Whether you’re a night owl or an early riser, your evening routine has a powerful impact. Discover how to develop a restorative CBD evening routine for less stress, better sleep, and more energy.
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Morning routines help us start our days on the right foot. Well, believe it or not, evening routines are just as important. For you to function properly and keep up with your hectic schedule, rest and recovery are non-negotiable.
We get it, you’re busy! Modern life makes it hard to slow down and take stock. That’s why we encourage you to develop a restorative evening routine. Before you roll your eyes, hear us out.
You NEED quality rest. That doesn’t necessarily even mean sleep, although that’s important too. You need time to rest and recharge your batteries, whether that means your physical, mental, or emotional batteries. It’s YOUR routine, and you get to design it however you like. To help you get started though, here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
Why Routines Matter
While living life by the seat of your pants can be fun at times, humans also crave routines and consistency. For example, when your morning routine is thrown off, even if it’s something as simple as stretching or drinking a cup of coffee, it can have a serious impact on the rest of your day. You might end up being more stressed, overwhelmed, and you might not end up accomplishing your daily goals.
When we have set routines (whether it’s your morning, afternoon, or evening routine), we’re more productive and have more control over ourselves. Maybe that means being able to check everything off your to-do list or maybe it means being able to control your emotions when something stressful comes up. There’s no one-size-fits-all routine that will fix every issue, but you CAN develop routines to help manage different parts of your life. Here are just a few benefits to having some kind of routine…
- Better productivity
- More structure
- Less stress
- Encourages healthy habits
- Provides a sense of willpower and control
- More self-confidence
But what about evening routines? It’s pretty obvious why morning and afternoon routines are important, but why is it necessary to have an evening routine?
Evening routines are all about preparing your mind and body for quality rest. To function your best and avoid energy crashes, you need to give yourself adequate time to recover. Ask any athlete and they’ll tell you rest days are just as important as gym days.
Develop a Restorative CBD Evening Routine
To get the most out of your evening routine, it’s important to figure out what may be getting in the way of rest and recovery. Do you experience racing thoughts when lying in bed? Does chronic pain keep you awake? Or do you simply struggle with winding down at the end of the day? If any of these sound familiar, creating an evening routine with CBD is going to be a game-changer.
We include CBD in our routines because it helps with ALL of those issues. How can one compound accomplish so many things? Well, CBD interacts with your ECS (endocannabinoid system) to promote homeostasis. Lost? Don’t worry, let us break it down for you.
Your ECS has receptors throughout your entire body. When a physiological system becomes unbalanced, your ECS uses its own naturally occurring cannabinoids (called endocannabinoids) to promote balance. Sometimes that means bringing your circadian rhythm, stress responses, or even your pain responses back into balance. Since your ECS can use CBD in place of these endocannabinoids, you’re basically giving your ECS more tools with which to accomplish its many tasks.
Plus, adding CBD to your routines has never been easier. There’s a variety of products to choose from with different strengths. So, if you’re particularly sensitive to CBD, opt for a low-strength CBD Oil or Gummy. However, if you need something stronger, a high-strength CBD Oil will do the trick.
When you develop a restorative CBD evening routine, you create habits that make it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, manage chronic pain, and reduce anxiety. Basically, CBD makes it easier to feel better and live more.
If You Need An Evening Routine That Reduces Stress & Anxiety…
Maybe you don’t have chronic anxiety, but even occasional stress can make it hard to rest. This might feel like racing thoughts, sweating, chills, trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, feelings of restlessness, etc. This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means, but these are some of the most common symptoms.
It’s also important to remember that you’re not alone if stress and anxiety are keeping you awake. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says that more than fifty percent of adults in the US experience sleep issues because of anxiety.
If stress and anxiety are making it hard for you to get the rest you need, consider adding some of these items to your evening routine.
- Determine what time you need to go to sleep to get an adequate amount of rest.
