My experience with Beam CBD for sleep and recovery

As a father, athlete, coach, mindfulness advocate, and active human I am always seeking habits and activities that can make me better — even 1%.

When I heard about Beam Dream CBD and “this warm, sleep-promoting powder is a healthy take on hot chocolate, helping your body and mind wind down for a better night’s sleep” I was ready to try it… WHO wouldn’t want better sleep and a quieter mind!

Here I describe how I had a most unexpected and terrible experiment with Beam Dream CBD, journaled to learn and help discover why!

Night 1

Enjoyed with a little milk and mostly hot water. Loved the taste and pleasant to drink while reading a book. I woke up about 4 hours in with mild head stress, and continued to wake 8–10 more times before waking groggily at 7:45am.

Takeaway from night 1: I thought to myself maybe my body wasn’t used to it, so we’ll try again.

Night 2 — slept on a couch in the mountains after 4 hour drive

Took Beam 30 mins before bed and had an extremely fitful sleep. Woke up with double bags under my eyes.

Takeaway from night 2: Couch was cause, let’s use a bed

Night 3 on Beam Dream CBD

Spent a couple hours hiking today, about 4 miles in beautiful mountains with Fall foliage in the Smokey Mountains. Got a bit fatigued near the end, but we all made it. Full dinner and good evening.

Beam Dream again before bed — and now I started to really feel some achiness from my sore muscles. My traps, glutes, and hami were painful. A constant ache all night. Made for it hard to sleep, but I got some.

Takeaway from night 3: That bed was terrible I need to go home because 3 days of no sleep is making me crazy.

Night 4 on Beam Dream CBD

Drove home late and arrived at 9:50pm, I was really suffering with my left glute and hami in the car ride. Whole body felt achy — from 3 days no sleep / from hike / from Beam?

Got home and after being a bit to snappy to my daughter, said I was going to bed. ‘Do not disturbed’ my phone; blackout curtains; cold shower; electronics off, and a warm cup of beam.

Immediately after laying down I could feel aches in my shoulders, traps, hamis, glutes, and it was near constant. So much so after 2 hours of trying to move my breathing became a bit panicked as I feared my Beam was poisoning me! Realize this is the 4th night on a sleep tonic that now had accumulated in my muscles. I took a cold shower to calm down at 12:30am. Then did box breathing 4 inhale; 4 hold; 4 exhale (for reference I normally do 8–12 sec for each). I drifted off to sleep for 30 mins and then woke in achy pain. It seems I can get a position to work but if I move a centimeter everything gets painful!

Now my daughter enters from a nightmare at 1am, and joins the bed. Grateful I could be there for her.

I proceeded to stand up; walk around; box breath; lay down; try a position; find what hurt the least, pass out for 30ish mins and repeat till 8:30am.

Takeaway: Something in Beam Dream CBD is causing this incredible pain (that I still feel sitting up writing this diary at 9:09am — nearly 11 and a half hours taking it). I’ve googled the ingredients but to success.

I won’t be taking Beam tonight. Today will be a full meal day; ton of water, and hopefully some walking to flush Beam out of my body. I REALLY want better sleep and hopefully this diary will help me and the Beam team understand what happened to me. I’d love to have my athletes leverage a great tool, but first.

Why is Beam Dream CBD creating so much pain for me?

Update:

Night 5 & 6

Sadly the last 2 nights have equally been intolerable and with similar aches and pains constantly. Thankfully last night only 50% of my body was suffering compared to prior nights, but sleep was the same — 8–10 full periods of time being away.

I also have not taken Beam beginning with night 5 & 6. I do wear a Whoop and find it interesting that on Beam my HRV was generally constant with a massive variance with my RHR and respiratory rate. Yesterday my HRV was lower, and this morning WHOOP recorded me at 8% recovered with a battery of frightful health markers.

I have scheduled a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and a set of blood panels because while there appears to be a pain improvement, my markers are getting way worse.

Prayers this is a flash in the pan and goes away. I love what the Beam folks stand for, but it has been a rough rough road.

For background:

I had trained 4 days (1 hour a day) each day before I started taking Beam Dream. I also eat around 3k calories and am in ketosis.