And How CBD May Help

You know that getting good, quality sleep is important to your mental and physical health. And yet, it is a struggle – sometimes a daily one! Though there’s a wide range of causes and types of sleeping problems, expert consensus points to a handful of concrete steps that promote more restful sleep. This is such a wide issue among all populations, that organizations like the CDC¹, the National Institutes of Health², the National Institute on Aging³, and the American Academy of Family Physicians⁴ all have documents and instructions for better sleep that all point to the same fundamental tips.

If you’re feeling extra restless lately, you’re not alone: More than five million Americans have issues getting to sleep each night, according to a 2019 study from Iowa State University. 

Developing good sleep habits, just like anything else you want to improve in your day (or night, in this case) can help you get a good night’s sleep. You may also hear some refer to this as “sleep hygiene.” Perhaps similar to having good hygiene for your body, you can develop good sleep hygiene that just becomes a part of your natural life.

Some habits that can improve your sleep health from the Sleep Foundation*:

• Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends – and vacations! Apple iPhone has a great solution for this called “Bedtime.” This is located in the “Health” app already installed on your phone. Open the app and follow the instructions for setting up Sleep. Your phone will gently remind you when it is time to go to bed, and then your alarm is automatically set for the following morning. Easy!
  • Along that same note – count back by 7 hours from your alarm to determine the best time to go to bed. And then try not to fudge that by lying in your bed scrolling Instagram. We know! We do it as well!
• Make it dark and quiet. No, this isn’t a scary movie, but we need to get your natural melatonin to kick in – and the best way to do that is to get your environment darker and quieter. Melatonin is often referred to as the “sleep hormone.” Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and then released into the bloodstream. Darkness prompts the pineal gland to start producing melatonin while light causes that production to stop.
  • At Warfighter Hemp, we believe in the power of melatonin so much so that we added it to our newest product –> Sleep Gummies with 750 mg of CBD + Melatonin. Each gummy contains 2 mg of Melatonin and each bottle contains 35 gummies.
• Adjust the temp. Some people sleep better when it is a tad chillier in the bedroom, and then pile on the blankets and comforters. It could harken back to the days of when you were a kid and your parents wrapped you tightly in blankets. This is also why weighted blankets have become so popular of late. Try different temps in your bedroom and see what helps you fall asleep faster – and stay asleep.
• Remove electronic devices. This includes, but is not limited to: TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom.
• Avoid large meals at night. If you eat close to your bedtime, your body is too busy trying to digest your food that it can’t help you fall asleep. Also avoid caffeine and alcohol at least a few hours before bedtime.
• Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night. According to the Sleep Foundation, “Studies have shown that in as little as four weeks, individuals with chronic insomnia who begin regular exercise can fall asleep up to 13 minutes faster² and stay asleep 18 minutes longer.”

This may seem overwhelming but consider taking these tips as baby steps. Just like with eating healthy, try not to develop an “all or nothing” mindset. Consider attempting one of two tips in your first week. Then, the following week, consider adding in one or two more. Some tips may not work for you at all. On the other hand, you may find the “golden ticket” just by implementing one of the tips above. What do you have to lose?

Why Sleep is Important

To put it simply, sleep is important because it directly impacts one’s productivity and overall health and wellbeing. Sleep deprivation can cause you to lose up to 11 days of productivity per year, and people who only get five to six hours (as opposed to seven-plus) are over four times more likely to get sick. And during these trying times, we definitely don’t want our body’s immune systems to be any way depleted simply from not getting enough sleep.

According to SleepAdvisor.Org, other serious complications can arise from insomnia, including heart problems, mental health, appearance, pain – even pregnancy complications!

From personal experience, we can share that not getting enough sleep can mess with your day. If you are experiencing ‘brain fog,’ or having trouble remembering things, it could all be related to not getting enough sleep. But if you’ve tried some of the tips above and below, and still aren’t able to get what you need, we highly recommend consulting with your medical doctor.

One of the above tips that Warfighter Hemp customers have said really helped them is setting up a pre-bedroom routine.