- An hour before that time, use CBD Oil (or a gummy). It takes oils somewhere around 15-30 minutes to take full effect, and gummies 30-60 minutes.
- While you wait, use this time to disconnect from technology and engage in calming activities (yoga, listen to music, journal, take a bath/shower, etc.). Everyone is different, so don’t feel pressured to do what others are doing.
- If thoughts about the next day are keeping you awake, go ahead and write down a to-do list. Get it all out so you can wake up the next day with a plan of action. This will promote feelings of preparedness and make it easier to relax.
- Once your “bedtime” rolls around, go ahead and get in bed. As you adapt to your new routine, this may be tricky. However, over time, you’ll begin feeling sleepy around the same time and it will feel more natural.
If You Need An Evening Routine That Soothes Pain…
Whether you’re sore from a strained muscle or manage chronic pain, it’s hard to sleep when your body is uncomfortable. For an evening routine designed to soothe pain, it’s all about relaxing your body so your mind can drift off without painful distractions. Luckily, this is one of the areas where CBD shines.
Not only can CBD help relieve painful inflammation, but there are also studies indicating it may interrupt pain signals in your brain. Some athletes are even opting for CBD instead of ibuprofen.
If pain is making it difficult for you to get adequate rest and recovery, consider using the following ideas in your evening routine.
- If your pain is localized and near the surface of your body, apply a topical CBD gel. Gently massage the gel where you need it. This helps the CBD absorb, but it also promotes circulation and lymphatic drainage.
- If applying a CBD topical isn’t practical (as is the case for deep joint and muscle pain), use CBD Oil about an hour before bed.
- For severe pain, use both a CBD Topical and Oil. The topical will provide targeted relief, while the oil will reduce pain and inflammation from the inside.
- Do some gentle stretching to ease tight muscles and prepare your body for sleep.
- Consider a hot shower or bath with Epsom salts to relieve muscle strains.
If You Need An Evening Routine To Help You Wind Down…
Honestly, modern life makes it hard to unplug. There’s this idea that we constantly need to be working or hustling in some way, and technology contributes to that. It’s so easy to stare at a screen all day at work (emails, reports, video meetings, etc.) and then go home and continue staring at screens (television, phone, social media, etc.). When you consider that, it’s no surprise that people have a hard time winding down.
This is, perhaps, one of the trickier evening routines to nail because you’re trying to combat your habits. We’re used to being stimulated almost non-stop, and it can feel very disorienting to unplug. However, once you start to benefit from this type of routine, you’ll find yourself looking forward to your evenings.
If you just generally have a hard time winding down at the end of the day, try these tips to prepare your mind and body for a restful night’s sleep.
- Go on an after-dinner walk. This will help you work out feelings of restlessness (plus it’s great for your digestion).
- Consider taking CBD Oil or a CBD Gummy TWO hours before you want to be asleep. Since you need more time to wind down anyway, this will give you additional time to transition into a more restful state of mind.
- Create a “tech-free” hour. Basically, after that time you’ll disengage from your phone and computer. Depending on your lifestyle, the exact time may vary. Some may want to ditch their phones at 6 p.m. but watch television until 8 p.m. Others may do the complete opposite. Whatever the case, create personal boundaries when it comes to your time and the way you engage with technology.
- Practice mindfulness. This might look different for everyone but engage in some sort of activity that helps quiet your mind (yoga, journaling, meditation, etc.). Ideally, this activity will help you feel present in the here and now. The more you practice this, the easier it will be to tell when your body is ready for rest.
Get the Rest You Need With a Restorative CBD Evening Routine
A lot of these tips may seem obvious. However, that’s kind of the beauty of it. These are simple, easy-to-implement ideas that will make a world of difference when it comes to your sleep, energy, and mental state. Plus, you can pick and choose from the tips we’ve mentioned to create a unique, personal evening routine.
You’ve got so much going on, and you deserve to get quality rest. Feel free to contact us with questions and start developing your CBD-infused evening routine today.