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Overview:
Recommended taking CBD or CBN 1 hour before sleep or a long period of rest. Learn more about why, how, and what CBD and CBN do for sleep below.
According to a recent Gallup poll, the average American gets around 6.8 hours of sleep per night, down by more than an hour since 1942. The latest results are a continuation of a decades-long trend showing that up to forty percent of the population are sleep-deprived on an ongoing basis. Only 29 percent of people get the CDC-recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, and a staggering 14 percent get five hours or less.
These data are worrying because there are a host of health problems associated with lack of sleep. Older people, for instance, are at a higher risk of kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, heart disease, and depression. Among younger people, lack of sleep also dramatically increases the risk of injury and may contribute to early death.
There are personal costs, too. Feeling tired all the time is unpleasant. Lack of sleep can affect relationships, work performance, and a person’s ability to achieve their goals in life. Researchers value the non-financial cost of inadequate sleep on well-being at $27.33 billion.
The reasons for today’s population-wide sleep deficit are complex. Many factors are likely to play a role. However, researchers have found two potential underlying causes that bring everything together: stress and a culture of constant connection. People are unable to switch off in the evenings because of the need to communicate with work, activating the sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system (“rest-and-digest”) remains under-activated, preventing individuals from getting the restful sleep they need.
Physicians prescribe a host of pharmaceutical medications for sleeplessness and insomnia. However, these come with a host of side effects, including burning or tingling sensations in the body, constipation, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, headaches, and addiction. Furthermore, many drugs fail to improve sleep quality, leaving users feeling groggy in the morning.
Fortunately, there may be natural alternatives. CBD oil, for instance, is touted as a substance that can dramatically improve sleep quality without the same side effects as conventional medications.
In this post, we explore how CBD oil improves sleep, when to take it, and its potential side effects. Read on to learn more.
Researchers are still uncovering the mechanisms that CBD uses to improve sleep quality. However, many now believe that it helps to preserve chemicals that activate the parasympathetic nervous system. More specifically, the hemp-derived compound may work by preventing the reuptake of the body’s bliss molecule, anandamide, and crowding out other processes that cause anxiety and heightened states of alertness. By boosting the production of endogenous cannabinoids, it regulates mood, pain, inflammatory processes, memory, and, most critically, sleep.
Interestingly, CBD may also assist with sleep via a secondary channel: reducing cortisol levels. The body releases cortisol during episodes of stress to increase oxygenation to the muscles and prepare the person for an attack. Short-term increases like this are healthy. But when cortisol remains chronically elevated, it can affect sleep-wake cycles, making it harder to go to sleep and increasing the risk of early morning wakefulness. However, researchers found taking CBD lowers cortisol levels, suggesting that it may be a sedative, too.
The evidence that cannabinoids improve sleep is substantial. Slumber CBN, for instance, commissioned a third-party study on the combination of CBN and THC on sleep. Researchers found that the compounds helped 82 percent of participants stay asleep for longer, and 80 percent to fall back to sleep more easily after waking in the night. 82 percent also reported that they were able to achieve more quality sleep than before, with 70 percent saying that cannabinoids from the brand were more effective than other sleep aids.
A recent review of the medical literature also found substantial evidence of CBD’s ability to improve sleep. Preliminary findings, according to the research, suggest that cannabidiol may have “therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia.” Furthermore, “[THC] may decrease sleep latency.” “CBD may hold promise for REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness.” One published study found that CBD was able to improve sleep scores in 48 patients taking the compound, primarily because it helped to reduce nighttime anxiety.
Researchers are still investigating precisely how CBD affects the body, why it might improve sleep, and when to take it. However, clinical and personal user experience is providing some insights.
Generally, CBD acts as a calming stimulant when taken in small doses, and a larger sedative when consumed in larger amounts. In fact, anxiety studies tend to use small doses (perhaps 25 mg) per day, while sleep studies often get participants to take significantly more of the compound, up to 160 mg per day. Despite the high doses, though, most patients appear to tolerate CBD well. Only 3 of the 48 patients in the above study reported any kind of negative side effect from consuming CBD daily for several weeks.
Even so, there is considerable variation among individuals. Because of this, you’ll need to carefully calibrate how much CBD you take. The best approach is to start with a small dose, say, 30 mg per day, and build from there. People with anxiety can take between 300 and 600 mg per day, often in the form of oils or edibles with high CBD concentrations.
For sleep, the current consensus view is that people should take anywhere from 40 mg to 160 mg per day. Vendors and commentators recommend starting at the low end, between 40 mg and 60 mg, and seeing if you experience any improvement. If there is no change in your sleeplessness, increase your intake in 20 mg increments every week until you reach a sedative effect that works for you.
CBD typically persists for between 2 and 6 hours in the body. The length of the effect depends on how much you take, your metabolism, and your body weight. If you are heavier or take a large amount, it may stay in your system for longer.
CBN is another cannabinoid (from the same family of compounds as CBD) touted as a sleep aid. Experts recommend adults take 10mg of CBD 30 minutes to an hour before sleeping orally, holding the oil under the tongue for 20 seconds before swallowing.
People take CBD in low doses at any time of the day for pain and anxiety. However, if your goal is sedation and better sleep (and you’re consuming high doses) then you’ll want to take the product CBD before bed, about an hour before you plan on hitting the sack.
For better sleep, take CBD at night in a form that will let it absorb into the body faster. Many people with insomnia find placing oil from a tincture under their tongue is the most effective approach. Allow it to sit under the tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing.
The side effects of CBD are minimal. Most people tolerate it well. However, the compound may cause reduced appetite, diarrhea, and dry mouth in some people. It may also interact with other medications, such as blood thinners, increasing bleeding risk.
Adverse reactions to CBD products can occur, but they are rarely a reaction to the cannabidiol itself. Rather, they happen because of other substances that non-isolates contain. For instance, some users have allergies to terpenes found in full-spectrum CBD oil and MCT oil, a derivative of coconut. They may also respond to trace levels of THC found in some products, though that is less likely. With that said, all of these effects are rare.
The most common problem is CBD brands misrepresent their products. Some may contain irregular doses of CBD, and others may not contain any of the compound at all.
Because of this, consumers must do their research before purchasing any CBD oils or similar products. Always choose brands that display the full list of ingredients on the product packaging. Look for high-quality, U.S.-made products, made from domestic, regulated help plants. Avoid brands that add fillers, byproducts, or chemicals to their products. Ensure that any CBD you buy clearly states both CBD and THC concentrations, and how much you should take each day for various conditions, including sleeplessness.
The best brands use third-party product quality testing from independent analysts. This way, they can prove that their products do indeed contain the CBD concentrations they claim.
As mentioned above, CBD is not the only cannabinoid that may help induce sleep. CBN, or cannabinol, may also have profound sleep-inducing effects. Because both compounds operate through different channels, combining both may help to induce sleep even faster.
At Slumber, we want you to be happy with your products and help ensure you get a better night’s sleep. We have a 3-Day CBN Sleep Kit and 6-day Sleep Kits to help you check out the benefits of CBN without committing to a full bottle. If you’re interested in discovering the benefits of CBN, check out the full Slumber product range.
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