Does CBD Help You Fall Asleep?
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With everything that interrupts people's sleep, and interferes with their ability to obtain quality sleep, it's no surprise sleep has turned into a concern in the healthcare community. When you're well-rested, it helps you function better, and lead a more productive life.
Presently, sleep aids and other sleep-inducing medicines are the most common choice for treating insomnia. However, these medicines can have damaging side effects, including:
- Risk of overdose
- Addiction
- Accidental death
As the number of individuals struggling with sleep disorders continues increasing, the number of individuals relying on sleep aids does as well.
And, doctors are starting to become more concerned about prescribing sleep aids because of the opioid crisis. They're trying to avoid creating another epidemic. This leads healthcare researchers to look for alternative treatments. One of these alternative treatments is medical cannabis, particularly its cannabinoids, THC and CBD.
Unlike THC, which causes euphoria, CBD doesn't. Your body reacts differently to CBD, since it has an energizing effect. But, CBD can also have a relaxing effect, making you feel calm and composed.
How Are CBD and Sleep Linked?
There are various ways CBD may help with your sleep. Some ways include:
- Improves Sleep Quality
CBD improves sleep quality in a similar manner it does in relieving pain. It helps with sleep by:
- Reducing Pain: It reduces the pain linked with movement during sleep.
- Improves REM sleep: It creates a calming effect that helps simulate the same type of paralysis you experience when you reach this stage of sleep.
- Restores your Natural Sleep Cycle
CBD interacts with your body through your endocannabinoid system (ECS). Your ECS activates serotonin production, and CBD interacts with your ECS's receptors to help move the process along.
CBD works well for this because it:
- Regulates melatonin production due to serotonin production.
- Eases stress and anxiety with its therapeutic effect.
- Helps with neurodegenerative conditions that affect REM and NREM sleep cycle.
- Minimizes pain because it changes your body's reception of pain, helping you sleep more peacefully.
- Increases appetite and metabolism that puts your body cycle together.
- Helps with Pain and Anxiety
CBD has analgesic properties that could offer some relief if you're suffering with chronic pain. It also has anti-anxiety properties, helping to soothe your stressed body and mind.
The Permanente Journal published a study with 72 adult participants who were struggling with poor sleep and anxiety. They completed sleep and anxiety assessments at the beginning of the study as well as the first-month follow-up. They were given 25 mg of CBD in capsule form. Those complaining mostly of sleep problems took the dose in the evening. Those with anxiety as their main complaint took it in the morning.
Following the first month:
- Seventy-nine percent of the participants had decreased anxiety scores.
- Sixty-six percent of the participants had improved sleep scores
The results suggest CBD decreases sleep troubles and anxiety symptoms.
- It Boosts Alertness
While this may seem a little counterintuitive for CBD to both promote alertness and improve sleep quality, there is a close link between these two things.
- CBD is a stimulant in small doses.
- CBD keeps you both calm and alert, similar to how cigarette nicotine does.
- This alertness is essential for staying productive, and keeping a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
What About CBD and Insomnia?
While researchers need to perform more studies, there is some research showing CBD could improve insomnia. The journal Medicines published a study involving 490 individuals with insomnia. They collected data from June 2016 to May 2018. The participants were asked to rate their insomnia symptoms on a 1 to 10 scale with 10 being the most severe. They rated starting symptoms 6.6 on average.
The researchers treated the participants with cannabis flower through various combustion methods, including joint, vape, and pipe. The average CBD potency was 5.7 percent with a 30 percent limit. The participants rated their symptoms to be an average of 2.2 (a 4.5 decrease) after using cannabis.
The results showed cannabis's cannabinoids reduced insomnia symptoms; however, because the cannabis flower contained several cannabinoids, it was hard for researchers to determine if it was the CBD or another cannabinoid that provided the insomnia relief.
There's no "correct" dosage of CBD. The optimal dose will depend on various factors like CBD tolerance, body type, and level of discomfort or pain. Other essential considerations are the type of CBD used as well as its concentration, since your body could react to some products differently than others. If you're using CBD for the first time, you should consult with your doctor first.
Ditch the Sleeping Pills and Try a CBD-Infused Pillow Instead
Sleep is a healing, wonderful, and often unappreciated luxury. Your body rebuilds itself when you sleep and repairs brain cells, builds muscles, and boosts immunity. If you want to take better care of yourself, you need to sleep well. It's the most natural thing there is, and yet many find it hard to obtain.
Those complaining of sleep troubles often turn to sleeping pills. But, many don't obtain the restorative sleep they're seeking. And, they often wake up feeling groggy and unrefreshed.
Forget the sleeping pills, and try our CBD-infused pillows instead. Like melatonin and other sleeping supplements, a CBD pillow may:
- Treat insomnia
- Help promote more restful sleep
- Positively impact the sleep/wake cycle
Additionally, CBD-infused pillows might also reduce pain and anxiety, both which disrupt restful sleep. By decreasing these and other symptoms, it's quite possible your sleep will improve. Not convinced? Click here to try a CBD-infused pillow for yourself.