Sleep

How things have changed! Only a few years ago, the idea of using the cannabinoid CBD to treat stress and exercise-induced inflammation would have been hard to imagine. Today, these all-natural compounds are growing in popularity, and expanding our very understanding of plant medicine capabilities.

Today, we’ll turn our focus toward a very pressing topic: sleep. It’s no exaggeration to say that good sleep is the very foundation of health. Getting enough quality sleep contributes to many aspects of good health, and may even reduce inflammation and enhance immune response to improve ability to fight the common cold.

A body of clinical evidence suggests that CBD sleep aids are a safe, sustainable, and all-natural way to support this essential bodily function. CBD may support you in getting better sleep while contributing health benefits of its own. In addition to aiding sleep, CBD’s other possible benefits include better mood and physical and mental wellbeing.

Some of the questions we’ll tackle here include:

• How CBD works with your body

• CBD for sleep: What the research says

• What’s the best CBD dosage for sleep?

Ready? We’ll share everything we know about this truly remarkable, plant-based medicine.

CBD for Sleep: How CBD Works With Your Body

Cannabis and its wild cousin, hemp, contain natural compounds called cannabinoids. A large family including THC and CBD, cannabinoids can be thought of as the most important “active ingredients” in the plant. While THC is the cannabinoid responsible for cannabis’ characteristic “high,” CBD on its own doesn’t exert intoxicating effects. If anything, it’s described as imparting a very mild psychoactivity, characterized as a gentle cerebral “buzz.” That’s why CBD products are generally considered safe for pediatric use for certain conditions.

Whether derived from cannabis or hemp—a topic we’ll explore in a moment—CBD interfaces with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), one of the body’s principal regulatory networks. Though only identified in the 1990s, the ECS is thought to oversee several important functions, such as:

• Appetite and metabolism

• Immune response

• Memory

• Proper sleep function

• Communication between cells

Take note of the word “endocannabinoid.” It’s a clue that plant-based cannabinoids such as CBD and THC are uniquely suited to partner with receptor cells in the ECS. In effect, these cannabinoids are “speaking the same language” as our own regulatory network, making for a very productive and useful partnership, as we’ll see.

How to Use CBD for Sleep

As it turns out, sleep support is one of the primary reasons people turn to CBD. And the research suggests that CBD amply supports this crucial bodily function. One large-scale study from 2019 found that CBD improved subjects’ sleep scores, which in turn helped decrease their anxiety. Another study focusing on peoples’ reasons for using CBD found that the cannabinoid was generally effective for improving sleep (not to mention reducing stress).

Finally, an exhaustive review of the existing literature on CBD sleep aids found that, while more research is needed, “CBD may hold promise for REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness.” Following up on this finding, there’s even evidence that CBD helps promote wakefulness after sleep! Could CBD replace coffee? We’re not sure we’re quite ready for that, but we’ll take all the wakeful feelings we can get!

What’s the Best CBD Dosage for Sleep?

Everyone’s a little bit different, and our bodies process cannabinoids differently depending on factors such as our age, our weight, and other metabolic indicators. But it appears that CBD is well-tolerated by the vast majority of people, with the most commonly reported side effects being tiredness, diarrhea, and changes in appetite or weight. While it’s extremely unlikely you could “overdose” on CBD, we always advise our customers to consult the product packaging carefully before use.

Because there’s no “standard dosage” of CBD, we suggest you begin with the minimum amount suggested for each product, then slowly increase your dosage until you’re getting the maximum benefits. And as studies have demonstrated, those benefits are often obtained by using less medicine, not more; that’s one reason we offer our ingestibles in regular, mild, and double strengths.

Do you have other questions about using CBD for sleep? Just ask! We’re here to help.