People take CBD for many reasons these days, but sleep is likely one of the most popular reasons. Consumers and celebrities alike attest to the fact that they sleep better when using this product. For example, here are some comments we have heard on this site:
"Even though I run hard most of the day, I still have trouble sleeping, and my mind is constantly thinking about Star Wars! I'll sleep through the long flights, too! Only CBD can deepen the sleep." – Nathan Florence, pro surfer.
As a result of CBD, customer Mich felt more relaxed and slept better. Furthermore, he stated, "I sleep well without waking up. I take the CBD about twenty minutes before I plan to turn it in. I wake up feeling rested."
Nevertheless, CBD is not a sedative; many people take it as soon as they wake up and remain completely alert throughout the day.
How does CBD help people sleep? Exactly how does it work? How should it be used?
Even though much research is still being conducted on CBD and sleep, there is reason to believe that CBD might help people relax, de-stress, and get in a better mood for bed. However, it works best in combination with a nightly routine that promotes healthy sleeping habits and sometimes with other natural remedies.
How Good Sleep Works
It may seem simple, but physically and mentally, going to sleep is a complex process. In studies, external cues such as darkness, cooler temperatures, and places associated with bedtime are found to strongly influence sleepiness.
When you perceive these signals, the activity and stress hormone cortisol drop, while the melatonin hormone rises; when you're unconscious, you alternate between light and deep sleep for 90 minutes at a time. Melatonin levels decrease as morning approaches and cortisol levels rise, so you start waking up slowly.
Ideally, it works like this. The daytime sleep cycle can be disrupted by many things, such as prolonged cortisol levels, insufficient synthesized melatonin, and more. If you suffer from chronic sleeplessness, you should consult your physician. There are, however, some moments when we are temporarily disrupted.
Most people suffer from stress. Often called "the stress hormone," cortisol is triggered by events that cause stress, such as worry about work or physical pain. This keeps cortisol elevated and makes it difficult to fall asleep. When you do fall asleep, cortisol can prevent you from getting to the deepest part of your sleep cycle and make you wake up more frequently.
Melatonin problems are often caused by problems with the day/night signals. Jet lag is an example: If you travel to a place where sunrises and sunsets differ greatly, the change in light can cause your body to become confused. These problems can also be created by too much artificial light or heat at night.
Sleep and CBD: How Do They Connect?
Previously, we described how CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a complex network of receptors and transmitters in the body. The ECS regulates several bodily processes. All things are kept in balance as a result. The calming effect and well-being CBD provides can be attributed to its support for this balance.
Due to CBD's de-stressing properties, you are likely to feel more energized to get some rest after lowering your cortisol levels. When you ingest CBD through tinctures or capsules before bedtime, its effects last for about 6 hours, allowing you to remain calm and relaxed.
That's enough for many people during rough patches during their sleep. It should be noted, however, that CBD addresses only one part of the equation: stress. Is there anything else?
CBD for Sleep
You don't have to rely on your body to produce melatonin, which is a good thing. Herbalists can extract it from plants and sell it as an over-the-counter supplement.
As a result, CBD can be a natural sleep aid. The products are available in different forms. The fastest-acting CBD tincture for sleep is taken sublingually. In about 30 minutes, you should feel the effects after squeezing a few drops under your tongue and holding them for 30 to 60 seconds.
CBD products can also be found in capsule or edible form. Due to their digestion process before reaching your bloodstream, these generally take an hour or two to work. However, some CBD products are more convenient and easier to take than others, so the right CBD product for sleep is generally a matter of taste and lifestyle.
Making CBD a Part of Your Sleep Routine
Nevertheless, you can work on your sleep hygiene if you want to improve it. We face many obstacles affecting our sleep cycles in modern life, including electric lights, heat, alarm clocks, noise, and screens everywhere. Listed below are some ways to bring your circadian rhythm back into balance:
- Take a bath in the evening. Researchers have found that soaking in a hot bath an hour or so before going to sleep improves rest, likely due to temperature. Melatonins are partially signaled by cooling, remember? Getting out of a hot bath might help the body to produce more melatonin because the cooling effect might make the body produce more melatonin. CBD bath bombs, often infused with relaxing essential oils, like lavender and frankincense, can enhance this effect.
- You should also keep the temperature of your bedroom below 70 degrees. It is possible to have a positive or negative impact on your sleep based on when you exercise.
- Regular exercise makes your body more tired and thus better suited to sleep. However, within a short period, exercise stimulates internal stimulants, such as cortisol, adrenaline, and other hormones. Make sure to exercise at least three hours before going to bed.
- Maintaining balance within your body is also helped by a regular, moderate diet. If you are underfed before bed, you may remain awake; on the other hand, if you eat too much before bed, your body will start converting the food to energy as you sleep.
- Throughout the day, see if you can get some sun. After darkness falls, try to reduce your electric usage. By doing this, you can maintain a smooth melatonin cycle.
- Are you already aware that you shouldn't take caffeine after dinner? You should stop after lunch since the effects can last up to seven hours.
- Alcohol is relaxing in the evenings, but if you overdo it, you can get into trouble. Immediately, it may put you to sleep, but as you recover from the sedation, it throws off your normal cycle. In addition, drinking too much dehydrates you and disturbs your sleep.
How to Choose the Best CBD Oil for Sleep
The use of CBD for sleeping has a lot of options, as you can see. The best way to determine what works best for you is to try out different CBD products and sleep hygiene practices. Share your thoughts by leaving a review or tagging us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!
