Sleep is an essential function that allows your mind and body to recover, leaving you feeling alert and refreshed when you wake up. Without enough sleep each night, the lack of sleep may impair your body's functioning properly and lead to poor health.
Your body needs rest to help it remain healthy and stave off diseases. Most adults need at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, 7% to 19% of adults do not get enough sleep each night.
Those who struggle with sleep each night often turn to medication or natural remedies to act as a sleep aid. But what natural solution offers the most promise for assisting with a good night's rest? Could CBD be the answer?
Let's dive into the details!
What Is CBD?
Before understanding if CBD can help you sleep, we need to know what CBD is. Cannabidiol, or CBD oil, is derived from the cannabis plant. One of the main cannabinoids from this plant.
Another main cannabinoid that many are aware of because of its tie with Marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. The main difference between CBD and THC is that THC has a psychoactive effect that makes the user feel "high," while CBD does not have the same side effect.
What Is The Cause Of Sleep Problems?
Many different factors play into problems with sleep. Many believe people who struggle with sleeping at night may have underlying issues. Some general issues that may cause sleeplessness.
Mood
Constant worrying about different aspects of your everyday life could cause the brain to be overstimulated, which makes it harder to sleep. This overstimulation causes your mind to fight against your body's natural melatonin production. Melatonin is naturally released by the body to help you fall asleep.
Further, unhealthy stress levels may impair sleep. Sleep loss triggers our body's stress response, which may lead to elevated cortisol levels and further disrupt sleep.
Discomfort
Whether you suffer from a throbbing tooth or a sore lower back, discomfort is hard enough to deal with during the day. Having such discomfort may also rob you of much-needed rest at night. That constant thrum or twinge may cause you to be restless at night or disrupt sleep when left untreated.
Some Medications
Some medications can cause people to feel more awake than normal. Over-the-counter and prescription medications may have side effects that result in restless or sleepless nights.
Poor Sleep Habits
Not having a regular bed schedule, naps, too many stimulating activities before bedtime, screens, poor sleep environment, etc., can cause problems falling asleep and staying asleep.
The question we now hope to answer is what can be done about all these possible side effects brought on by life. Is CBD the answer to helping with resting peacefully at night?
The Connection Between CBD and Sleep
Many people utilize the benefits CBD offers, both during the day and at night. The best way for CBD to positively affect sleep is by having the perfect amount of CBD in your system before bed.
When CBD is taken internally, our body's endocannabinoid system delivers that CBD to areas of our body where CBD is needed. CBD attaches to our CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Both of these receptors can be found throughout the body. CB1 receptors are more concentrated in the central nervous system and brain. In contrast, CB2 receptors are more abundant in the tissues, organs, and immune system.
Improve Comfort
When discomfort occurs, CBD is sent to CB1 receptors along our nervous system to block those signals. You'll notice the effects when the discomfort slowly disappears, generally within 15 min to an hour.
Ease Racing Mind
When elevated vitals occur, our body will use CBD to assist in reducing them by sending CBD to the CB2 receptors in the brain where those elevated vitals are present. You'll recognize CBD assistance as you feel your body relax and your racing thoughts slow down.
Improved Rest
CBD may not be able to directly counteract the effects some medications may cause, but if a doctor prescribed CBD for a sleep disorder in place of that medication causing trouble with sleep, then it would technically help with that.
CBD can't help with our own physical choices that cause us to have unhealthy sleep habits. We have to choose to go to bed at a respectable time and reduce the other factors around us that cause sleeplessness.
Now that we know using CBD for a sleep aid is possible, we need to ask some other important questions. How long will that CBD last, and what CBD products are best for sleep?
How Long Will CBD Last?
Many factors play into how long the effects of CBD last and how long it stays in your system. This can affect your use of CBD for sleep. These factors include how much CBD you should take, how often you should use CBD, and how you should take CBD.
Doses of CBD For Sleep
CBD dosage depends on individual factors like weight, age, and gender (e.g., a 120lb woman may need 10-40mg, while a 230lb man may need 50-100mg). Consistent use (at least a week) is recommended for optimal effectiveness as CBD builds up in the system.
Absorption and duration vary by consumption method: sublingual oil is absorbed quickly, while edibles and topicals are slower but last longer. Vaping provides fast but short-lived effects. Generally, CBD effects last 2-6 hours and the effects don't last long term, but individual experiences vary.
What CBD Products Are Best For Sleep?
Regarding using CBD for sleep, two other compounds are mentioned: THC and CBN. CBN, or cannabinol, is another compound found in the cannabis plant. CBN is still new, and there is not much research out there on the specific benefits and side effects of CBN.
Traces of CBN in full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD, but CBD products with added CBN may assist with improving sleep. In a study done in 2021, researchers found that the people who used CBN may have improved their sleep problems.
THC is a compound that most people have already heard about and know a little bit about. THC is also derived from the cannabis plant. THC has a psychoactive effect that makes the user feel "high". THC may also be used to assist with sleep problems.
In a 2020 study done by the Canadian Pharmacists Journal, they found a majority of the patients saw an improvement in their sleep problems when using THC. People with insomnia or other sleep-related health conditions should consult with a doctor before trying CBD.
THC is not legal in every state, so it is important to check your local and state laws before using THC and CBD to assist with sleep. More research needs to be done on CBD and its other compounds to know its full effects on sleep.
How to Incorporate CBD Into Your Sleep Routine
Using CBD for sleep involves choosing a suitable product (oil, capsules, gummies, etc.) and starting with a low dose, gradually increasing it until the desired effect is achieved. Consistent nightly use, about 30 minutes before bed, is recommended to allow the body to absorb the CBD's calming properties.
Creating a relaxing sleep environment is also crucial. Combine CBD with healthy sleep habits like dimming lights, minimizing screen time, and engaging in calming activities such as deep breathing or gentle stretching. Individual responses to CBD vary, so monitoring your body's reaction and adjusting your routine for a more restful sleep is important.
Sum It Up!
Some so many people struggle with sleep problems. When exploring your options to improve your sleep issues, it may be good to consider using CBD. CBD is convenient because it can be used in so many different ways.
You can also find CBD with added compounds like CBN and THC, which may provide added benefits specific to sleep. Even though it is new, there are more and more studies being performed to look at the correlation between sleep and CBD, and it may be a good option for you.
