Good sleep starts with a solid nighttime routine. Most of us can’t expect the mind to quiet the second we get in bed. Especially if we’ve had a long day, we need to start the wind-down process about an hour or two ahead of time.
There are many ways to get into the sleep zone: You can escape with a book, take a hot bath or shower, or journal to let go of lingering thoughts from the day. mindbodygreen’s calm+ supplement, formulated with organic European hemp oil, ashwagandha root, and lavender oil, can also be, as our co-founder and co-CEO Jason Wachob puts it, a “sleep appetizer” that makes any and all of these practices feel more relaxing.*
Here’s the scoop on the calming supplement and how to incorporate it come bedtime.*
Why you want to kick off your nightly routine with calm+.
During a Sleep Summit last year, Wachob and functional medicine doctor Robert Rountree, M.D., talked about all things sleep and nightly routine.
When Wachob said that he’d found taking calm+ at night had helped him tremendously to wind down, Rountree said that it made sense. While the supplement’s star ingredient, USDA and EU certified organic full-spectrum hemp oil, isn’t sedating at this intentionally moderate dose (20 mg CBD per gelcap), it does have a relaxing quality due to the way it helps the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) function optimally.*
Rountree considers the ECS to be “one of the greatest discoveries in modern neuropsychology.” “We have this whole system, this whole body of receptors, that are in our brain, our central nervous system, our peripheral nerves, our gut. These cannabinoid receptors are everywhere,” he told Wachob. This expansive system of receptors is also referred to as the “master regulatory system,” as it helps the entire body maintain balance and homeostasis.
In addition to helping support a healthy endocannabinoid system, research shows that the plant compounds in hemp oil may be well-suited to bedtime because of the way they can help improve the stress response, which, Rountree says, “has this kind of cascade effect for sleep.”*
And when you combine hemp oil with two other potent botanicals that have science-backed relaxing properties—lavender oil and ashwagandha root and leaf extract—you have some powerful calm on your hands.* The supplement can be taken at any time of night, but you might get into a routine of sipping yours after dinner, with an evening cup of tea.
Capping the night off with sleep support+.
Once his stress is under control, Wachob likes to top off his nightly routine with another mbg supplement, our bestselling sleep support+. This is a product that’s designed to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling rejuvenated.*
Especially when you’re already in the right headspace for bed, sleep support+ can set the stage for restorative rest thanks to its targeted combination of magnesium bisglycinate, jujube seed extract , and PharmaGABA®.*
Magnesium bisglycinate is a readily absorbed form of magnesium that’s combined with the amino acid glycine to promote relaxation, while jujube is a calming fruit that’s long been used for its sedative properties in traditional Chinese medicine, and PharmaGABA® is a neurotransmitter shown to help enhance natural sleep quality in clinical trials.* Together, they pick up where calm+ leaves off and can help the body easily transition into deep, quality sleep.* We recommend taking it one to two hours before bed for best results, and it’s safe to take nightly.
calm+, a calming supplement that fosters a positive mood and eases stress, and sleep support+, a sleep supplement that promotes restorative rest, can be a great one-two pairing for calmer nights and deeper sleep.* Together, they’re an effective combination to add to your arsenal for those inevitable nights when it’s 10 p.m. but your brain is still acting like it’s noon.* (And psssstt…. they’re on a special sale this week.) Sweet dreams!
