How much sleep do you get each night?
Sleep recommendation for an average adult is seven to nine hours. Sadly, there are many people out there struggling to reach that goal.
For this reason, several sleep-inducement techniques have been developed. They range from meditation and medication, to sleep hygiene and exercise. Some of them work, and others produce short-term results.
You might have heard about using CBD for sleep. CBD stands for cannabidiol, a psychoactive compound extracted from the hemp plant. Ongoing research indicates that cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, and CBN are great sleep-inducers for people with insomnia. Like many people, you might be worried about side effects, especially the "high" associated with marijuana.
There's good news; CBD is non-impairing and does not produce this effect.
CBD has awide range of health benefits, including pain relief, reducing seizures, and alleviating anxiety.
Here, you will learn how the effects of CBD can improve your sleep and the best CBD for sleep productsavailable today!
CBD and Sleep
To understand how CBD can help you fall asleep, it is important to know the causes of insomnia or poor sleep. Insomnia can be acute (short-term), lasting for days or weeks. It can also be chronic (long-term), which lasts for more than a month.
In most cases, poor sleep is caused by an underlying issue. These issues include:
- Poor sleep habits. This can include using screens just before bed, uncomfortable bedding, and irregular sleeping time.
- Drinking alcohol and other beverages containing nicotine or caffeine late in the day.
- Stressful events such as job loss, death of a loved one, divorce, illness, and family problems.
- Medication for chronic conditions like hypertension, asthma, and antidepressants.
- Mental health disorders like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), and anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of insomnia may vary from person to person. But, the most common symptoms are:
- Waking up too early
- Waking up severally during the night and being unable to get back to sleep
- Difficulty in finding sleep
- Insufficient rest at night
- Excessive sleepiness and tiredness during the day
- Anxiety, depression, and irritability
- Difficulty in remembering and concentrating
How CBD improves sleep
If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of insomnia, you should consider CBD therapy. Generally, CBD improves sleep quality by alleviating the causes of poor sleep, such as pain, inflammation, and anxiety.
According to scientific research, CBD acts on your endocannabinoid system (ECS) of your brain. The ECS controls the circadian rhythm, which is responsible for sleep regulation. Disruptions in your circadian rhythm usually cause insomnia.
By acting on the ECS, CBD helps to align your circadian rhythm enabling you to get better sleep.
The endocannabinoid system is a network of cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system and the brain. The primary endocannabinoid receptors are CB1 and CB2. CBD interacts with these receptors producing various effects.
One of the notable effects of this interaction is an improvement of the sleep-wake cycle.
Additionally, the ECS contains components known as endocannabinoids. These molecules are similar in composition to the cannabinoids found in cannabis, but your body produces them. Like CBD, endocannabinoids interact with ECS receptors to improve the circadian rhythm.
Due to certain body functions, these molecules may be broken down, reducing their effectiveness in the body. Studies show that CBD decreases the breaking down of endocannabinoids, allowing them to improve your sleep cycle.
Other studies show that CBD improves sleep by impacting levels of cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone that naturally peaks in the morning. However, levels of cortisol increase during the night if you have insomnia.
A high concentration of the stress hormone at night is linked to sleeplessness. CBD acts as a sedative and reduces the production of cortisol, thus giving you better nighttime sleep.
When consumed in smaller doses, CBD reduces daytime sleepiness by boosting your level of alertness. This does not only improve your productivity, but also streamlines your sleep-wake cycle.
A wealth of research has also proven that CBD is a potent pain-relieving compound. Therefore, if you are suffering from chronic pain, you will benefit from restful sleep by taking a CBD dose before bedtime.
In other studies, CBD helps to treat anxiety disorders. Usually, anxiety interferes with your sleep cycle, depriving you of good nighttime sleep. Using CBD will help to improve the quality of your sleep by alleviating anxiety symptoms.
Additionally, people with REM sleep disorder have been found to benefit from CBD. In this condition, the patient acts out their dream leading to interrupted and poor sleep. CBD improves the symptoms of RBD and reduces episodes of nightmares.
CBD Products for Improving Sleep
There are several methods of consuming CBD to improve sleep quality. However, there may be variations in the time taken for the product to affect your body. The common CBD products used in sleep inducement include:
Broad or Full Spectrum CBD Oil
This form of CBD does not only contain cannabidiol, but it has all other cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. In fact, it includes other natural components such as flavonoids and terpenes. As such, CBD oils are considered to have the highest CBD concentration among all the other products.
Full-spectrum CBD oils include THC while broad-spectrum does not.
CBD Gummies
There are many types of edibles include CBD gummies, mint, and truffles. CBD edibles are ideal for sleep inducement due to their slow-release property.
Typically, the cannabidiol in the gummies will first go to the liver and then to your GIT. This means it can take up to two hours to get absorbed into your system. This is why you'll need to take the gummies one or two hours before bed.
CBD Tinctures
CBD tinctures have similar properties to CBD oils since they are both liquid concentrates of the cannabis plant. However, tinctures are infused into an alcohol base, unlike oils that are infused into the carrier oil. Tinctures are readily absorbed into the body, which makes them highly effective in inducing sleep.
Things to Remember When Using CBD for Your Sleep
- Always consult your health expert before you start taking any CBD product.
- Start with lower doses and monitor the effectiveness of the product over time.
- You may combine CBD with other sleep supplements such as melatonin. It's best to do this sparingly as it can lead to excessive drowsiness and sleepiness.
- Purchase third-party lab-tested products that are grown in the U.S.
- Short-term use of CBD for sleep improvement is better as its effectiveness might diminish with prolonged use.
- CBD may interfere with the efficacy of some medications. Therefore, consult your doctor before you begin using CBD products.
- Combine CBD with known behavior strategies. Good sleep schedule, managing mental health and avoiding screens before bed can help.
Conclusion
Better sleep leads to a quality life and improved productivity. CBD is a proven natural sleep-inducer with very minimal side effects. Contact Eden Herbals to get quality CBD for sleep including tincture, gummies, or hemp seed oil.
