Having trouble sleeping lately? If you’ve counted an armada of sheep and you’re still not drifting off, it might be time to start looking for alternative solutions.
A number of insomniacs have started taking CBD to turn their slumber from restless to restful. Here’s how hemp can help you banish sleepless nights and embrace sweet dreams.
Relaxation
Many insomniacs can’t seem to disconnect from their worries or even from tomorrow’s checklist–and it results in them tossing and turning for half the night. But CBD happens to help combat those racing thoughts. It’s capacity as a stress reliever has been documented in a number of studies. In fact, one 2015 report included all of 49 primary preclinical, clinical, and epidemiological studies on the subject.
Research has found that one of the many neurotransmitters CBD stimulates is 5-HT1A (a receptor which is believed to play a strong role in anxiety disorders). CBD also helps give our endocannabinoid system a boost. This system helps our bodies function in numerous ways (including the processing and releasing of fears). All that to say, CBD is certainly worth a try as a calming solution.
Cortisol Levels
One reason that CBD leaves you well-rested has to do with cortisol (also known as the stress hormone). If your body is doing what it’s supposed to do, your cortisol levels will peak mid-morning… But as one study found, insomniacs tend to have higher cortisol levels in the evening, causing that nighttime restlessness.
Now what if we counteract that with CBD? Another study discovered that when patients were given 300 mg or 600 mg of CBD doses, their cortisol levels decreased! That’s a success in our books.
Pain Alleviation
Reports say that those suffering from chronic pain often wake up unrefreshed because their sleep is less deep or because they drift in and out of sleep throughout the night. Constantly waking up is particularly detrimental because it disturbs our sleep cycle. Why? Because to sleep well, we must go through a cycle of light sleep, slow-wave sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep… and most adults need four or five undisturbed sleep cycles to function at their best.
It goes without saying then that you would enhance your sleep cycle if you found a way to alleviate those aches and pains. Fortunately for you, pain relief happens to be the number one most common reason people take CBD. That’s because hemp has anti-inflammatory properties.
Without dragging you into a full-blow science lesson, CBD positively impacts two molecules important to the inflammation process: cytokines and COX2. But if you want all the gritty details, check out our in-depth article on the topic here.
How should you take your CBD?
Convinced and ready to give CBD a try? There are a few options available to you. Sleep formula capsules or a CBD tincture with melatonin will cater specifically to your needs.
Also make to try out our lavender-scented Sweet Dreams bath bomb because a hot bath before bed also increases the likelihood of a great night’s sleep. Learn more about CBD bath bombs and their benefits here.
Written by:
Johanna H17 Mar 2021