More people every day are converting from conventional medicine to herb-based medicine to treat non-life-threatening problems. That is mainly due to the recent advancement in the proper way to utilize natural products and how exactly they can help you. One of the most promising natural products that people have been turning are various CBD products. CBD is currently used to treat many serious problems, sometimes replacing drugs that have devastating side effects. One of its common indications is as a mild sleep-aid, but how do CBD products help sleep? Does CBD make you sleepy? Does CBD make you tired? Let’s dive in!

Recap: What is CBD?

CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound found naturally in different parts of the cannabis plant. Mostly cannabidiol oil is legally extracted from hemp (with THC ratios less than 0.3%) that doesn’t have any psychotropic effects. However, CBD is usually used to help with anxiety as it has a calming effect on the body and there are many studies to support its use as an anxiolytic. As we discuss the relation between CBD and sleep, this is a key point. CBD’s biggest impact on your sleep is actually how it impacts your overall anxiety and physical pain levels. More on this later.

What is the difference between CBD and THC?

They are both different but dominant cannabinoids in plants of the cannabis family. They both work on the same receptors but bind in a different way. CBD oil’s activity is related to its biding to two main receptors. CB-2 is present in cells and overall body out of CNS (central nervous system). CB-1 is located in the brain. Studies imply that CBD interacts with a secondary site on these receptors facilitating the traffic of your body’s natural cannabinoids. On the other hand, THC fully interacts with the active site of CB receptors forcing its activation.

What Causes Sleeplessness?

It’s difficult to trace the source of lack of sleep to a certain cause. However, there are many mental and physical issues that are often associated with bad sleeping patterns. Let’s dive into these first to better understand how CBD can play a part in these.

Stress

Life concerns about school or work or family can cause your mind to be unable to rest. Stressful situations and conditions are one of the major causes of insomnia. Quite simply, a stressful mind has trouble relaxing and falling asleep.

Bad sleep habits

Bad sleeping habits are a key factor in having trouble sleeping. Exposing yourself to too much screen time before bed will make it harder to fall asleep. Similarly, too much physical exertion or other interactive stimuli can cause sleeplessness. It’s important to set good habits before bedtime such as reading and turning off screens at least an hour beforehand.

Late meals

Eating heavy meals before sleep cause your digestive system to activate and work overtime. Furthermore, it can cause a problem known as acid reflux associated with lying down while digesting that can cause discomfort.

Mental health disorders

Some mental disorders, like anxiety, are known to greatly affect your sleep. Sleeping too long or too little is one of the early signs of mental health problems like depression.

Problems with Prescription Sleeping Pills

Most sleeping pills have very harsh side effects and cause an unnatural sleep state. However, it’s important to note that some sleep disorders require these drugs to fix biological problems preventing you from having normal sleeping patterns. Always consult a doctor on whether CBD can be beneficial for your case or not if possible.

The Impact of CBD on sleep

Sleep cycle problems are basically due to stress-related problems. There is no confirmed relation between sleep and usage of cannabidiol but there seems to be a relation in treatment of patients with various disorders like stress, depression, PTSD, and other related illnesses. Many times, pain acts as a barrier in sleep but cannabidiol may act as a pain reliever by reducing inflammation and enabling the users to sleep properly.

CBD and Sleep Explained

There are assumptions of same sedative impacts of CBD and THC on consumers. Although cannabidiol is unable to bring drowsiness, it might aid in fighting sleeping illnesses. It is all because of cannabidiol’s ability to reduce insomnia symptoms.

There may be two distinct mechanisms of cannabidiol to aid in sleeping. Firstly, CBD gets attach to the receptors present in the brain responsible for the body’s wake as well as sleep patterns. Secondly, cannabidiol may play a role in reducing pain and anxiety. Both these factors have their role in keeping you up at night.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our bodies receive CBD. The receptors of CBD are located in our body, its tissues, as well as skin. This is responsible for managing an individual’s depression, anxiety levels, pain recognition, and body’s stability mechanism known as homeostasis. The endocannabinoid system produces its own cannabinoids. ECS gets initiated by CBD which triggers receptors to control anxiety, pain, and stress. This effect is due to several reasons like:

Production of Neurochemicals:

The biochemicals, melatonin as well as serotonin aids in regulating an adequate sleep cycle. These biochemicals are affected by connectors and receptors bound to CBD and then released to up-regulate the sleep cycle.

Muscle Relaxation

Sleep also gets disturbed by sore and tensed muscles and by other disturbing conditions of muscles like hypermotility. CBD acts on receptors of muscles and creates relaxation of muscles and ultimately good sleep.

Regulating Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone secreted by our body causing anxiety. Its production may be controlled by CBD as well as it aids in going to better sleep quickly.

Regulating Daytime Sleeping

The desire of sleeping or feeling sleepy during day time is termed as somnolence. It interrupts night sleep. Cannabidiol may contribute to relieving the desire of going to sleep during the daytime and helps in getting back the body’s sleeping track. Recent studies show that a low dose of CBD can actually keep you alert during the day and thus restart your circadian rhythm.

Regulating Sleep Cycles

CBD aids in some problems that happen during deep sleep. Your sleep cycle can be divided into REM sleep (rapid eye movement) and non-REM. During REM sleep there is an elevated brain activity that causes dreaming. Normally during REM, your muscles become temporarily paralyzed to prevent you from reacting to scenes occurring in your dreams. People suffering from Parkinson’s or PTSD are known to flail and move during their sleep. Studies show that CBD oil can help these patients and give them a smoother sleep experience.

Pain Management

Cannabidiol aids in relieving pain, which is considered a major factor of disruption in sleep. Cannabidiol minimizes the pain by binding with receptors and alleviating the severity of pain indicators communicating the brain. By minimizing pain, you can improve the quality of sleep.

Snoring

Snoring disturbs the sleep of an affected individual. While snoring, the brain gets a low supply of oxygen and it affects breathing. Recent reports indicate that CBD is helpful for people who suffer from snoring during sleep.

Does CBD make you sleepy: Recent Studies

In recent years, CBD proved to have positive effects on health which initiates scientists to investigate the CBD’s impacts. There are a lot of investigations supporting the effect of CBD in bringing good sleep. In a large-scale study on CBD oil’s effect on anxiety, 79.2% of participants stated that CBD alleviates anxiety.

Another study in 2019 reported that 66.7% of participants had a better quality of sleep. The subjects took oral CBD pills (25mg) once daily before bed for a month.

CBD and Insomnia

A study conducted for two years (June 2016- May 2018) with 409 individuals suffering from insomnia. The patients rated their severity of insomnia on average of 6.6 (normal scale ratings 1 -10 while 10 as worst insomnia). After utilizing the flowers of cannabis, the mean rating for insomnia was 2.2 indicating the impacts of cannabinoids in reducing insomnia. This investigation was carried with cannabis flower, that’s why the exact compound (CBD/THC/other cannabinoids) is not sure in minimizing insomnia. It doesn’t directly answer if CBD makes you sleepy but it’s a start.

Is CBD Safe?

Only a few people suffer from side effects given below on taking CBD in greater doses, however, they are still worth noting. If you experience side effects following CBD ingestion, consult with a doctor immediately.

  • Sleepiness
  • Dry mouth
  • Diarrhea
  • Tiredness
  • Alterations in hunger and weight

To conclude, CBD oil is generally safe to consume unless you have a rare allergy to it or one of the few ingredients. Furthermore, studies show that there is a definitive relationship between CBD oil and sleep. If you have problems sleeping, consider using CBD before seeking prescription medication. Finally, if you are able to consult a doctor before going on a CBD regimen, please do so.