Home Sleep Wellness What do we know about the link between CBD and sleep?

4 min.

24 May 2022

What do we know about the link between CBD and sleep?

#cbd and sleep #sleeping and cbd #cbd #sleep wellness

Most of the population will have experienced a bad night’s sleep at some point in their lives, but this is usually short lived. However, many can suffer from sleepless nights for a longer period of time, which can sometimes have negative effects on physical and mental health. 

Taking cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis derivative, is becoming more and more popular for attempting to improve sleep and reduce anxiety. To pinpoint the precise effects CBD has on sleep and other issues with physical and mental health, however, much more research is needed to give a definitive answer to whether CBD can help us sleep.

Can CBD help with sleep?

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the body is crucial in controlling a number of biological processes, including sleep, mood, hunger, and metabolism. The main components of the ECS, a comprehensive system, are endocannabinoids (i.e., neurotransmitters), enzymes, and cannabinoid receptors (naturally produced cannabinoids of the human body).

Cannabinoids - the compounds we take in when we consume CBD -  replicate the actions of the body's endocannabinoids through interacting with the ECS in living organisms. Some people refer to the effects of cannabinoids like CBD as giving the ECS a "charge." As a result of its interactions with specific receptors, CBD and other cannabinoids have the ability to affect emotion, stress levels, pain threshold, circulation, and the sleep-wake cycle.

Current research indicates that taking a sufficient dose of CBD before bed can assist people with chronic pain and anxiety. However, studies on this substance very often have conflicting conclusions. CBD has also been shown to have wakefulness-enhancing effects, causing an increase in dopamine, adenosine and monoamines that generally produce excitatory feelings.  

It's important to remember that anxiety and sleep disorders frequently go hand in hand: anxiety can cause poorer sleep quality, and worry can cause sleep deprivation. Insomnia is one sleep problem that sits in this group. Anxiety can make the symptoms of insomnia, which include problems falling and/or staying asleep, worse. The stress hormone, cortisol, normally peaks in the morning, but insomniacs have elevated levels of cortisol in the evening. This can increase anxiety about obtaining little sleep and cause more difficulty falling asleep at night.

People who have insomnia have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep at night. The capacity to concentrate, mood, and daily wakefulness are all impacted by this condition. People with insomnia may have anxiety about getting little sleep because of their pattern of poor sleep, which can worsen their nighttime restlessness. Given the possible benefits of using CBD to treat anxiety, it is believed that CBD may also help lessen the anxiety related to insomnia.

There is not enough research available at this time to evaluate whether CBD is beneficial in treating other medical issues. Preliminary studies, however, indicate that CBD may be able to aid in the treatment of a number of sleep problems, including, REM sleep behaviour disorder, and excessive daytime sleepiness disorder.

When to take CBD oil for sleep

The amount of time it takes for a person to experience the benefits of CBD varies from person to person and may be influenced by things like metabolism, for example. It is generally recommended to take CBD oil around an hour before bed, but as this is not backed by any evidence as of yet, you should speak to a healthcare professional for more advice.

When it comes to the appropriate CBD dosage for sleep, there is no set formula. Those beginning with CBD for sleep are advised to speak with their GP who may be able to give guidance on a dosage to begin with, as tolerance will greatly vary depending on the person. Popular methods of administration for CBD usually come in the form of an oil which can be placed under the tongue and absorbed, or CBD gummies which can be a slightly easier method.

Notably, some research has found that CBD can be more wake-promoting than sleep-inducing in some individuals. These contradictory results were found to be due to a number of factors including administration of the substance, sleep measurement procedures and the subjects themselves, for example, gender, weight, age etc. For this reason, it would be best to seek your general practitioner's opinion before taking CBD. 

Further research and experimentation are still needed to explore why some may experience CBD as being either wake-promoting or sleep inducing. 

Awaken your best with Sunrise by Emma

As you can see, more research is needed before sleep experts can come to a conclusion about whether CBD can help you sleep. There are many other ways to promote a restful night’s sleep, which you can find in our sleep wellness and sleep health pages. You can also browse our range of scientifically proven sleep products such as mattresses and pillows, which may help with certain sleep disorders, or just allow you to awaken your best.

Awaken your best with Sunrise by Emma

As you can see, more research is needed before sleep experts can come to a conclusion about whether CBD can help you sleep. There are many other ways to promote a restful night’s sleep, which you can find in our sleep wellness and sleep health pages. You can also browse our range of scientifically proven sleep products such as mattresses and pillows, which may help with certain sleep disorders, or just allow you to awaken your best.

