CBD has officially gone mainstream, and I'm living proof of its takeover. From airport kiosks to grocery store checkout lanes, it's impossible to escape the green wave of CBD products flooding the market. As someone who's tried everything from CBD-infused protein bars to muscle rubs that smell suspiciously like a Grateful Dead concert, I figured vaping CBD flower would be just another notch on my wellness belt. But when DaVinci sent me their sleek vaporizer and some premium CBD buds, I realized this might be a whole different ballgame—especially when it came to testing its effects on my two most sacred rituals: sleep and morning workouts.
The Setup: Why Vaping CBD Is Different
vaping CBD flower isn't the same as popping a gummy or sipping on some CBD sparkling water. When you vape, you're getting the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes straight from the source, without combustion. That means no smoke, just smooth vapor carrying all the good stuff your body might actually use. I'd smoked CBD before (hello, college nostalgia), but vaping felt... classier? More intentional? Either way, I was curious if this delivery method would hit different when it came to relaxation and recovery.
Night One: The Honeymoon Phase
The first night felt like cheating at bedtime. I took three slow draws from the vaporizer about 30 minutes before my usual lights-out time. The earthy flavor surprised me—way more complex than the artificial fruit flavors of CBD gummies. Within 20 minutes, my shoulders dropped about two inches from my ears, and my usual pre-sleep mental Rolodex of emails-I-forgot-to-send slowed to a crawl. I fell asleep faster than usual, but here's the kicker: I woke up at 3:17 AM wide awake. Not anxious, just... alert. Turns out, CBD doesn't necessarily knock you out like melatonin—it seems to work more on calming your nervous system first.
Midweek Adjustments: Finding the Sweet Spot
By night three, I'd learned my lesson about timing. Vaping right before bed wasn't the move—my sweet spot became about 90 minutes before bedtime. This gave the CBD time to work its subtle magic without leaving me staring at the ceiling at midnight. The most noticeable change? My sleep tracker showed significantly more deep sleep cycles, and I stopped waking up to pee every night (a small miracle at 35). Morning workouts felt different too—not energized exactly, but like my body had actually recovered overnight instead of just pretending to.
The Morning After Effect: Workout Game Changer
Here's where things got interesting. My 6 AM CrossFit sessions usually start with me cursing my alarm and chugging pre-workout like it's oxygen. But on CBD nights? I found myself rolling out of bed with less joint stiffness and way less of that "I hate everything" morning attitude. My heart rate variability (HRV) scores, which I obsess over like a weirdo, improved by 12% on average—a solid indicator my nervous system wasn't stuck in fight-or-flight mode. The real test came on deadlift day: I matched my personal best weight with better form than I'd had in months. Coincidence? Maybe. But I'll take it.
The Come Down: Life After CBD Week
After seven days, I stopped cold turkey to see if I'd notice withdrawal or changes. The verdict? My sleep quality took a slight dip, but nothing catastrophic. What I missed most was the ritual—that intentional 15 minutes of vaping while reading actual paper books (remember those?) instead of doomscrolling. The biggest lesson? CBD isn't a magic bullet, but as part of a wind-down routine, it helped me create better sleep hygiene without feeling drugged. Would I do it again? Absolutely—but next time I'm springing for the fancy lavender-infused CBD buds.
At the end of the day, CBD won't turn you into a morning person or give you superhero recovery powers. But if you're looking to take the edge off your nervous system and maybe—just maybe—greet your 6 AM workout with slightly less existential dread? It's worth experimenting with timing and delivery methods to find what works for your body. Just maybe skip the airport CBD—that markup is criminal.
