Whether you’re new to CBD or have been taking CBD for a while, you may be curious if it matters what time of the day you take it. So, what is the best time of day to take CBD?
Honestly, it all depends. The best time to take CBD oil all comes down to your daily routine and personal wellness goals. Some people use CBD to help jumpstart their morning, while others take it to get a good night’s sleep.
No matter what your reason for taking CBD, timing is everything. Keep reading to discover when the best time to take CBD oil is and why to better understand when to incorporate CBD into your wellness routine so you can experience the best results possible.
Key Takeaways
The first step to take when determining the best time to take CBD is to identify your reasons for taking it, whether for potential stress relief, pain management, sleep support, or general wellness.
Consider taking CBD in the morning for a bit of a boost, in the afternoon to manage your mood or reduce midday stress, or in the evening to support relaxation and a good night’s rest.
Experiment by taking CBD at different times a day in various doses to determine when it works best for your unique needs.
Best Time to Take CBD: Identifying Your “Why”
Before you can determine the best time to take CBD, you must identify why you want to take it. Whether you want to relax or potentially reduce stress, improve sleep, or manage pain, identifying your “why” will help you choose the best product and figure out the best time of the day to take it.
Knowing the best time to take CBD isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s a journey that takes time. Keeping track of your CBD dose, when you take it, the effects you feel, and any side effects you experience will help you dial in the perfect CBD routine to support your needs.
It’s your unique body chemistry, after all, that determines how CBD will work for you. So, whether you prefer CBD oils, gummies, capsules, or a mix of different products, remember to listen to your body and adjust your timing and dosage as needed.
Taking CBD in the Morning
Taking CBD in the morning may help you start the day on a more positive note. With its influence on mood, integrating CBD into your morning routine may be just the boost you need to begin each day a bit better [1]. Research also suggests CBD contains wake-promoting properties, increasing alertness within the first hour after consumption [2].
Whether adding a CBD tincture to your morning coffee or taking a CBD capsule along with your other morning supplements, CBD may help boost focus, energy, and mood. This way, you can stay calm, cool, and collected.
If you’ve ever noticed how morning stress can make you anxious the entire day, CBD might help. Its potential to reduce stress and manage anxiety may just help you regain control of your day and transform overwhelming, stressful mornings into a serene start to the day [1].
Taking CBD in the Afternoon
If you feel unmotivated come afternoon, you’re not alone. The mid-afternoon slump is a very real phenomenon, something experts believe could be linked to the circadian rhythm [3],[4]. Here’s where taking CBD in the afternoon might help. It may help you regain some of your morning energy, help reduce stress, and enhance your mood helping make it to the end of the day.
If you’re looking for something that might help improve your ability to handle work pressure, reduce the stress of constant screentime, boost energy and productivity, and help you end the workday feeling accomplished, you might want to think about a midday dose of CBD.
Studies show CBD may help support cognitive function and may improve mood [5],[1]. While it’s not easy (or realistic) to always be in a good mood, sometimes afternoons can be especially challenging. Especially if your work environment isn’t the most positive. Taking CBD in the afternoon might be what you need to keep you positive and motivated throughout the rest of your day.
Taking CBD in the Evening
Evenings are meant for relaxing, but the majority of people have trouble slowing down despite that their body yearns to simply relax after a long day. Here’s where taking CBD in the evening might be beneficial. Whether you want to relax, improve sleep quality, or ease sore muscles and joints, CBD oil may help support a relaxing evening routine [6].
After a long, stressful day, CBD’s calming effect on the nervous system may be exactly what you need to help you relax and unwind. Your evening routine should be tranquil, and CBD may offer the perfect soothing solution.
Experimenting with Different Times and Doses
The best way to discover your personal best time to take CBD is by experimenting with taking CBD at different times and in different doses.
Yes, it can involve some trial and error. And it will take time. But by starting low and going slow, you can figure out the best time of day to take CBD and how much to take. Begin with low doses and slowly increase this over a week or so, observing how you react until you experience the effects you desire.
Keep in mind that the best dose for you is influenced by a variety of factors. Your unique chemistry, weight, metabolism, product type, and desired effects all determine how much CBD to take and what time to take it.
The Effects of Different CBD Products
Knowing how various CBD products affect you can help you determine what type of CBD products might be best suited for different times of the day. This is because effects, onset time, and duration will vary depending on the product you take [9].
CBD Oil Tinctures
CBD tinctures tend to work more quickly than CBD gummies or capsules. This is because when taken sublingually in a tincture form, CBD may bypass the digestive system and get absorbed into the bloodstream [10]. Effects may be typically felt in 15-30 minutes.
CBD Edibles
Consuming CBD edibles is different. When you take CBD gummies and other edibles, they must first travel through the digestive tract and liver before CBD makes its way to the bloodstream. Known as first-pass effects, it increases how long it takes to feel the effects (1-2 hours) and also reduces bioavailability [11].
