CBD At Night vs. Morning: When's The Best Time Of Day To Take It?

If you're curious about incorporating cannabidiol (CBD) into your wellness routine, you've probably wondered when, exactly, you should take it for the best results. 

Is CBD better used before bed, like other natural remedies such as chamomile or magnesium, or is it better to take it first thing in the morning for a dose of balance and calm to get you through the day? 

Let's start with how CBD affects you in the first place: It all comes down to your endocannabinoid system, or ECS for short. While CBD is the compound making headlines and getting all the attention, the ECS is the vast regulatory system in the body that compounds like CBD interact with. It acts as the connection between the hemp plant and our bodies and explains why CBD works. 

The ECS is a network of receptors, enzymes, and compounds called endocannabinoids, which are similar to many of the compounds—called phytocannabinoids—found in hemp. These cannabinoid receptors are found1 in the brain, nervous system, and many of the major organs (they're even found in the skin2!). 

Since the endocannabinoid system controls so many aspects of our well-being, you might be surprised to find you benefit from CBD at any time of day when you start experimenting. For example, Naturopathica's Chill Full Spectrum CBD Microdose Elixir—which contains 250 mg of nonpsychoactive, isolate-free cannabinoids in every bottle—is specifically formulated to promote a great night's sleep. But since it's all about balance, it doesn't hurt to try it in the morning, too. In fact, allowing CBD's stress-busting benefits to work throughout the day could help you wind down more easily later that evening. Win-win. 

Similarly, if you carry a lot of tension in your neck and shoulders throughout the day, you might assume that topical CBD is best applied in the morning. But a topical CBD balm, like Naturopathica's Chill Full-Spectrum CBD & Kava Balm CBD applied at night can work to relieve tension while you sleep, making your workday the next day a lot more comfortable. 

It's worth noting that, as with many herbs, the benefits of CBD may build as you take it over time. This means if you're experimenting with CBD for a specific issue, taking it twice daily for a month might help you maximize your results. 

But even more important than the time of day you take your CBD—and the number of days you incorporate it into your routine—is the quality of CBD you're taking. This is particularly important when you learn that the hemp plant is a bioaccumulator3, which means it actually absorbs toxins and chemicals from the soil, putting you at risk for pesticide exposure and heavy metals if the product isn't sourced and tested responsibly. 

The good news is that Naturopathica's CBD products are full-spectrum, CO2 extracted, and third-party lab tested multiple times. The hemp they're sourced from is also organically grown on a small-batch farm in the United States by farmers who are devoted to ethical, sustainable farming.