Setting Up a Pre-Bedroom Routine

It is natural to think that if you have a difficult time falling asleep – and staying asleep – that the problem begins when you lie down in bed. In fact, the lead-up to bedtime plays a crucial role.

Poor pre-bed habits are a major contributor to insomnia** and other sleep problems. Changing some of these habits*** – some created since you were born – can take time, but the effort can pay off by making you more relaxed and ready to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around.

As much as possible, try to create a consistent routine that you follow each night because this helps reinforce healthy habits and signals to mind and body that bedtime is approaching.

As part of that routine, incorporate these tips:

1. Wind Down For At Least 30 Minutes: It’s much easier to doze off effortlessly if you are at-ease. Quiet reading (murder-mystery novels may not be the best here), low impact stretching (such as light yoga moves), listening to soothing music (we like the Spa channel on SiriusXM), and relaxation exercises are examples of ways to get into the right frame of mind for sleep.
   • For music, many music apps have a sleep timer you can set on your phone that will turn off the music in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or longer.
   • Here’s our favorite breathing exercise that helps us fall asleep at night.
     1. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your front teeth (you’ll keep it here for the entire exercise).
     2. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
     3. Hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds.
     4. Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds, allowing your exhale to make a natural sound like you’re blowing out a candle.
   • Do a body scan – much like you are meditating, but in a prone position in your bed. Start with your feet, wiggle your toes, then feel your calves, knees and keep working your way up to your body until you reach the crown of your head.
   • Try a sleep story app! What are sleep stories you ask? These stories range from a few minutes to much longer, and are a story delivered in a calming manner that you can’t help but fall asleep. The point of a sleep story is to be borderline boring. Not so triggering that your mind picks up on a point made in the story and then starts wondering about a fact or what happens next. You should fall asleep before the story ends. One to try is Unwind. Just like the name implies, Unwind offers meditations and sleep stories for all ages.

2. Lower the Lights: Avoiding bright light can help you transition to bedtime and contribute to your body’s production of melatonin. Remember, we are trying to get that melatonin to kick in as darkness prompts the pineal gland to start producing melatonin while light causes that production to stop.
3. Disconnect from Devices: Tablets, cell phones, and laptops can keep your brain wired, making it hard to truly wind down. As we learned from above, the light emitted from these devices can also suppress your natural production of melatonin. As much as possible, try to disconnect for 30 minutes or more before going to bed. The 2011 Sleep in America Poll from the National Sleep Foundation included questions about the use of electronics before bed. The survey found that roughly four in 10 Americans bring their cell phone into bed when trying to fall asleep. This behavior was particularly common among adolescents and young adults between the ages of 13 and 29. That was a study from 10 years ago – we can only guess that number has grown exponentially with the rise in cell phone use and social media.

A Fourth Pre-Bedroom Routine to Consider:
Taking CBD Before Bedtime

The body has a vital and vast receptor system called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The Endocannabinoid System is possibly the most valuable biological system in maintaining human health and function. The ECS contains cannabinoid receptors. There are two main types of receptors, cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2).

Although the ECS affects a huge range of physiological processes, scientists believe that its true purpose is to help the body establish and maintain good health. Warfighter Hemp has whole-plant phytocannabinoids, one being the non-addictive cannabidiol (CBD). These phytocannabinoids naturally fit in the ECS’s receptors and help establish and maintain good health.*** It is like pieces of a puzzle that just fit together. To learn more about how CBD works, read our blog post here.

Many Warfighter Hemp customers have told us they use our CBD tinctures as a natural supplement to help them with sleep.**** As part of your pre-bedtime routine, try a CBD Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum tincture, capsule, sleep gummy that contains melatonin along with CBD, or our CBD bath bombs.  

