Does CBD help improve sleep?

Have you ever had sleepless nights, or even sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep?

CBD may be able to help.

Anyone who’s ever suffered insomnia, knows how disruptive to mental function a poor night’s sleep can be. Chronic sleep issues have been implicated in mental health issues, major health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and impaired driving. Clearly, sleep is essential to good health; but as many as one-third of adults report that they don’t get enough sleep. As a result, they turn to remedies like CBD Oil to fix the problem.

Some research shows that CBD can positively affect the sleep cycle. Research from 2014 looked at four patients with Parkinson’s disease. It found that CBD improved the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a disorder in which a person acts out their dreams. RBD is associated with poor sleep and nightmares.

Researchers and regular users of CBD increasingly recognize the medicinal properties of CBD, especially for regulating hormones and balancing the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

Cannabinoids like CBD, CBG and CBN work on us by imitating and producing proteins (lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters)  our bodies produces naturally. Because of this similarity, it can interact with a network of receptors known as the endocannabinoid system. From brain cells to immune cells, this regulates a huge variety of processes in the body. And when it comes to sleep issues, there are a few mechanisms by which CBD could help.

First, CBD may be able to help us deal with some of the underlying issues that cause sleepless nights. By reducing pain and inflammation, or dialing down our anxiety, CBD may help to eliminate obstacles to getting the rest we need.  

Additionally, CBD is thought to impact sleep by influencing the levels of serotonin and glutamate in the body. Scientists believe that these neurotransmitters play a significant role in sleep, so CBD’s effectiveness may be the result of bringing these levels into balance.

Much research still needs to be done but CBD has already been shown to not only fight certain complaints but also help prevent them. However, at this stage it is wise to consider CBD as a nutritional supplement rather than a medication.