If you take pride in your physical fitness, you're likely always on the hunt for something that will give you an edge in the gym. But, did you know that something all of us do daily could be holding you back from hitting your goals? Research shows that sleep can have a profound impact on your ability to recover from workouts, build muscle, and increase your endurance. Let's take a closer look at sleep and why getting a great night's sleep is more important than you may have previously known.

How Does Sleep Affect Muscle Growth?

It's paradoxical to think of sleep as work, but the body, specifically the endocrine system, is hard at work when you fall asleep at night. The main function of the endocrine system is hormone regulation. Hormones are crucial for various bodily functions like promoting muscle growth, controlling cell-metabolism, and increasing fertility. However, the endocrine system cannot function properly unless the body and brain reach the proper sleep stages for adequate amounts of time each night. A well-regulated circadian rhythm is key for achieving appropriate amounts of deep-stage sleep, so consistent sleep/wake times should focus on anyone looking to build muscle.

Sleep Deprivation and Muscle Loss

Sleep is crucial for regulating muscle growth; sleep is also important for preserving a person's muscle. While the actual biochemical mechanisms are not fully understood, a recent study published by the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences showed that after just one night of acute sleep deprivation, metabolic levels in the body changed to support muscle breakdown preservation of fat. This suggests that when a person does not get enough rest, the body responds by consuming lean muscle and protein for fuel rather than fat cells.

How Deep and REM Sleep Can Help Muscle Recovery

When it comes to building muscle, the human growth hormone is of the utmost importance. As HGH, human growth hormone, is a naturally occurring peptide in our bodies that stimulates cell growth and reproduction. When you enter the phases of a deep sleep, your endocrine system releases this peptide into the bloodstream to promote new muscle tissue construction and repair muscles stressed during the day. Simply put, if you don't get enough time in deep-stage sleep, your endocrine system may not release enough HGH to promote adequate muscle repair and growth.

In addition to deep sleep, releasing hormones, rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM sleep, is crucial for muscle recovery. During REM sleep, muscles relax, aiding in the reduction of pain and rejuvenating muscles taxed during the day's workout. Without enough REM sleep, delayed-onset muscle soreness can linger longer than usual and make workouts that much more difficult.

Best CBD Products for Better Workouts

It’s clear that sleep is crucial for better performance in the gym -- but you may be wondering, “Is there something I should do to get the best sleep possible, have the best performance in the gym, and reduce the after-effects of my workouts?” If you haven’t added CBD to your daily routine, then it may be worth considering to take your workouts to the next level.

Performance Collection: CBD + Botanical Product Lineup

Explore the Charlotte's Web™ Performance Collection, a range of supplements containing CBD and botanicals that are formulated by experts and backed by science, designed with the active adult in mind. Our line, featuring four distinct gummies and one premium oil, is formulated to support endurance, muscle recovery, mental clarity, rest, calm and overall well-being. This collection is NSF Certified for Sport® and meets the highest standards of efficacy, quality, safety, and purity, ensuring they're devoid of any banned substances.

CBD Gummies for Sleep with Melatonin

An outstanding supplement for any sleep regimen is melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring chemical in your brain that’s crucial for regulating your circadian rhythm. When melatonin is at inadequate levels, sleeping soundly through the night can be a challenge. CBD gummies with melatonin are an excellent way to support your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and ensure you get refreshing and rejuvenating sleep.*

CBN Gummies to Stay Asleep

Our Stay Asleep CBN gummies are for Wee-Hour Wakers, people who can fall asleep effortlessly but inevitably find themselves awake in the middle of the night after only a few hours of sleep. They use CBN, cannabinol, in an isolate form. They can help you stay asleep, support a good night’s sleep, and support quality sleep. They are designed to help decrease nighttime awakenings and reduce the number of times you wake up at night.*

See our guide describing the difference between our "CBD for Sleep gummies" and our "Stay Asleep CBN gummies."

CBD Oils, Gummies and Capsules for Muscle Recovery

Recovery after a workout is just as important as pushing yourself during the workout to maximize your potential. If stretching, foam rolling, and other conventional recovery methods leave you feeling like something is missing, CBD may be the final piece of the puzzle. Many find that adding CBD oils, gummies with turmeric and ginger, gummies with tart cherry, or capsules has beneficial effects on their muscle recovery methods. CBD helps support recovery from exercise-induced inflammation and may positively affect your mood, reduce stress, and reduce daily anxiety.* Higher stress levels trigger cortisol release, and too much cortisol can harm your workout recovery.

CBDMEDIC^™ Balms, and Ointments for Pain Relief & Sore Muscles

Pain from delayed-onset-muscle soreness and joint wear are common hurdles anyone dedicated to physical fitness has dealt with. Working out is difficult, and pushing through pain during a workout only increases that difficulty. If you're finding that soreness in your muscles and joints is lasting longer than you feel it should, then consider using products in the CBDMEDIC™ line from Charlotte's Web. These products have active pharmaceutical ingredients like menthol that are proven to aid in minor pain relief.

Sleep is crucial for feeling and performing at your best. Not only will a lack of sleep hinder your cognitive abilities and make the day more difficult, but it will also undoubtedly hurt the hard work you put in at the gym. There are various CBD products offered by Charlotte’s Web that will help you feel your best after a workout and wake up feeling refreshed and better than ever. For more information, please read our blog post on CBD for athletes, take a look at our topical products for temporary pain relief, or contact us directly.