• Hemp Extract Oil – Warfighter Hemp CBD Tinctures – utilizing hemp seed oil as the carrier, this product is taken sublingually, or under the tongue, for the best absorption into the body. Offered in regular and peppermint flavor in many strengths.
• Warfighter Hemp CBD Capsules – some Warfighter Hemp customers rather take their CBD via capsule form as they dislike the “herbal” taste from the tinctures. Plus, the capsules offer an easy, on-the-go, way to transport your CBD.
• Sleep Gummies 750 mg CBD Broad Spectrum + Melatonin – gummies are all the rage right now – and why not? Easy to take, easy to travel, and tasty, each gummy delivers 2 mg of Melatonin and and 25 mg of CBD in a delicious strawberry-mango flavor. Plus, Warfighter Hemp gummies are broad spectrum, meaning using non-detectible CBD.
• Warfighter Hemp CBD Bath Bombs – our skin is our largest body organ, which allows for the largest absorption of products. Try taking a warm bath 30 minutes before bedtime with one of four relaxing scented CBD bath bombs: Lemongrass Kiwi, Citrus, Eucalyptus & Peppermint, and Fresh Bamboo. The warm water will relax and soothe and open your skin’s pores so the 35mg of CBD can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Many users have told us by the time they get out of the bath, they are definitely ready for bed!

Warfighter Hemp customers have told us that by taking CBD at least 30 minutes before bedtime, it has helped them improve their sleep.**** But don’t just take our word for it, here is just a small snippet of what our customers have shared with us from TrustPilot.

So how does CBD help with sleep?

There is still much research to be made about CBD for sleep help. Research from 2014 looked at four patients with Parkinson’s disease. It found that CBD improved the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a disorder in which a person acts out their dreams. RBD is associated with poor sleep and nightmares.

CBD may also trigger tiredness or a sleep response through its reported effects on the 5-HT1a serotonin receptors, as observed in a study published in the medical journal Pain. The study was on rats and according to the study, “Repeated treatment with CBD (5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously [s.c.], for 7 days) increased 5-HT firing through desensitization of 5-HT_1A receptors.”

CBD and Sleep Stress

Daily stress can also be a primary contributor to your lack of sleep. Do you often find yourself lying awake in bed at night with your mind racing? Perhaps your issue isn’t just with sleep itself. CBD has been known to help support a sense of calm for focus as well, so if a daily supplement seems to better fit your schedule, CBD capsules, oils and bath bombs can also play a part in your routine.

If you are feeling stressed before bedtime, here a few things to try:

• Journal – the old-school way of ‘brain dumping’ is to journal your day and what is bothering you. Since you want to avoid light 30 minutes before bedtime, the best way to journal is via a real journal book and pen. Treat yourself to a lovely set and try it!
• A relaxing bath – as outlined above, the warm water and relaxing essential oils can help you simmer down for a restful night.
• Meditate – try one of the many meditation apps available, or just sit in peace and quiet for 5 minutes in your bedroom with soft music playing. There is no right or wrong way to meditate!
• Adding essential oils to a diffuser – adding lavender or other known calming essential oils to a room diffuser could help relieve stress and tension before bedtime.

What is the Best CBD Oil for Sleep?

When it comes to selecting the best product for you, it helps to understand how each option was designed to fit into your routine.

CBD Oil for Sleep: As we mentioned, CBD oil is a great option and an easy add-in for bringing hemp extract into your daily routine. Warfighter Hemp oils contain CBD plus naturally occurring phytocannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and more in each serving, and can easily be mixed into your favorite food or drink if you don’t like taking is sublingually. Curious about how Warfighter Hemp is farmed and bottled, visit How Hemp Can Help.

CBD Capsules for Sleep: When life gets busy, CBD liquid capsules make it easy to add Warfighter Hemp’s hemp extract to your wellness routine. They go where you go, delivering a precise serving every time.

CBD Gummies for Sleep: CBD gummies are edible products, just like regular gummies, in the form of a mold or candy that contain CBD. They come in a variety of flavors, CBD concentrations, fun shapes, and colors. The user gets to enjoy a discreet dose without the worry of undergoing a lengthy ingestion process. 

Tying it All Together

The basic pressures of our daily lives can be constant sources of stress leading to possible long-term negative health effects – including lack of sleep! Try these above tips and tricks to help you fall asleep faster – and stay asleep through the night. Utilizing CBD for sleep can help restore a sense of calm and focus, allowing you to more effectively handle the ordinary problems daily life presents.*****

* http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits

** https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia

***https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000757.htm

**** https://www.trustpilot.com/review/warfighterhemp.com

***** These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.