We all know what sleep is. We all know we need it. Getting your head down for 8 hours a night is perfect for every well functioning adult, right? No phone, no TV, try to include reading, meditating or a nice long walk into your evening routine and you’ve got it all figured out. If it was as simple as that, however, we would have a world with minimal stress, a distinct lack of illness and a well rested population having highly productive days consistently, day after day. With the busy hustle and bustle of life constantly getting in the way, sleep often falls down the priority list and we end up squeezing in a few hours whenever we get the chance. Although we’re told how sleep is key to our physical and mental health by professionals, we still feel the need to bump it for other things on our list. Unfortunately, these few hours are just not enough in most cases as it actually comes down to the quality of sleep that we are getting and it is highly unlikely that the entire time we are in our beds is filled with high quality sleep – unless you already have a solid evening wind-down routine in place. Quite often, you may find you’re only getting around half the amount of sleep you should be, perhaps even less.
CBD AND SLEEP
Sleep issues are one of the main reasons people turn to CBD. Whether it is stress keeping you up, pain issues, or general insomnia, many are reaching for cannabis and CBD. Research regarding CBD and other cannabinoids for sleep is still in its infancy, but there may be both positives a negative regarding CBD and cannabis use for sleep. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the two main cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the other main cannabinoid, CBD does not have intoxicating properties, and instead of getting a person ‘high’, it offers a range of health benefits, such as pain relief. Recent research shows that CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps maintain a state of stability within the body by regulating hormone levels, coordinating the immune system, and also adjusting sleep/wake cycles.
HOW DOES POOR SLEEP AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?
It is thought that a third of all Americans suffer from poor quality sleep. Inadequate sleep can lead to a myriad of health issues ranging from mood swings and poor motivation to more serious illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, depression and anxiety, to name just a few. Even more concerning is our mortality rate, which can also be affected by the quality of our sleep. The aforementioned ailments can all develop into seriously life threatening conditions, if not addressed, and lack of sleep can be a silent killer alone. To treat sleeping disturbances, most people take pharmaceutical sleep aids such as Melatonin and Benadryl. However, the long-term use of these medications can be harmful, especially for mental health, and more natural alternatives (such as CBD patches, tinctures, drops, sprays) with less or no side-effects are now being considered.
HOW CAN CBD IMPACT SLEEP?
Modern research suggests that taking CBD for sleep problems can help achieve a good night’s slumber. From reducing anxiety, stress and pain to regulating sleep cycles, there are many ways CBD can help improve your quality of sleep. The dosage of CBD to be effective, and the time you take it depends on many factors – weight, body chemistry, and most importantly the nature of your sleeping problems. Most clinical trials evaluating CBD and sleep involved giving subjects somewhere between 25mg -1,500 mg of CBD per day. For CBD oil, a half a dropper per day suffices. It’s advised to begin with a low dosage and progressively increase it until you find a mark that works for you. Be patient, results will eventually come! CBD can be administered in many ways – oils, capsules, and edibles such as gummies. At Trupotency, there are a wide variety of CBD products specially designed to help relieve your sleeping problems.
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