Effortlessly nodding off to sleep is only a pipe dream for the vast number of people who deal with sleep struggles. In fact, there are millions of Americans who live with sleep disorders that make it difficult to get a full night’s rest or fall asleep at a reasonable hour. Pain, stress and anxiety are huge perpetrators of poor sleep, and people are perpetually in search of an aid that helps promote better rest. Enter CBD bedding.
The CBD-infused Eddie Bauer Throw Blanket, made with Devan Chemical’s microencapsulation process.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a compound extracted from hemp and contains no psychoactive properties, unlike its cannabis compound companion, THC. Research has shown, however, that CBD has its own list of health benefits and can help certain people achieve better rest. As a result, bedding brands have started incorporating the compound into their products, like mattresses, pillows and sheets, claiming they can promote improved sleep.
As a seasoned sleep product tester, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve tested everything from ineffective “cooling” bedding to unimpressive sleep tech that failed to live up to its claims. At the same time, I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by sleep products that exceeded expectations.
To get to the bottom of CBD bedding and its legitimacy, I tested $300 worth of CBD bedding, and sought the expertise of Laurie Vollen, MD, public health physician and founder of Naturally Healing MD, and Todd Summerville, CEO and president of Amore Beds. My CBD bedding guide details my findings, and whether it’s a gimmick or promising aid worth the money.
CBD Bedding: How It Works
During my research for CBD bedding I came across everything you can think of, from CBD-infused pillows, sheets, mattresses, protectors, toppers and pajamas. I came to the revelation that CBD can be added to almost any fabric–but how?
Microencapsulation
It all starts with a patented microencapsulation process. And while Summerville didn’t invent the technology, he utilizes the tech in some of his Amore beds with the optional upgrade of a CBD-infused cover.
“The microencapsulation technology basically provides a micro-sized container wrapped with a protective polymeric coating that protects the CBD from evaporation, oxidation and contamination. It is then bonded to the fabric without the use of binders, chemicals or adhesives,” he says.
Naturally, by sleeping with or wearing the infused fabric, Summerville says the CBD “is released by friction and the contents are then absorbed by the skin through CBD receptors.”
The Lab And Research Behind It
The owner and originator of the patent for CBD-infused fabric is Devan Chemicals, an international developing company of chemicals for textiles based in Belgium. It created what it calls R-Vital Well Being Technology that uses its microencapsulation process to infuse different antioxidants like aloe vera, vitamin E, green tea and CBD. Once the active ingredient is encapsulated, the capsules go through a quality assurance process using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Microencapsulated CBD under a SEM during the quality assurance process that evaluates size, … [+]
According to Chemicals, CBD reacts with certain receptors in the skin and is not required to enter the bloodstream for us to reap its benefits. Being heavily research-focused, its lab studied the validity of CBD absorption through the skin and its ability to promote health benefits.
They collaborated with an external lab and used pig skin during testing, as they noted fresh human skin isn’t easy to obtain for research (understandably). They found the skin absorbed around 60% of CBD after seven hours and 24 minutes, and around 30% when the skin was covered in fabric.
A graph showing the amount of CBD absorption in pig skin with and without a fabric cover.
Knowing Chemicals’ patented microencapsulation process was thoroughly researched and the lab consistently holds itself to a high standard gives me optimism there is legitimacy behind CBD bedding and other infused products.
Vollen expresses the importance of buying lab-tested products, and says, “Otherwise, you don’t know what’s in your medicine.” As cannabinoid products gained in popularity and products flooded the market, “so many farmers and manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon, and as a result, there are a lot of products being produced with mislabeled ingredients,” she says.
Some Experts Are Unsure
Vollen confessed her thoughts on the legitimacy of CBD-infused bedding—while she acknowledged the benefit of CBD for anxiety, she advised against splurging on expensive products that make health benefit claims.
“There is research supporting the effectiveness of CBD through absorption, but in formulations with high CBD levels and they’re very expensive. It’s cheaper in the long run to take more of the less expensive products.” She suggests that taking CBD systemically through the lungs, tongue and stomach is most effective, such as tinctures or edibles.
After speaking with the experts and getting their insights, all that was left was for me to test the CBD-infused waters myself.
My Experience With CBD Bedding
I was introduced to CBD bedding in 2019 when I first began testing and writing about sleep products. A brand that no longer exists sent me a small, green throw blanket infused with CBD. It was soft, fairly thick and had a quilted stitching that made it look luxe. I can’t say with certainty whether it was the CBD or not, but it was my consistent go-to couch-lounging pick because of how cozy it was.
Fast forward five years and until this article, I hadn’t tested another CBD-infused piece of bedding. After many Google searches and reaching out to (I lost count of how many) brands, I found a surprisingly high number of them don’t take orders, don’t exist anymore or aren’t very responsive.
The Bad News And The Good
I ended up buying three different CBD-infused bedding products:
- Eddie Bauer throw
- Kohls pillow cover
- HUE pajama set (still waiting to receive)
The overall damage spent was a little over $260. While I haven’t received the pajamas yet, I tested the pillow cover and throw. They both have a similar, crinkly and stiff feel, similar to hospital sheets. Even after I threw them in the washer and dryer.
- The throw looks and feels like a thin comforter with a baffle-box construction. The dimensions are 50″ x 60″ and it’s not long enough to cover my whole body (I’m 5 ‘4” for reference). It’s the smallest of the blankets in my living room’s blanket basket.
