For those who have never suffered from insomnia, it’s hard to understand the reach and severity of its long-term effects. While the occasional sleepless night causes little worry, prolonged sleep deprivation is another beast entirely. It’s difficult to comprehend the frustration inherent in it; the internal pleading with one’s mind to shut off and allow you to sleep. Coming with a host of negative side effects, including irritability, anxiety, depression and lack of focus, insomnia can start to impact every area of an individual’s life. It leaves sufferers with an obvious question: ‘how can I combat my condition and regain some semblance of normality?’. For some, CBD products may just be the solution they were waiting for.
WHAT IS INSOMNIA?
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. Believed to affect as many as a whopping one in three people, it comes with a range of frustrating symptoms, including difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. While it influences different individuals to varying degrees, its effects are not only felt nocturnally; it can also impact the hours when you’re awake. For example, those suffering with chronic insomnia may feel tired throughout the entire day – every day. Some people describe it as sapping their energy, and it can impact your mood, health, professional performance and broader quality of life, too. Common symptoms include:
- Disturbed sleep
- Trouble falling asleep
- Waking up before you’ve had enough sleep
- Not feeling well-rested after you’ve slept
- Daytime lethargy and tiredness
- Difficulty focusing, forgetfulness and inattention
- An increased likelihood of errors and accidents
In some severe instances, the long-term effects of insomnia also extend to irritability, anxiousness, exhaustion and depression.
WHO GETS INSOMNIA AND WHY?
Although we already concluded that an estimated third of adults will encounter insomnia, this number includes both very mild and very severe cases. This means that most of us will have trouble sleeping at some point in our lives, but how much this impacts us will vary from person to person. It’s important to note that insomnia is not only about how much sleep you’re getting. While most adults require seven to eight hours a night, it can also be normal to need more or less. Rather, it comes down to whether the amount you’re getting is sufficient for you. So why might you suffer from insomnia? Most adults will experience short-term sleep issues at one point or another, usually connected to temporary worries. Typically, this will last for days or weeks, but when it endures for a month or more, it develops into a condition known as chronic insomnia. There are a number of reasons why you might be impacted. Most commonly, insomnia is linked to stress or emotional trauma, whether this derives from bereavement, divorce or financial worries. However, certain lifestyle factors can also be implicated, such as changes in work shifts or frequent traveling. That’s because these disrupt your body’s biological clock, meaning it’s unsure of when it should be sleeping. Poor sleeping habits can be problematic, too, such as napping during the day, not having a set bedtime or overstimulating your mind before you turn in for the night. A proper nighttime routine could therefore make all the difference to how you sleep. Certain medical conditions could also be the cause, including mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Medications can be implicated too, along with sleep-related illnesses such as sleep apnea and dietary stimulants like tea and coffee. Insomnia also becomes more common as you age. Those most at risk of suffering from insomnia include:
- Women
- Individuals over 60
- Those with physical or mental disorders
- Individuals who are stressed
- People with an irregular sleep schedule
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO AVOID INSOMNIA?
Some of the causes of insomnia are beyond our control, such as medical issues, stress and aging. However, there are certain ways to reduce one’s risk factors. These include reviewing your sleeping environment, routine and diet. For starters, sticking to a regular bedtime can make a big difference. This means having a fixed time for turning in, avoiding longer naps during the day and spending a few hours before bed winding down. Try to avoid screen time from around 9pm onwards, as well. Next, evaluate your sleeping environment. Is it dark enough? If not, invest in blackout curtains or an eye mask. Is it quiet? If the answer is ‘no’, find a solution to fix this. Are you comfortable or would you do well to invest in a new mattress? Another risk factor that can be crossed off is nutrition. Look not only at what you’re consuming as part of your diet, but your eating habits too – when and where. Snacking in bed should be avoided and you don’t want to take your meals too late in the day, which can cause physical discomfort and sleeplessness, whether due to heartburn, acid or an energy rush before bed. Finally, try to identify whether you should remove any foods from your diet. Caffeine can act as a stimulant, so try not to drink tea, coffee or other caffeinated drinks after 4pm. Nicotine can have the same effect, so smoking could be a trigger. Lastly, look at your alcohol intake: too much can cause you to wake at random times throughout the night.
WHAT ARE THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF DEALING WITH INSOMNIA?
As we mentioned earlier, insomnia can have some serious and detrimental long term effects, which is why it’s a good idea to address it early on. These include not only an increased risk of accidents and injuries, but mood swings, anxiety disorders, depression and an inability to focus. While these can clearly have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing and professional performance, there are also certain health issues linked to the long term effects of insomnia, including an increased risk of:
- Diabetes
- Heart attack
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Stroke
WHEN SHOULD ONE LOOK TO USE A SLEEPING AID?
While insomnia is common, it can nonetheless be difficult to deal with, and once it begins to impact your daily life — it may be time to consider a sleeping aid. There are various options available, from over-the-counter sleeping tablets to prescription medications and other natural remedies such as CBD oil for sleep.
WHAT KIND OF CBD PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT SOMEONE DEALING WITH INSOMNIA?
For those considering CBD as an option, there are a number of products to choose from. These typically combine various cannabinoids with terpenes and other ingredients to produce a supplement designed to combat stress and soreness. These include:
- Liposomal CBD and melatonin capsules (declining levels of the latter in older adults is a common cause of insomnia)
- Hemp extract infused gummies
- Hemp infused patches
- CBD oil for sleep
- Broad-spectrum cannabinoid tinctures
- CBD sleep creams
This means there are plenty of products to explore if you’d like to try CBD as a sleep aid.
ARE THERE ANY RISKS OR KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS TO TAKING SLEEPING AIDS?
CBD products have very few documented side effects, but like any supplement, prescription or herbal medication, they can occasionally cause minor issues. While CBD oil for sleep is usually well-tolerated, these include:
- Diarrhea
- Drowsiness
- A dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Reduced appetite
They can also, on occasion, interact with certain medicines, such as blood thinners. This is something you should check with a professional before you try them.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU TAKE SLEEP AID PRODUCTS?
As a rule, most sleep aid products are not recommended for use beyond two to four weeks. If your issue hasn’t resolved by this time, medical experts recommend using these only as and when necessary hereafter. However, this is very much a blanket statement and will differ from sleep aid to sleep aid. For this reason, it’s always advised that you read the information leaflet that comes with the product to see whether there are any limitations on how often and for how long it should be used.
IS THIS A LONG TERM SOLUTION FOR RELIEVING THE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC INSOMNIA?
As mentioned previously, some sleep aids can only be used for a finite amount of time, while others are safe to take over a prolonged period. This is entirely dependent upon the individual product, but if you’re suffering from long term or chronic insomnia, we’d recommend consulting with a medical professional to see what they advise. If your insomnia endures, you may be best looking for the root cause, as many sleep aids become less effective over time. However, in the case of CBD oil specifically, numerous studies have indicated that this is well tolerated even when used in the long term.
OTHER OPTIONS TO EXPLORE
If you decide that CBD products are not the right choice for you, you have lots of other options, many of them explored in the body of this article. These include making healthier lifestyle choices, tweaking your diet and trying over-the-counter medications. In more severe cases of insomnia, it may also be worth speaking to your doctor to see whether they can prescribe you a suitable medication or else refer you to a specialist in order to find the root cause.
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