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Chronotypes: What are they and how to determine your Chronotype

The inherent predisposition of your body to feel sleepy at a specific hour, or what most people refer to as being a morning lark or a night owl, is known as Chronotype. Your Chronotype affects nutrition, exertion, and core body temperature, in addition to regulating sleep and wake periods. It is the cause of you feeling more alert at certain times of the day and sleepier at others. Chronotype is a concept that represents the subjective timing of experiencing energy and fatigue peaks during the day.And, it is the aftereffect of the individual difference in timing of the body clock related to the day (I.e., the frequency and periodicity of hormone production, blood pressure changes, body temperature dips and trough, among many others).

Chronotypes: What are they and how to determine your Chronotype

The inherent predisposition of your body to feel sleepy at a specific hour, or what most people refer to as being a morning lark or a night owl, is known as Chronotype. Your Chronotype affects nutrition, exertion, and core body temperature, in addition to regulating sleep and wake periods. It is the cause of you feeling more alert at certain times of the day and sleepier at others. Chronotype is a concept that represents the subjective timing of experiencing energy and fatigue peaks during the day.And, it is the aftereffect of the individual difference in timing of the body clock related to the day (I.e., the frequency and periodicity of hormone production, blood pressure changes, body temperature dips and trough, among many others).

Should I Keep a Sleep Diary?

Have you ever kept a diary in your life? There was probably a time during your school age years where you wrote your personal thoughts and feelings in a diary and kept it somewhere close to you. Like you, many other school age children start to write a diary in primary school. Generally, teachers encourage this behaviour and teach the importance of having a diary where you can write about intimate thoughts, and note down feelings, worries, dreams, and emotions. The idea is for the diary to help us observe ourselves in a more detached manner when we read our thoughts so we can have a more objective view of our lives. 

Should I Keep a Sleep Diary?

Have you ever kept a diary in your life? There was probably a time during your school age years where you wrote your personal thoughts and feelings in a diary and kept it somewhere close to you. Like you, many other school age children start to write a diary in primary school. Generally, teachers encourage this behaviour and teach the importance of having a diary where you can write about intimate thoughts, and note down feelings, worries, dreams, and emotions. The idea is for the diary to help us observe ourselves in a more detached manner when we read our thoughts so we can have a more objective view of our lives. 

Sleep Meditation: Secret to Better Sleep

Have you ever experienced trouble in falling asleep?  You close your eyes but your mind keeps spinning so you cannot fall asleep? Well, sometimes our minds just won’t stop bothering us – and that’s where meditation can help. To fall asleep, our body and mind need to calm down and relax. Sounds simple, right? However, many people find this utterly difficult to do. Meditation, as a relaxation technique, may help you to quiet your body and mind while enhancing inner peace and balance. This is especially useful when you start focusing on worrisome thoughts at night in bed a time when you are not as easily distracted by other things as during the day.

Sleep Meditation: Secret to Better Sleep

Have you ever experienced trouble in falling asleep?  You close your eyes but your mind keeps spinning so you cannot fall asleep? Well, sometimes our minds just won’t stop bothering us – and that’s where meditation can help. To fall asleep, our body and mind need to calm down and relax. Sounds simple, right? However, many people find this utterly difficult to do. Meditation, as a relaxation technique, may help you to quiet your body and mind while enhancing inner peace and balance. This is especially useful when you start focusing on worrisome thoughts at night in bed a time when you are not as easily distracted by other things as during the day.

Does Seasonal Affective Disorder Affect Sleep?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression with a seasonal rhythm and is quite common among adults in the UK. Symptoms of SAD usually start to be recognised during the autumnal months and will gradually start to fade in the spring.  As SAD is not uncommon in the UK, it’s important to remember you’re not alone if you feel a little more down than usual when the colder months arrive. One vital part of our lives that SAD can affect is our sleep pattern, but do you sleep less when you're SAD, and is insomnia a symptom of SAD? This guide discusses the causes, symptoms and science behind seasonal affective disorder, and how it affects our sleep health.

Does Seasonal Affective Disorder Affect Sleep?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression with a seasonal rhythm and is quite common among adults in the UK. Symptoms of SAD usually start to be recognised during the autumnal months and will gradually start to fade in the spring.  As SAD is not uncommon in the UK, it’s important to remember you’re not alone if you feel a little more down than usual when the colder months arrive. One vital part of our lives that SAD can affect is our sleep pattern, but do you sleep less when you're SAD, and is insomnia a symptom of SAD? This guide discusses the causes, symptoms and science behind seasonal affective disorder, and how it affects our sleep health.