Over the past year, my personal wellness priority list underwent some major shifts (anyone else?). In place of my usual hydration, nutrition, and exercise focuses, I found myself prioritizing stress relief, sleep, and immune support.
Pre-2020, I slept great, and stress and immunity were subjects that only crossed my mind on particularly busy days at work or when my seasonal allergies were acting up. But these days, anxious thoughts often keep me up at night, and any little tickle in the back of my throat just piles onto my stress.
So, you can imagine my excitement when I found PACHAMAMA’s new Sleep Well Gummies, which combine four different rockstar wellness ingredients into one supplement to tackle all three of my wellness concerns (talk about a multi-tasker).
And trust me—it’s not just another melatonin variation (I’ve tried my fair share of those). It’s a whole new sleep-boosting supplement with immune support, too. The gummies are made with a blend of CBD and CBN (more on this buzzy ingredient later) that are grown on one USDA organic hemp farm in Colorado, plus melatonin and elderberry.
“Sleep Well Gummies are formulated with elderberry to support immune function and melatonin to support the circadian rhythm,” says Allyson Tovar, education coordinator at PACHAMAMA. “[For CBD and CBN], we go far beyond the standard, and source only single-origin hemp. This means, from seed to bottle, we use the same strain and family of hemp plants in order to create consistent and reliable products—every batch, every time.”
I popped one gummy each night before bed (sort of like a midnight snack) to test out its immune-boosting and sleep-inducing effects. Obviously those effects come from the ingredients, but I’d like to think that knowing I’m working on my immunity overnight also helps my Type-A brain chill out and get some rest. Here’s how my trial turned out.
Keep reading for more on how CBN gummies helped give my well-being a boost.
Wait a second—what is CBN?
Before I dive into everything I love about these gummies, let’s clear up what, exactly, the difference is between CBN and CBD. CBN stands for cannabinol, Tovar says, and like CBD and THC, CBN is part of the cannabinoid family (but to be clear, these CBN gummies are totally THC-free). Like its sisters, CBN has plenty of benefits, Tovar says.
“While research is still in its preliminary phases, studies have found CBN to be highly effective in helping to get a better night’s sleep,” she says. “Compared to CBD, CBN is more powerful, more relaxing, and more psychoactive. While it won’t get anyone high, CBN does seem to have drowsiness-promoting qualities. Pairing CBN with CBD creates an entourage effect— the theory is that when cannabinoids are taken in combination, they produce a better effect than when taken alone.”
SHOP SLEEP BOOSTERS
Hey there, eight hours
I’ve never actually read up on melatonin before, so I talked to registered dietitian and founder of Everly Health, Michelle Iannacchino, MS, RDN, who says if you take melatonin, you’ll want to find a dose between 0.5 milligrams and 3 milligrams since higher doses could cause daytime grogginess. Naturally, the Sleep Well Gummies’ melatonin dosage is 2 milligrams—aka right in that sweet spot—combined with 20 milligrams of CBD and 4 milligrams of CBN.
The result is a fruity gummy that gently coaxed me to sleep—like, within 30 minutes of taking one, my eyelids started to feel heavier, and I peacefully drifted off to sleep without even counting one sheep. Equally as exciting: I didn’t wake up once throughout the night.
The next morning, I was able to get up at 7 a.m. (my earliest wake-up time in months) with little issue. And while I didn’t skip my coffee, I sipped it because I wanted to—instead of treating my cold brew like an energy IV.
Immunity-boosting? Yes, please
Lack of sleep is linked to all sorts of health problems, including—you guessed it—poor immune function. And with the addition of 35 milligrams of elderberry extract (which has all sorts of health pros, according to Iannacchino) these CBN gummies are really covering all their well-being bases.
“Elderberries are one of the most effective remedies for viral and bacterial infections such as colds and flu, and can even help shorten the duration of your illness,” she says. “One of the reasons why elderberries are so powerful for immunity is because they have the ability to significantly enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines in the body.”
Honestly, the CBD, CBN, and melatonin’s stellar job of putting me to sleep was enough to convince me (is it too early to say I’m on my way back to my title of sleep superstar?!), but improved immune function is just the cherry—or should I say, elderberry—on top.
Want to try the CBN gummies yourself? Use code WELL20 for 20 percent off your purchase at PACHAMAMA.
Photo: Getty Images/Geber86
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