We Tried The CBD Pillow To See If It Helped Us Sleep Better

Struggling to catch up on zzz's after Daylight Saving Time? Sleep Week is here to help. From editor-tested bedding and slumber-friendly products to bed cleaning hacks, we've got everything you could ever need to up your sleep game. Happy snoozing.

When a product has a tagline that reads "the world's most relaxing pillow," we can't help but feel curious. Like, in the whole world? Will it make us toss our other pillows into the trash? Will we wake up feeling rejuvenated and like basically a totally different person who can do things like work out regularly and not get annoyed by traffic?

CBD Pillow

It's a tall order, but the CBD Pillow touts at least a couple of these benefits, specifically the ability to "wake up feeling refreshed and balanced, not groggy." We decided to give it a whirl (or, uh, a snore). Here's how it works: The pillow "releases micro doses of CBD all night long" as you doze using "microencapsulation." Translation: There are tiny droplets of CBD in the pillow that get released when your hair and skin come into contact with the pillow. The droplets are "wrapped with a protective polymeric coating" and were designed to create a constant supply of CBD versus just one dose, so you can feel the effects throughout the night.

A couple of us decided to add the pillow to our current bed setup — here's what happened.

Laurie, Director of Editorial Operations:

I was using a very old down pillow that is basically thin as a blanket, plus any of the other random pillows I have on my bed, probably bought at IKEA or Costco at some point in the past. I really like this pillow! I don't know if it's because I love all things CBD-related, but I'm into this. It's on the denser side, but the memory foam allows my head to sink in just right while supporting my neck at the same time. It's comfortable. Once you open the packaging, the directions suggest that we throw it into the dryer for 20 minutes to fluff up the gel memory foam (and also to get rid of that new pillow smell).

You can also customize it to make it less firm or less tall, but I've kept it as is. The cover is infused with CBD, so that's where the magic is. They say that we can put a pillowcase over the pillow to dampen the effects of the CBD, but I don't really notice anything overwhelming about it. Sometimes I use a pillowcase just because it looks pretty, and sometimes I don't. It's supposed to help promote all-night calm, which maybe it does? I can't really tell, but I will say that on the whole I've been getting great sleep. But, that could also be because I use additional nighttime remedies to help me get those zzzz's. One note that I read on their website: The CBD in the pillowcase lasts an average of six months, so it'll need to be replaced.

CBD Pillow

Eva, Associate Editor:

My quality of sleep can change pretty drastically from one night to the other just because of meds/if my cat is meowing at my face, so I really prefer a pillow that can put up with all my tossing and turning. This one promises to also help me sleep better but it's honestly hard to measure that super scientifically because, well, I'm asleep. One thing to note: The box does warn about a slight smell and I definitely notice it. I did not throw mine in the dryer, just fluffed it by hand. It's not a deterrent for me, but might be for someone with a sensitive sense of smell. It's definitely very comfortable and a great height without adjusting it. I've used it without an additional pillowcase and it's a comfy texture.

Before this, I was using two pillows because my main one was getting pretty flat. I've definitely been having more uninterrupted sleep but that could be because the cat has been chill or just because my sleep cycle is better this week. I would recommend it more if you've exhausted all possibilities and it's within your budget. I'll definitely keep using it so I can track it for longer (like a few months).