So, we see you’ve chosen to give CBD oil a try. But you may have a few important questions left unanswered: When is the best time of day to take CBD oil? Should you take CBD at night to get a nice full night’s sleep? Or should you take it during the day to help increase your focus at work?
Well, luckily for you (or perhaps unluckily, if indecision is an issue for you), there’s no definitive answer when it comes to a “correct” time of day to take CBD.
Some CBD enthusiasts consider the morning, just before breakfast, to be the best time to take their daily dose of CBD oil so they can get the energy they need for the day. Others think CBD oil should be taken at night, just before bed, since it may promote deeper and more natural sleep.
You can take CBD oil at any point in the day. The best time for you will depend on your schedule and how your body responds to the product. In this article, we aim to provide you with a thorough look at the question of when to take CBD oil.
Table of Contents
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is a liquid solution that contains CBD extract and a carrier oil. You can take CBD oil in several ways: by placing it under your tongue, mixing it into food or drink, or simply swallowing it. CBD oil is fun to take on the go, and the bottles often come with a dropper that makes it easy to take a dose at any time.
But, what is CBD exactly? CBD belongs to a category of compounds extracted from hemp called “cannabinoids.” Hemp is any cannabis plant that contains 0.3% THC or less when harvested. There is an uncountable number of cannabinoids, but the two that everyone seems to be buzzing about are CBD and its cousin THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
While both CBD and THC interact with your endocannabinoid system, the chemical differences between the two can cause them to create different effects within the user.
Can CBD Get Me High?
Nope! CBD does not produce psychoactive effects like THC. While there is a common misconception that any extract from the cannabis plant will get you high, this is not the case with CBD.
Unlike THC, CBD is one of the many non-psychoactive compounds in cannabis. Though some CBD products may contain trace amounts of THC, it should not be enough to get you high. To be federally legal, CBD products must contain no more than 0.3% THC. This standard ensures that consumers won’t experience intoxicating effects.
Is CBD Legal?
It sure is! Thanks to 2018’s Farm Bill, all hemp-derived CBD products (so long as they contain 0.3% THC or less) are federally legal in the United States. However, CBD consumers should remember that individual states still retain the right to enforce their own policies concerning CBD products.
Why Do People Take CBD Oil?
CBD oil comes packed with a whole spectrum of wellness benefits, so it’s no surprise that the CBD industry is booming! Public interest in CBD continues to skyrocket as people learn about its natural balancing properties. So, what exactly does CBD do that has people adding it into their daily routine?
In a nutshell, CBD helps the body regulate itself by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. This system influences several key functions like mood, sleep, pain response, appetite, and more. By affecting these systems CBD can do the following:
- Relieve physical soreness & tension
- Enhance mood
- Promote balance within the body (Homeostasis)
- Eases nervousness
- Promote a healthy appetite
- Calm racing thoughts
- Encourage deeper & more natural sleep
- Increases focus
When Is the Best Time of Day to Take CBD Oil?
There are three primary factors to consider when figuring out when to take CBD oil: how you take the product, your reason for taking it, and the dosage. Let’s explore how each factor influences when you should take your CBD.
The Purpose of Taking CBD
People around the world use CBD for a variety of reasons. Some of these include, but are not limited to, the benefits we mentioned before.
If you’re looking to use CBD to improve your sleep, you would likely benefit from taking your daily CBD dose just before bed. If you typically feel energized or focused after using CBD, you might want to take it with your lunch or breakfast to put a little pep in your step during the day. But perhaps you’re looking for a calming effect from your CBD. In that case, you may want to consider taking it with your evening meal.
CBD Dosage
Most CBD products come with a recommended daily dosage. To find what works best for you, you may want to experiment with different dosages. Once you understand how your body responds to CBD, planning out your doses according to how long you normally feel effects should be a breeze.
Alternatively, someone looking to receive CBD’s benefits all day might consider taking two doses, one in the morning and one in the evening, to spread the effects throughout the day effectively.
How You Take CBD Oil
As we mentioned before, you can take oil in several different ways. Some methods will kick in faster, others result in longer-lasting effects. This is why your method of consumption is important when deciding your CBD schedule.
If you take CBD oil sublingually (putting drops under the tongue), the effects kick in fast (about 15-30 minutes) and last for about 4-6 hours. Now, if you swallow the oil or take it with food, the CBD must pass through your gastrointestinal tract, resulting in longer effects (typically 6-8 hours).
These points are worth considering if you’re a person that wants to avoid feeling effects during the workday or while taking an exam. The more you use CBD, you will learn how quick your body processes the compound.
Can You Take CBD Too Much or Too Often?
According to a 2011 study, a “toxic” dose of CBD would be somewhere around 20,000 mg of CBD, taken all at once. Now, A) that is nearly impossible to do and B) this effect does not result in death. You cannot overdose on CBD because it does not operate on regions of the brian that control breathing, heart rate, etc.
To put the numbers in perspective, we should note that the suggested starting dose when it comes to CBD is somewhere around 5-20 mg per day. While there have been studies done on dosages around 1500 mg per day, the majority of tinctures only contain between 100 and 1500 mg in one entire bottle.
If you’re following our math, this means that someone would need to ingest somewhere roughly between 13 and 200 whole bottles of CBD tincture all at once to experience those extreme side effects. Here at Hollyweed, we’d sincerely like to believe that most people would have the sense to throw in the towel after half their first bottle.
Final Thoughts – Best Time of Day to Take CBD Oil
The CBD industry is taking the world of health and wellness by storm, thanks to its impressive suite of benefits. Among the most common questions that people ask when starting their CBD journey is when to take CBD to make it most effective.
To these well-meaning CBD beginners, we pose a potentially frustrating conclusion: There isn’t one specific time of day that is universally ideal for taking CBD. What time of day CBD works best for you is something you’ll have to figure out on your own, typically through trial and error.
We hope this article has been of use to you in your search for answers concerning the “correct” time to use your CBD products. Remember, whether you decide to take CBD in the morning, the middle of the day, or at night, its spectrum of wonderful benefits is something you can enjoy at any hour of the day!
