unhealthy habits that are keeping you up at night. Below are a few of the most common culprits:

• Drinking caffeine too late in the day
• Eating directly before bedtime
• Drinking alcohol, or too much of anything in the evening
• Working out too close to bedtime
• Watching the news before at night
• Reading or watching something violent or disruptive video before bedtime
• Not unplugging in the bedroom
• Not taking the time to wind down
• An erratic sleep schedule
• Too much blue light, which acts as a simulant—eReader, TV, smartphone, laptop
• Environmental stressors—clutter, light, noise, temperature, uncomfortable pillow or bed, snoring partner, pets, etc.

Creating A CBD Nighttime Routine

Begin by identifying what’s keeping you up at night, then create a personalized nighttime routine. As with any new routine, it will take a few weeks to create a new habit, but unlike most new routines—your sleep may rapidly improve. This may make your nighttime routine faster and easier to commit to. Even successful athletes create structured AM and PM routines that are as regimented as their fitness and nutrition!

Go To Bed And Get Up At The Same Time

You may already have a time that you aim to be in bed each night, but consider how often you are actually in bed at that time. More importantly, have you had time to wind down before you head to bed?

Begin by determining what time you would need to go to bed to get a full 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Then, set two PM alarms on your phone. The first should be between 1 to 2 hours before your bedtime, and the second should be 15 minutes or so before.

What you do, watch, and read in the 2 hours before going to bed can positively or negatively impact the quality of your sleep. So, once the first PM alarm goes off, it’s time to start winding down:

• Turn off the news
• Stop working
• Stop reading emails
• Rethink what you are watching on TV
• Shift your mindset away from the stressors of the day

If it’s helpful, keep a gratitude journal to focus on the positive, or a journal to get the stress literally and figuratively “out” of your body. Writing or typing a digital to-do list can help you “leave” tomorrow’s stressors for tomorrow.

When the second alarm goes off, you can complete any tasks around the house that you like to do before bedtime. Maybe putting coffee in your automatic coffee pot or laying out what to wear the next day.

With many of us working from home, you may not have a set wake up time—so it’s time to set one. And no hitting snooze.

By heading to bed and waking up at the same time every day, your body will regulate serotonin, a naturally occurring hormone that helps you to both fall asleep and wake up with ease.

Seriously Unplug

Watching TV, browsing social media, digital gaming, and reading on an eReader are activities you may enjoy in the evening—but each of these activities should be shut off at a set time each night.

Most of these are mentally stimulating, and emit blue light, which is physically stimulating. If you like to read at bedtime, read a paper book, turn on the blue light filter on your device, or wear blue light glasses.

Let your family, friends, and (if needed) clients and colleagues know what time you unplug each day. Since most of us have removed landlines from our homes and need to remain connected to our nearest and dearest, utilize an app to manage incoming calls and texts that you receive after you’ve unplugged for the day.

With the growing option in sleep and meditation apps, you may utilize your phone as part of your PM routine, but keep communication and entertainment to a minimum at bedtime. Most of us check our phones multiple times per hour, so this change can contribute greatly to your sleep.

 

 

Identify Soothing PM Rituals

Now comes the fun part, where you get to personalize your PM routine. Consider what self-care activities you currently enjoy, that also help you relax and unwind, and try to work them into your daily PM routine. However, you must be open to trying new self-care activities. Here are a few to consider:

• Take Holmes Organics CBD 1 to 2 hours before bed.
• Consider drinking your CBD with chamomile tea.
• Burn incense or use aromatherapy, such as lavender or bergamot.
• Take a shower or bath to relax tense muscles.
• Do a short PM yoga or stretch routine.
• Meditate or do yoga.
• Put on soothing instrumental music, or listen to sounds of nature, gongs, binaural beats, ASMR, or chanting.
• Test sleep apps to see which of their sleep-inducing solutions work for you.

Don’t Stress If You Miss A Night

For best results, you should maintain your sleep schedule and PM routine 7 nights a week. The more consistent you can be with your PM routine, the better—especially if you are someone who struggles with insomnia.

However, life is meant to be balanced, so don’t beat yourself up if you miss a night. This might be a night out with your friends, date night, birthday party, kid’s activity that runs late, super-stressful day, holiday, or when you get caught up binge-watching a show. One evening of heading to bed a bit (or a lot) later than usual shouldn’t cause too much disruption. Try to get up at your usual time, and if you can, sneak in a 10 to 20-minute nap prior to 3 pm.

Here’s to waking up every day feeling energized and refreshed!