Develop Better Sleep Habits with CBD
Consistent, high-quality rest is an essential element of overall wellness. In an earlier post, we mentioned sleep as one of four main categories where you might experience improvement when you incorporate CBD into your wellness routine. Now we’d like to take a closer look at that topic and help you decide if one of our CBD products might be the right sleep aid for you.
It’s important to note that if you suspect you’re suffering from a serious sleep disorder, it’s important to bring this up with a qualified health professional. That said, there is some research to indicate that CBD can alleviate the symptoms of diagnosable issues like REM sleep behavior disorder. Your doctor might even recommend it, especially if you tell them that you’re interested in a natural alternative to typical sleep-enhancing medications.
Direct and Indirect Effects
Of course, many people struggle to sleep soundly or to fall asleep on time, yet do not suffer from any significant disorders. Difficulty sleeping is just as likely to be attributed to factors like stress and anxiety, and these are issues that you may be able to treat on your own. It is well established that CBD oils, gummies, and balms have a calming effect on many of their users. And when that sense of calm is achieved just before bedtime, it can have extraordinary effects on restfulness.
At the same time, there is evidence to suggest that CBD products also have a direct impact on metabolic processes and circadian rhythms. While more research is needed in this area, it appears to be the case that CBD promotes sleep by interacting with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system. There is still a lot we don’t know about exactly how this works, but individual testimonials are absolutely clear: a dose of CBD at nighttime usually lets people go to sleep feeling calmer and then wake up feeling more refreshed.
How to Maximize the Benefits of CBD
Although people’s overall experiences with CBD are generally similar, there are also certain difference in the way each person’s body reacts. So when using CBD for the first time, or trying it for a different purpose than you’re used to, it’s a good idea to have non-specific expectations and to be ready to make adjustments.
Studies involving the effects of CBD on sleep have used a broad range of doses. At least one of those studies showed that the lower limit of that range – 25 mg – was enough to create reports of improved sleep habits in two-thirds of participants. But others involved daily quantities as high as 1,500 mg spread across multiple doses.
In some cases, nighttime doses of CBD promote restfulness, while a different form of the same substance is used to promote wakefulness in the morning. We always recommend that you start small when changing your wellness routine, and in this case that might mean just one CBD capsule or gummy shortly before bed. But if you see a modest improvement in the first weeks and you want to experiment with more, you should feel free to do so.
As you may know, CBD, unlike its cousin THC, is non-psychoactive and there is nothing to indicate that any users find it habit-forming. The same cannot be said of all over-the-counter sleep aids. So if you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep and you haven’t had a chance to talk with your doctor yet, one of our CBD products may be just the thing to try first.