How to Use CBD for Sleep: The Ultimate Guide
CBD is short for cannabidiol and it’s one of the main active ingredients in the cannabis or marijuana plant, cannabis sativa. However, unlike its psychoactive cousin, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD won’t leave you feeling intoxicated or get you high. It’s also perfectly legal in the UK.
Used for centuries as a sleep aid, a pain reliever and a health tonic, it has become more popular recently with the general public thanks to the many positive effects it can have on the body. For example, it can:
- Help you feel calm and relaxed
- Reduce your anxiety
- Ease depression
- Improve the quality of your sleep
- Reduce pain and inflammation
- Improve acne and inflammatory skin disorders
- Help neurological disorders such as epilepsy
- Improve your heart health
In this article, we will be taking a closer look at how CBD can help promote restful sleep so you can look and feel at your best.
How does CBD work to improve sleep?
Although scientists aren’t entirely sure how CBD improves sleep, it appears to interact with the GABA and serotonin receptors in a system in our body called the endocannabinoid system, or ECS.
This natural system helps promote balance within the body, supporting the immune system, reducing stress, promoting optimal nervous system function, and regulating our sleep patterns. Although our bodies produce the chemicals we need for the ECS system to function, CBD can give it the extra support it needs.
This means our natural sleep cycles can work as they should, we can produce sleep hormones such as melatonin, our muscles can relax and, excitingly, our brain waves naturally flow through the correct stages when we’re asleep.
It’s also worth mentioning that both stress and anxiety play a huge role in your ability to get the sleep you need.
You’ve almost certainly noticed how much harder it is to sleep when you have things on your mind. CBD can help with this too, decreasing how much time it takes you to feel relaxed and ready for bed, and helping you to drop off quickly.
This isn’t just anecdotal evidence, either. A 2019 study found that patients' anxiety levels reduced by 79% and their sleep improved by 67% within the first month of using CBD for sleep.
How does CBD compare to other sleep aids?
The best part about taking CBD is that it doesn’t affect how you feel during the day, unlike many other prescriptions and over the counter sleep aids can.
There are no drowsy side effects, no brain fog or hangover and you can be just as productive and efficient as you usually would. It’s also 100% natural and safe, making it great for those who’d prefer to avoid chemicals or prefer a gentler alternative to drugs.
How to use CBD for sleep?
Although CBD can be an effective solution for insomnia, it’s important not to expect too much when you first try it. Sleep problems can be complex and it will take time to learn what works best for you and find your optimal dose. Here are some tips that can help:
- Get to the root of your problem: What is your sleep problem? What do you hope to fix? Is there anything specific that keeps you awake at night? Take time to think through the root causes of your sleep issue before you start using CBD. There may be something keeping you awake that you haven’t yet considered. Finding and addressing them can make a big difference.
- Find the right CBD product for you: Resist the temptation to buy the first CBD product you see and instead look for a high-quality CBD productfrom a brand you can trust. Ideally, you should also be able to control your dosage as needed.
- Make CBD a part of your bedtime routine:Poor sleep hygiene makes a big difference to the quality of your sleep so create your own bedtime routine. Switch off your screens at least an hour before bed, then read, take a bath, pray, meditate and use your CBD oil. This will tell your body that it’s time for bed and help you drop off faster
- Adjust your dose. There’s no such thing as a ‘correct dose’ of CBD for sleep. It depends on a variety of factors such as your metabolism and your sensitivity to CBD. That’s why you should frequently check your dose and adjust accordingly to find your CBD sweet spot. Our CBD cocktails allow you to do just that. Why not try our full-bodied Citrus Grove CBD beverage today?
Summary
If you’re looking for a natural way to overcome your insomnia and improve your sleep quality, CBD can be an excellent solution.
By supporting your body’s natural systems, regulating your natural sleep-wake cycles, reducing stress and anxiety, and helping to ease muscle tension, it can help you fall asleep faster and get the rest you deserve.
About the author:
Kamila is a bestselling author of “Bespoke. How to radically grow your bar and restaurant business through personalisation”, and passionate trend-spotter for the UK Eating Out market with thousands of followers on her widely popular blog kamilasitwell.co.uk.
With a decade of hands-on experience collaborating with hospitality influencers and insight experts and background in setting strategies for leading brands, Kamila has become the industry champion for truly bespoke and guest-centric experiences.
Intrigued? Learn more:
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Marketing Manager for Fortune 100 Enterprise, Artist, and Part-time Sports Cameraman/Producer
4yNeed to get my hands on some!
CHICHE COMMUNICATION🖤💛 Social & Digital Strategy Marketing & Communication / Content Creator / Sound Designer / Project Visionary
4yI believe in the efficacy of CBD, my specific question is the dosage levels and quality of CBD required to actually elicit those effects and benefits.
Music business, tech, and helping scale creator businesses. Forbes 30 Under 30.
4yNo matter who recommends the product, it is so important to do your own research and learn as much as possible about the source and quality of the products. CBD products often come with a high price tag so it is important to look into the brand and their supply chain before purchasing the products!
Top Voice de LinkedIn | Growth Marketing, Data Science, Prompt Engineering e IA | Experto en Transformación Digital y Estrategias de Datos | Docente y Conferencista | Mentor | 9.3k seguidores
4yReally appreciate the way you address public concerns around CBD – no bogus claims, no absurd promises…just plain fact!
CXplained Project Manager | Growth Marketing @TalentPop | ex @lemlist
4yPerfectly said, people who never thought of trying it are now seen being intrigued by it! These times are going to draw a completely new group of users to CBD!