So many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep. We often spend ages trying to get to sleep and, even if we do manage to drop off quickly, we then end up waking up in the middle of the night. It’s a big problem in modern society.
With all that in mind, we take a look at CBD (cannabidiol) in more detail, and why people are using it to help their sleep quality.
What causes sleep problems?
Issues with sleep can be caused by a number of things, including stress, anxiety, depression, being uncomfortable, alcohol, caffeine, jet lag and an irregular sleeping pattern caused by shift work.
Other people suffer from insomnia, where they regularly have problems sleeping. This is where you find it hard to get to sleep, wake up several times during the night and still feel tired after waking up. This can cause people to become irritable, find it difficult to concentrate and develop headaches.
Sometimes, it can be hard to determine an exact cause and it just happens to be that a certain person struggles to get a good quality of sleep.
Why might CBD help with sleep quality?
Most people think that CBD helps with sleep because it helps people to feel calmer and more relaxed. This is due to the way it interacts with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) to regulate our bodily functions, which include sleep.
What’s more, sleep problems are often an effect of other conditions. Whether it’s anxiety or chronic pain, both physical and mental health conditions can have a knock-on effect on our sleeping habits.
One study on CBD for sleep and anxiety found that sleep scores improved within the first month in 48 patients (66.7%) and anxiety scores decreased within the first month in 57 patients (79.2%).
More research needs to be done to see whether regular CBD intake can help sleep, but many people report positive results. One woman with severe insomnia reported that CBD oil helped to ease her anxiety, which consequently improved her ability to sleep at night.
She said the following after taking CBD oil regularly: “It really just makes me feel relaxed and tired when I take it,” Dobratz says. “It helps me chill out and not continuously worry about things when I’m trying to go to sleep. It does not, in any way, make me feel high.”
Whether CBD could directly help sleep quality, or indirectly help it through management of the symptoms of other conditions like anxiety or chronic pain, it seems that it’s worth giving it a try!
If you are interested to learn more about how CBD can be used for anxiety, you can read our recent blog: Does CBD Oil Work for Anxiety?
How do you use CBD to help sleep?
One of the questions that often comes when people are asking about CBD and sleep is the best time of day to have it. You might assume that it would be best to take it directly before bed, but it’s important to remember that everyone works differently. You might, for example, find the most benefits from taking one dose in the morning and one in the evening.
When it comes to using CBD for sleep, most people tend to lean towards CBD oil as this is a great way to get the CBD throughout your whole body. You simply take a few drops orally (depending on your desired dosage), hold them under your tongue for a minute or so and then swallow.Our 5% CBD oil is great for beginners who want to give CBD a try to help with sleep. If you’re not sure about the format of CBD oil, you could give our CBD capsules a try instead.