- The pillow cover was comfier to sleep with but not nearly as nice as my Bed Threads Flax Linen pillow cover. I thought it had a lingering CBD oil smell and it had already been through the washing machine. And again, it was nothing to write home about.
I don’t know if it’s because they weren’t comfy, but they weren’t effectively making me sleepy or relaxed. I can easily purchase a better quality throw and pillow cover at a lower, more reasonable price. Considering their price tags, I was especially not satisfied.
Although I disliked these two products, I do have hope for the CBD bedding market. I’ve already had my hands on comfortable and seemingly effective CBD bedding, and the HUE pajamas currently en route to my home have been received well by previous customers.
I’ve also tested an Amore mattress with a regular cover when it was in my parent’s guest bedroom—my mom and I especially enjoyed it. Considering the CBD cover on the Amore Natural mattress isn’t too expensive of an upgrade, I think it’d be worth the money.
CBD And Its Benefits
CBD comes in the form of infused lotions, tinctures, misters and more.
Because there are science-backed benefits and no intoxicating effects from taking CBD, it has become a popular ingredient in products all over the health and wellness market, including creams, lotions, misting spray and bedding. CBD has been shown to help relieve:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Epilepsy
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Pain
- Arthritis
- Insomnia
How CBD Can Help Promote Better Rest
“CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory with neuro-protectant and anti-anxiety qualities, which can promote relaxation and pain relief,” says Summerville. As a result, it “helps to fall asleep faster and get a more quality sleep, which will spur countless health benefits.”
A study from 2019 aimed at finding a link between CBD, anxiety and sleep. It consisted of 72 adult patients who took CBD alongside their regular treatment plan, and cited anxiety as their primary sleep concern. They found anxiety decreased in almost 80% of patients in the first month of the study. Sleep, on the other hand, improved for 66.7% of patients within the first month, but fluctuated throughout the duration of the study.
While this study is small, it implies there’s a benefit of CBD for those who live with anxiety in particular. Vollen says, “CBD is an anti-anxiety compound derived from cannabis generally recommended for patients who have anxiety, and it’s not the most effective for insomnia if you don’t need anxiety or pain relief.” Vollen added, “Some patients benefit more from CBG for sleep because it is more sedating than CBD.” CBG, short for cannabigerol, is another cannabinoid found in cannabis.
Even so, Vollen says, “There’s a huge amount of variability and the effects of [CBD] is heavily dependent upon individualized usage. It can even have an alerting effect in some patients.” This sentiment is also reflected in the CBD and sleep study from 2019, with sleep benefits fluctuating and some not experiencing benefit at all.
Alternatives To CBD For Sleep
To help soothe anxiety before bed without or alongside the use of CBD or cannabis-derived products, consider these sleep accessories and tips:
CBD Bedding: The Verdict
CBD isn’t your typical sleep aid, like melatonin or CBG, that makes you feel sleepy when you take it. Instead, research and experts say it can help promote relaxation and soothe anxiety, and in turn, can help people suffering from stress feel more prepared for sleep. They have a similar appeal as weighted blankets, another popular sleep accessory that gained attention for its ability to promote relaxation. If anxiety and pain aren’t the reasons you’re unable to get a full night’s sleep, CBD and its products probably won’t be worth the money.
If you do live with stress and anxiety and you think it’s preventing you from getting a full night’s sleep, CBD bedding may be helpful in your quest for better rest because of its anti-anxiety and pain relief properties. According to Summerville, “The pain relief aspect [of CBD] tends to be popular among the elderly, folks who have had surgeries, and traditional back-pain sufferers.”
I think you get the biggest bang for your buck from bedding like comfy mattresses and pajamas because they offer dual functionality—you use them for a long duration of time and they’re products you’d already purchase.
But it’s important to do your due diligence in research and reviews before purchasing CBD bedding or any cannabis-based products, and infused pillows and sheets certainly aren’t a fix-all for sleep issues. We are not attempting to offer proper medical advice. If you have trouble sleeping and want help, seek treatment from your health physician who can work with you to create a plan.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
McKenzie Dillon is the mattress and sleep editor at Vetted with five years of mattress and sleep product testing experience. She’s also a certified sleep science coach and can offer solutions to help individuals with sleep troubles get better rest. For this CBD bedding guide, she interviewed two experts.
- Laurie Vollen, MD, a public health physician located in Berkeley, California. She is the founder and physician at Naturally Healing MD, a health and wellness clinic specializing in cannabis as an alternative health treatment.
- Todd Summerville, president of Amore Beds, which is a bedding company that utilizes microencapsulation technology in its CBD cover on the Amore Natural Mattress. He shared research and studies from Devan Chemicals detailing their encapsulation process of antioxidants and CBD absorption.
How Long Does CBD In Your Bedding Last?
CBD infused in bedding does eventually wear off. According to Summerville, “CBD will have a half-life of a couple of years for the average sleeper” if you buy an Amore mattress with a CBD-infused cover. Other products like sheets and blankets depend on the manufacturer, but the average is around 20 washes.
Does A CBD Mattress Work With Bedding?
Yes, but not as effectively. “We have been told that having a layer of sheets or pajamas between you and the mattress fabric will diminish its potency by roughly 50%,” says Summerville. However, sleeping with additional CBD bedding like pajamas and sheets can help maintain a higher absorption level.
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