Duration of Effects: Tinctures vs Edibles
Not only does the time differ in how soon you’ll feel different CBD products, but how long the effects last is also different. CBD tinctures may typically last 1-2 hours, while the effects of CBD edibles can last 4-6 hours or longer.
This means that the type of product you take influences what time of the day you want to take it. You might benefit more from taking a CBD oil tincture in the morning, as it will work faster than CBD capsules or edibles.
Afternoon consumers could find benefits from all options, depending on the desired results. If you’re interested in sleep support, however, taking CBD gummies an hour or two before bed might be the best option.
Monitoring Your CBD Use at Different Times of Day
Consistency is important when taking CBD, and discovering your personal best CBD time involves staying consistent while you figure it out. Create a regular CBD routine and monitor how much you take and when you take it.
By keeping track of how you feel, any symptoms you’re experiencing, and how CBD affects you, you can effectively determine what time to take CBD and how much you’ll need to consume of what type of product to achieve the results you want.
Monitoring your CBD use at different times of the day allows you to observe how you respond. This can help you better understand when to adjust your dose or timing to enhance your experience and reduce potential side effects.
CBD holds a lot of promise, but it’s important to keep safety in mind. CBD can interact with other substances [12], meaning if you’re taking other medications, it’s recommended to speak with a healthcare professional before taking CBD. This can help ensure a safe, enjoyable experience.
Wrapping Up
Determining your ideal CBD routine can feel a bit daunting at the beginning. The key is to keep in mind that you’ll experience the best results when you customize your experience to fit your personal desires.
By identifying the reasons why you want to take CBD and experimenting with different products, doses, and times of day you take it, you’ll find the best time of day to take CBD. Remember, all of this is based on your unique needs.
Remember, CBD isn’t a one-size-fits-all product, and it shouldn’t be considered a cure-all. When used correctly at the right time of day, however, it has the potential to enhance overall well-being.
So, whether you’re a morning person, a night owl, or somewhere in between, your CBD use can be fine-tuned to fit perfectly into your everyday wellness routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you take CBD in the morning or at night?
Taking CBD in the morning or at night all depends on your desired effects. You might benefit from CBD in the morning for an energy boost, while taking CBD oil in the evening may be better for getting a good night’s sleep.
How long does CBD take to kick in oil?
CBD oil tinctures typically take between 15-45 minutes to take effect, while CBD gummies and capsules generally take longer, with effects felt in 1-2 hours.
How can CBD oil help in the afternoon?
Using CBD oil in the afternoon may help reduce stress, boost energy, and improve focus, all of which can help make it through the midday slump.
How does using CBD at night help with sleep?
Using CBD oil in the evening may help improve sleep quality and promote relaxation through its influence on the sleep/wake cycle. When taken in larger doses, CBD has been shown to have a sedative effect.
References
[1] Melas, P. A., Scherma, M., Fratta, W., Cifani, C., & Fadda, P. (2021). Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety and Mood Disorders: Molecular Targets and Epigenetic Insights from Preclinical Research. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), 1863. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041863
[2] Murillo-Rodrı́Guez, E., Sarro-Ramírez, A., Sánchez, D. R., Mijangos-Moreno, S., Tejeda-Padrón, A., Poot-Aké, A., Guzmán, K., Pacheco‐Pantoja, E., & Arias-Carrión, Ó. (2014). Potential effects of Cannabidiol as a Wake-Promoting agent. Current Neuropharmacology, 12(3), 269–272. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159×11666131204235805
[4] Van Dongen, H.P. and Dinges, D.F., 2000. Circadian rhythms in fatigue, alertness, and performance. Principles and practice of sleep medicine, 20, pp.391-399.
[5] Batalla, A., Bos, J., Postma, A., & Bossong, M. G. (2021). The Impact of cannabidiol on human brain function: a systematic review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.618184
[6] Sherman, A. and Chin, J., 2019. Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness: An Essential Guide for Using Nature’s Medicine to Relieve Stress, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Inflammation, and More. Ten Speed Press.
[9] Lucas, C., Galettis, P., & Schneider, J. (2018). The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 84(11), 2477–2482. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30001569/
[10] Millar SA, Maguire RF, Yates AS, O’Sullivan SE. Towards Better Delivery of Cannabidiol (CBD). Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(9):219. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32872355/
[11] Bar-Hai A, Domb AJ, Hoffman A. Strategies for enhancing the oral bioavailability of cannabinoids. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2022;18(5):313-322. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35818714/
[12] Balachandran P, Elsohly M, Hill KP. Cannabidiol Interactions with Medications, Illicit Substances, and Alcohol: a Comprehensive Review. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(7):2074-2084. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33515191/
