Refuel #19

🔥 Refuel | Issue #19
A Newsletter from Faith + Gasoline
📅 Subject: “Is There Anything That Can Help Us Sleep?” – CBD, Calm, and the Caregiver’s Secret Weapon

🛠️ Welcome to Refuel

Hey fam,

If you’ve ever sat up at 3 a.m. while your loved one wandered the house…
If your brain won’t shut off even when your body is begging for rest…
If you’ve thought, “There has to be something that helps without making them a zombie…”

You’re not alone.

And in today’s issue, we’re talking about a quiet, powerful helper I leaned on in my own journey:
CBD—and the deeper mission of creating calm in a chaotic season. Not the kind with THC. A high Alzheimer’s patient was not what I wanted. I just needed her to calm down.

(It’s legal in MO. You have to investigate your state!!)

🔥 This Week’s Theme: Peace Is a Strategy, Not a Luxury

📖 Verse of the Week:
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” – Isaiah 26:3

Yes, God brings peace.
But He also gave us tools. Resources. Remedies.
And sometimes, that looks caramels from CBD Kratom!

🚗 Story from the Road: CBD Helped My Mom Sleep—and Helped Me Breathe

My mom’s Alzheimer’s made sleep unpredictable.
Some nights she slept. Other nights she asked questions for hours. She also liked to root around in her closet. Then she would enter the living room and turn on every light and search each cabinet for Cheez-Its.
And if she didn’t sleep, neither did I. Lucky, I was still working full-time!

I was hesitant to try CBD at first. I didn’t want her “high” or groggy.
But after researching and speaking with her doctor, I gave her a small dose of a reputable, THC-free CBD sleep gummy.

That night, she slept peacefully.
No agitation. No wandering. No cursing me out. We eventually had to try stronger things but we never stopped using CBD. It was expensive but her anxiety needed all the help it could get!

And I cried tears of relief—because we both finally had rest for the first time in 7 months. Yes, 7 months of broken sleep.

🌿 What Is CBD and How Can It Help?

CBD (short for cannabidiol) is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp.
It doesn’t get you high. It doesn’t sedate like heavy meds.
But it can help regulate sleep, anxiety, inflammation, and mood.

🛏️ For your loved one:

• Calms nighttime restlessness

• Reduces anxiety or aggression (especially in dementia patients)

• May ease chronic pain or arthritis

🧠 For you, the caregiver:

• Can lower cortisol (stress hormone)

• Helps with sleep and emotional regulation

• Supports a sense of calm, even in hard moments

📌 Important Tips Before You Try It

✅ Choose broad-spectrum or isolate CBD with 0% THC
✅ Start low (5-10mg) and go slow—watch how they respond
✅ Use trusted brands that are third-party tested
✅ Always check with your loved one’s doctor, especially if they’re on medications

⛽ Quick Refuel: ✅ 5 Ways to Bring Calm to Your Care Plan

✅ 1. Create a “calm corner”
Soft lighting, a weighted blanket, relaxing music, a scent diffuser. Peace has a vibe.

✅ 2. Use CBD thoughtfully
For sleep, try oils or gummies. For daytime calm, low-dose capsules or topicals. You can’t try it for a few days and think it’s done - it has to build up in your system.

✅ 3. Stick to routines
Consistency builds confidence—for both you and them. Keep mornings and evenings predictable.

✅ 4. Manage YOUR stress daily
Meditation, prayer, breathwork, or a short walk. Your calm becomes their calm.

✅ 5. Avoid overstimulation
Limit noise, TV volume, and harsh lighting. Especially for dementia patients—less chaos = more peace.

📌 Takeaway: Calm is contagious. Create it on purpose.

🛤️ Faith in Motion: A Simple Prayer

"God,
You are the author of peace.
Let my home, my heart, and my hands reflect that.
Quiet the storms inside my loved one—and inside myself.
Guide me to what heals, what helps, and what honors Your presence in this journey.
Amen."

📌 Next Steps

💬 Let’s Connect:
Have you tried CBD or another calming method for yourself or your parent?
Reply and share your story—we’d love to hear what worked for you.

🛒 Judith’s Recs:
Looking for CBD that I trust:

• CBD Kratom (clean, simple, high-quality)

  These were lifesavers and my mom never said no. She’d say “oh I love these” and I would say “yeah, they make them just for you!”

📢 If you know a caregiver on the edge of burnout, forward this issue with love and no judgment. We’re all just trying to rest.

🧬 Curious about your own numbers?
Try Function Health – a full panel of lab results that most doctors won’t order.

We have swag - https://refuel.printify.me/

💙💙 Community is the new currency 💙💙

You deserve peace. They do too.
And if CBD, a warm blanket, and a deep breath help you get there—that’s holy work.

Go be great. 🚀💙
Love you.

With faith & fuel,
Judith A. Culp
Founder, Faith + Gasoline