CBD For Sleep: Can It Help?

You’ve probably heard that as adults, humans are supposed to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. But if you can’t even dream of devoting that much of your time to a good snooze, you aren’t alone. In fact, one in three adults in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep.

Near-constant stimulation, heavy workloads, stress, excitement, nervousness, physical discomfort, and an active mind are all factors that contribute to a poor night’s sleep — it’s no wonder so many of us are struggling to keep up. Sleep disorders like insomnia can also wreak havoc on our sleep-wake cycle, as can certain side effects of medications. Is there no end to what disrupts our zzzs?

Even more, chronic lack of sleep can lead to health issues, and even a single night of missed sleep can be felt in the body and mind the following day. Symptoms of insufficient sleep can include fatigue and daytime sleepiness, making it tough to go through your routine.

If you are looking to improve your sleep, you may want to consider adding CBD to your bedtime routine.

What Is CBD?

CBD is a small but powerful compound originating in the cannabis plant. As one of over 100 cannabinoids found in this plant, CBD is able to work with our body’s endocannabinoid system (the ECS), an internal messaging network within the body responsible for maintaining homeostasis by regulating mood, pain, and sleep.

Unlike THC, CBD products like CBD oil or CBD capsules do not produce the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis when it interacts with the endocannabinoid system.

How Can CBD Support Better Sleep?

When CBD is introduced to the ECS, it supports the effects of internally produced endocannabinoids as they bind with cannabinoid receptors (CB receptors) found throughout the brain, nervous system, organs, and muscles to help us get to sleep.

In this way, CBD can support the regulation of numerous body functions that contribute to a good night’s sleep.

Mellows the Mind

The endocannabinoid anandamide is produced in the brain, and binds with CB1 receptors throughout the ECS when the body is experiencing high levels of stress to help reduce restlessness and regulate mood.

Because CBD can support the calming effects of anandamide in the body, CBD can further calm the mind. And, as most of us know, a wired and nervous mind can be a huge hindrance to falling and staying asleep.

Soothes Feelings of Tension and Discomfort

A crick in the neck, sore muscles from a hard workout, or uncomfortable joints from a long day on your feet can also lead to sleepless nights as you toss and turn in a futile and frustrating attempt to find a comfortable position.

By targeting feelings of tension and stiffness in the muscles and joints, CBD’s natural soothing properties can help ease discomfort, providing much-needed relief to those sore spots keeping you from actually relaxing when your head hits the pillow.

What Are the Benefits of a Good Night’s Rest?

A lot of people know that sleep if good for them, but underestimate just how important sleep really is. Here are the biggest benefits of getting a good night’s rest consistently.

Balanced Hormone Levels

Sleep cycles are a time dedicated to balancing out hormone levels within the body. Insulin growth factor (IGF) hormones that support healthy muscle growth are produced in greater quantities during sleep, while the stress hormone cortisol is reduced, leading to less stress and tension overall.

Immune System Support

The immune system does its best work during sleep, as there are fewer other body functions requiring attention and energy during rest.

Studies show that those who get over seven hours of sleep per night arefour times less likelyto get sick than those who get only five to six hours of sleep.

High levels of stress hormones can also hinder the effectiveness of infection-fighting T-cells, meaning that the role of sleep in lowering cortisol can also positively impact the immune system.

Muscle Recovery

Whether an avid athlete or occasional exerciser, muscle recovery is vital to repairing and strengthening muscles, as well as avoiding injury. Much of this recovery process takes place during our sleep cycle. The deeper our sleep, the more the body can focus on the muscles in need of support.

Sharpened Mind

Sleep is necessary for healthy cognitive function. Neurons are able to recharge during periods of rest, leading to better attention, memory, and focus. Without proper time to recover, tired neurons can impair brain function, causing the brain fog you may experience after a sleepless night.

Which Type of CBD Is Best For Sleep?

When it comes to CBD for sleep, there are a wide range of options to choose from.

Consumables

Consumables such as evo hemp CBD Oils or evo hemp CBD Gummies can work from the inside out to bring all of the benefits we just talked about. Because you’re actually ingesting the CBD, it can interact with your endocannabinoid receptors to support and balance processes in your body that help make it easier to get to sleep.

The effects of ingested CBD can take between 15 minutes to an hour to kick in, so taking them nightly a little bit before you are ready to settle down for bedtime can help lead to more consistent and improved sleep. Most people aim for 30 to 45 minutes before bed to start, and after the first few times, become familiar with their own specific peak-relaxation time.

Topicals

If a specific body ache is disrupting your sleep, a topical such as a evo hemp CBD Hemp Seed Oil can be rubbed directly on the source of discomfort to provide fast-acting relief. The CBD absorbs into the skin to target nearby muscles and provide soothing relief in just a few minutes.

When applied before bed, a topical can quickly ease localized discomfort, helping you finally relax and drift into slumber.

How To Use CBD for Better Sleep

For ongoing sleep support, CBD should be taken consistently before bedtime.

There is no standard CBD dosage as everyone’s response is different, but you will want to start with at least a 10mg dose of CBD, and work your way up by 5-10 more mg of CBD at a time every week until you feel the desired effects.

You also will want to take CBD at around the same time each night to help you form healthy and consistent sleep habits during the first month, which play a big role in sleep quality.

To further relax the mind and body, try to unplug after taking CBD, or combine CBD with aromatherapy by using chamomile or lemon balm essential oils. Limit screen time and stimulants like caffeine anywhere near bedtime, and focus instead on deep breathing or reading a book to help shift the mind into nighttime gear as the CBD is being absorbed into the body.

Conclusion

When it comes to a good night’s sleep, there is no shortage of benefits it has on our minds, bodies, and overall feeling of wellbeing.

If you have a difficult time shutting your mind down for bedtime, building a consistent sleep routine, or getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep, incorporating CBD into your nighttime routine in virtually any ingestible form can help you wind down for that much-needed shut-eye so you wake up feeling well-rested and ready to take on the day.

Explore evo hemp’s wide array of CBD ingestibles here.

Sources:

1 in 3 adults don't get enough sleep | CDC Online Newsroom

Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series | Permanente Journal

Cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and reverses both allodynia and anxiety-like behavior in a model of neuropathic pain | Pain

Lack of sleep puts you at higher risk for colds, first experimental study finds | Science

How Does Lack of Sleep Effect Cognitive Impairment? | Sleep Foundation