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CBD for Sleep and Insomnia
Not sleeping well will drastically lower the quality of your everyday life. Being tired and not properly restored will affect you both mentally, and physically; making you groggy and frustrated and lacking energy. For years researchers have been studying how cannabis could improve sleep quality, but primarily focussing on the cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Now, attention has been turned to a different phytocannabinoid, CBD (cannabidiol) which carries a large number of therapeutic benefits without the psychoactive effects of THC.
Sleep disorders
Bad sleep, insomnia, and other sleep disorders can be caused by a variety of reasons and factors including the following:
- mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, PTSD)
- medication which is disturbing your sleep-wake cycle
- physical conditions such as chronic pain, being over caffeinated
- environmental conditions such as light and noise
If you can pinpoint the cause of your lack of sleep and it’s easily solved, such as caffeine and noise, then address this first. For the more deeply rooted issues, research is showing that CBD could be a naturally sourced solution.
Pain is a factor that can greatly disrupt sleep. A 2018 review looked into preclinical and clinical research of cannabinoids in the treatment of pain; findings showed that cannabinoids are promising new therapeutic strategies for pain treatment.[1] The PDQ Integrative Alternative and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board (2018) provide medical advice that pain relief and improved sleep are some of the potential benefits of cannabinoids for people with cancer.[2]
CBD oil for poor sleep
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder - also referred to as RBD - is a sleep disorder that has physiological similarities to waking states and is consequently significantly less restoritative than other sleep states. RBD is categorized by eye movement, vivid dreaming, and nightmares. Research from 2014 looked into four patients with Parkinson’s and found that CBD improved the symptoms of RBD, offering a deeper and more restorative quality of sleep.
One of the most common causes for low sleep quality is stress and anxiety. If your mind is filled with worries from the day, or preceeding the next day, this can either prevent you from falling asleep or make you restless and wake you up midway through the night. In 2019 researchers carried out a large case study into how CBD can affect anxiety and sleep. The results were extremely promising with 79% of participants reporting reduced anxiety, and 66% reporting improved sleep within the first month.[3]
If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, or if you suffer from insomnia, take time to consider the contributing factors and how you may address them. CBD products are a natural and popular solution for improving your sleep quality, leaving you feeling restored and ready to take on the next day.
CBD oil dosage for sleep
For those who are struggling with insomnia or anxiety-related disorders, CBD oils may be an easy solution and sleep aid since it has natural calming effects that can help you drift off into a restful slumber.
This is especially important to keep in mind if you're new to CBD and taking it for the first time, how much CBD for sleep is different from when you're taking CBD oil for anxiety. It's also important to consider whether you are taking full spectrum or broad spectrum CBD.
No one CBD dosage will work for every user because each person has a different reaction that can change with usage. It's difficult to say what is health benefits of CBD dosage are, but a good place to start is with 1-5 drops of CBD. You always want to start with a low dosage of CBD and then slowly increase it until you find the right amount for safety and side effects. You should try different amounts of pure CBD oil for sleep to find what works best for you.