Getting a good night’s sleep is important to your well-being and overall health. Most sleep experts suggest adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep. Proper sleep is important to ensure you feel well-rested. Without adequate sleep, you won’t have the energy you need for the next day. Getting a good night’s sleep is also helpful for the memory, growing and repairing tissue and muscles, and it helps boost the immune system, which helps prevent sickness.
The problem is that sometimes sleepers have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Most people do not get more than six hours of sleep each night. A lot of people look for natural sleep aids to help enhance their sleep health. One increasingly popular strategy for helping get better sleep is taking CBD products. CBD is useful for improving sleep and decreasing anxiety, which is a common sleep disruptor.
How CBD Can Affect Sleep
There have been a few studies that looked at the use of CBD for improving sleep, as well as other health conditions. There has been some evidence that suggests CBD products can help improve sleep. CBD has an effect on an entire network of receptors throughout the body. These receptors control a variety of functions, including pain, metabolism, and memory. This network of receptors is called the endocannabinoid system and it plays a role in helping regulate sleep-related chemicals such as serotonin and the sleep-wake cycle too. Your sleep-wake cycle is what tells your body to get sleepy at night and wake up in the mornings. It is a type of circadian rhythm, or 24-hour biological system that controls bodily functions like metabolism and body temperature. While experts are not sure exactly how CBD may impact sleep, but it does continue to draw scientific interest.
How CBD Improves Sleep
CBD is found naturally in the hemp plant. It interacts with the endocannabinoid system’s receptors in the body. CBD products can help you wind down as they address some of the root problems that hinder sleep such as stress and restlessness. A lot of people don’t realize that their sleep quality is related so closely to stress and maintaining a healthy immune system. Elevated cortisol levels can keep you awake, CBD is thought to decrease them and help keep the body in a state of homeostasis.
If you are new to using CBD, you may want to use CBD products combined with other ingredients such as melatonin that can help you feel relaxed and restful. Getting good sleep and controlling your circadian system are essential to keeping your immune system functioning optimally. If your body doesn’t get enough sleep, your immunity suffers.
CBD for Anxiety
Over half of those who use CBD products take it to treat anxiety. Early research has indicated that CBD may be helpful anti-anxiety. When CBD relieves anxiety, it can mean better sleep for many people. Those who experience anxiety, may have trouble falling asleep. For those with insomnia, they can become anxious about sleep. It’s not yet clear if CBD helps with both sleep and anxiety, or if people just sleep better once anxiety is relieved.
CBD and PTSD
Many people who have sleep problems also suffer from PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. They sometimes deal with insomnia or nightmares too. These problems can lead to sleep deprivation which can complicate PTSD symptoms. CBD may bring some relief by preventing nightmares. Cannabinoids help reduce activity in the part of the brain that controls panic and paranoia.
CBD and Pain Relief
Cannabis has been used for treating pain since medieval times. It can help relieve chronic pain because of its anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. Many people cannot sleep well due to pain. When CBD offers pain relief, sleep is improved.
Does CBD make You Drowsy or High?
The best CBD products will help you ease into sleep, they won’t knock you out like pharmaceutical products. CBD also doesn’t contain THC, which causes psychoactive effects, so it won’t make you feel high. You may want to start with a CBD gummy to help you sleep since it is an easy-to-take format. The goal is to start small to see how it affects you. Then, increase the dosage until you find what works for you. Please note that if your doctor has prescribed something for a sleep disorder, anxiety, or restlessness, CBD is not meant to replace it.
Let Brio Nutrition Help!
Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to start. At Brio Nutrition, we are here to help you find the right CBD product to help you get the results you are looking for. Whether you know where to start, or need a little help - we are here for you!