How Much CBD Should You Take to Relax - Figuring Out the Dosage
Anxiety—it manifests itself in many ways, from sleepless nights to high blood pressure to muscle tension. For many of us, it feels like we’re bombarded with stressors, from our jobs to our relationships to financial situations. Finding a way to disrupt the pressure to restore calm to the mind, body, and emotions can seem daunting.
How CBD Helps Individuals Relax
CBD is absorbed into the body using the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Once in the ECS, it has the ability to use the CB1 and CB2 receptors to affect the digestive, immune, and nerve systems.
Generally speaking, it inhibits certain reactions that you want to reduce, like pain or inflammation. However, CBD can also affect enzyme systems, direct neurotransmitters that send messages to the brain, and hormones that change the balance inside the body. For instance, CBD can influence insulin and cortisol, both being elements many people’s bodies struggle to regulate properly.
So how does CBD help individuals relax? It can trigger the increase of serotonin, adenosine (which slows nervous system reactiveness) and melatonin (which signals to the body that it’s time to rest). Both of these mean that the body becomes more relaxed, looser, and slows down, which goes a long way toward releasing stress and anxiety.
How Much CBD Should You Take - Under the Tongue
The most potent way to take CBD is sublingually. The CBD oil is held under the tongue, and absorbed into the body via the CB receptors under the tongue and in the mouth. This way, the CBD goes directly to the endocannabinoid system and gets to work fairly quickly.
A dosage of 20-60mg of CBD is a general suggestion to help relax and relieve anxiety. However, there are a variety of factors that can affect how much CBD individuals should take, including:
Weight - Whether you fall above or below the average adult weight, either one can change how effective CBD can be for your anxiety. For lighter individuals, you may want to start with a lower dosage, and work your way up. Heavier people may need to increase the recommended dosage little by little to get to the ideal spot.
Pre-existing tolerance -In a very similar way to weight, a pre-existing low tolerance can mean you will need to take a lesser amount, while a higher tolerance can mean having to take more.
Type of anxiety -There are several clinically defined types of anxiety, some which are chronic conditions that can be devastating and do much to limit a person’s quality of life. If your anxiety is severe, such as with PTSD, Panic Disorder, or Social Anxiety Disorder, that will need to be accounted for differently than just maintenance or mild situational anxiety.
Other existing conditions - Anxiety can exist alongside (or even be exasperated by) other conditions, like chronic physical pain. If you’re taking CBD for other reasons like alleviating bodily ailments or inflammation, consider increasing your dosage. The good part, is that CBD does interact with the endocannabinoid system over the whole body; as long as you have the right amount, it can solve more than one problem.
Keep in mind that CBD is non-addictive and cannot lead to an overdose, meaning that it’s safe to experiment with different dosages to find the ideal amount for your anxiety.
Additionally, CBD is legal and safe for teens to use. However, if given to minors to help combat anxiety, a lower dosage is suggested to account for the weight difference.
There are Other Ways to Use CBD for Anxiety
There are several other ways to take CBD to relieve anxiety, but be aware they are less efficient and potent than under-the-tongue application. After all, when you ingest CBD, it must be digested and metabolized by the liver. Therefore, full potency cannot be achieved in the same way as if you used CBD sublingually.
That aside, all of the following ways to use CBD for anxiety are still effective to varying degrees:
Food or Drink Infusions - CBD can be added to food and drinks in a process called infusion. Some products are available that have already gone through the infusion process, but you can also just buy CBD oil that can be ingested, and add it to your own beverages or meals.
Gummies - CBD gummies have their upsides, starting with the ease of use on the go. Plus, individuals new to CBD may find their candy-like form more approachable. To learn more about taking them for anxiety and similar issues, read CBD Oil vs. Gummies - Which is Best For You?
Bath Bombs -One of the best external ways to help soothe the mind and body is through CBD bath bombs. These will often come with fragrances and other botanicals that contribute to releasing tension and anxiety that can build up from work and social activities; just make sure you check for any ingredients to which you may be allergic.
Try out our CBD bath bomb variety pack or browse our full offering to find options like rose, sandalwood, and more.
Bonus: There are CBD Products Designed to Help You Sleep
Anxiety can strike morning, noon, or night; luckily, you can use CBD any time of day. That aside, racing thoughts are an all too common reason for lack of sleep. CBD is particularly well-suited for relaxing right before bed. What’s more, some brands combine CBD with other natural ingredients like melatonin for a well-rounded sleep solution.
Botanika Life CBD Sleep Spray combines melatonin, magnesium, and GABA with 300mg of broad-spectrum CBD. We designed this formula to help relax your mind and muscles, signal to your body that it’s time to shut down, and improve the overall quality of sleep. The recommended dosage is just 6 sprays to send you to a stress-free dreamland.
All of the ingredients in Botanika Life CBD products are all-natural, vegan-friendly, sustainable, and farmed and extracted in the US. Rest easy on more than one front when you use the sleep spray!
