CBD FOR SLEEP
Insomnia is a very common problem in our society with sleep deprivation having a massive effect on health, well-being, and productivity.
People often want to find ways to overcome sleep problems in a more natural way without the use of prescription medications that can produce negative side effects.
For that reason, more and more people are finding relief with CBD oil which helps with sleep problems linked to both physical and emotional factors while also restoring balance in the body.
In this article, we discuss the different types of insomnia, the consequences of sleep deprivation, and how CBD works on the body to help with sleep.
WHAT IS INSOMNIA?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep. This can include sleep disturbances like waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, or feeling tired upon waking up to start the day. Luckily, CBD can help with these common problems!
There are a few different types of insomnia including primary and secondary. Primary insomnia occurs when someone has sleep problems that are not related to any other health condition. Secondary insomnia means that someone has sleep problems linked to other health conditions, medications, substances, or chronic stress.
Insomnia also ranges in how long it can last and can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Chronic insomnia occurs for a minimum of 3 nights per week for a month or longer. Insomnia can come and go with periods of time where no sleep disturbances are experienced.
There are a number of reasons why someone could experience short-term insomnia like significant life stress from the change in job, finances, or relationships, illness, emotional or physical discomfort, environmental factors like noise, lighting, temperature, changes to schedule or routine, and some medications.
Reasons for long-term insomnia could include depression or anxiety, chronic stress, and pain or discomfort at night. CBD can help with the majority of these issues which impact sleep either directly or indirectly.
CONSEQUENCES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep habits which can help to limit sleep deprivation. And boost your health. Getting proper sleep is about more than the number of hours you sleep every night. The quality of sleep is just as important, if not more than the number of hours you get per night.
Our body recovers and rejuvenates during sleep, so sleep deprivation can result in general tiredness, irritability, weight gain, mood disorders, premature aging, low immune system, heart problems, and reduced concentration and memory. This can truly affect your well-being and the standard of your life for negative. Again, CBD can help with a number of these symptoms in addition to tackling the main problem of sleep.
WHAT IS CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound that comes from the cannabis plant. There is a certain type of chemical called cannabinoid. The best-known cannabinoid is THC from the marijuana plant, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which produces psychoactive effects resulting in a high. However, there are multiple cannabinoids that do not produce a high or any kind of change in the mental state: one of them is CBD.
HOW DOES CBD WORK IN THE BODY?
Our body contains a biological system that is capable of interacting with active chemical compounds like CBD and THC. This is called the endocannabinoid system and it serves the vital purpose of regulating key aspects of our biology in order to maintain health and well-being. It also helps to maintain homeostasis in the body which allows our cells to function at optimal levels.
This is important since most biological systems are actively regulated to maintain the internal environment conditions within a narrow range. This can include mechanisms to keep consistent body temperature and blood sugar levels.
Therefore, the endocannabinoid system is also linked to digestion, metabolism, chronic pain, inflammation, mood, learning, memory, motor control, muscle formation, bone growth, and heart function. It holds the responsibility of regulating a number of different functions and processes including sleep, mood, appetite, memory, and reproduction.
Both humans and animals contain an endocannabinoid system that includes cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and metabolic enzymes. Cannabinoid receptors are found on the surface of cells that listen to conditions outside the cell and transmit information regarding changing conditions inside the cell allowing for the proper cell response.
The two major cannabinoid receptors are called CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are the most abundant in the brain and CB2 receptors are most abundant outside of the nervous system. However, both can be found throughout the entire human body.
Endocannabinoids are molecules that bind to and activate the cannabinoid receptors. Unlike THC, these are produced by cells in the human body and are like fat molecules within cell membranes. They are produced by the body exactly when needed rather than packaged and stored for later use like some other biological molecules.
Metabolic enzymes break down endocannabinoids once they are used. They ensure that endocannabinoids get used when needed but not for longer than necessary. This distinguishes them from most other molecular signals in the body like hormones or neurotransmitters which can persist for a longer period of time and can be packaged and stored for later use.
HOW DOES CBD HELP WITH SLEEP?
The good news is that CBD can help with the different kinds of insomnia due to both physical and emotional factors and for both primary and secondary types of insomnia including acute and chronic.
PHYSICAL
To begin with the physical component, CBD is known to be an analgesic and anti-inflammatory which means it can greatly help with pain management and general healing.
If someone is suffering from any kind of physical ailment that prevents them from feeling comfortable at night, CBD will be very helpful in this respect.
This will not only directly help with primary insomnia but it will also help with secondary insomnia that is linked to other health conditions being present. This can include any kinds of conditions that promote pain in the body in addition to other uncomfortable symptoms like restless legs.
In addition, CBD helps to balance out the hormones in the body, some of which are critical to the process of sleep. CBD acts on cortisol and as a result melatonin receptors in the endocannabinoid system which are responsible for our sleep and wake cycles throughout the day.
We want our cortisol levels to be high in the morning to promote alertness and low in the evening in order to allow us to sleep. Cortisol is also the stress hormone that can further contribute to anxiety levels if left unchecked.
Consequently, we want our melatonin levels to be low in the morning and higher in the evening promoting a feeling of calm so that we can more easily drift off to sleep at night. Therefore, CBD can help to balance out these hormones so that they are at the proper levels throughout the day.
EMOTIONAL
To cover the emotional benefits, we know that chronic stress can greatly contribute to both primary and secondary insomnia since stress not only directly influences sleep but also other health conditions that can affect sleep.
Chronic stress can also influence some common mental health conditions that can further contribute to insomnia like anxiety and depression.
The good news is that CBD can help to lower stress which can thereby positively impact mental health which then helps us get better sleep. This is a big win on a number of different levels since this means we can also get relief from prevalent conditions that are affected by stress like anxiety and depression.
Conveniently, CBD also works on neurotransmitters by acting on serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is the chemical responsible for maintaining a positive mood and sense of well-being.
Therefore, balancing it out can greatly help lower stress, anxiety, and depression levels which can even further allow us to sleep better. An increase in serotonin activity allows for improved mental health which can greatly benefit our sleep by helping to slow down a frantic mind before bed.
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We know that choosing a product can also be a challenge in itself. Most of our clients do very well starting off with our standard concertation CBD oil either unflavoured THEIA or hemp flavor APHRODITE. For a higher concentration and amazing value, you can go with HARMONIA.
HOW TO TAKE CBD OIL FOR INSOMNIA?
You can easily implement CBD oil into your lifestyle for dealing with insomnia. Simply take 5-10 drops under the tongue and hold it there for one to two minutes. This will help to ensure proper absorption in order to achieve the best results.
A good time to take CBD oil will be about 30 minutes before bedtime so you can slowly begin to unwind and relax. It takes roughly 20 minutes to start to feel the effects and you can take another dose if you still need some extra relief. It can also become a part of your daily routine because there are no side effects of THC making it non-addictive, unlike melatonin.
In addition, you can take CBD oil throughout the day to help manage stress and anxiety levels which can contribute to insomnia later in the day. We suggest taking it first thing in the morning to prevent getting overwhelmed as the day goes on.
CONCLUSION
CBD can help with sleep by promoting relaxation in both the body and mind. CBD influences both primary and secondary insomnia including any underlying health conditions that can affect sleep patterns.
CBD helps minimize unpleasant physical symptoms like pain or restless legs for an increased level of comfort in the evening in the short term.
CBD can also act on emotional symptoms and benefit mental health with a reduction in stress, depression, and anxiety for improved sleep in the long term. This can result in greatly improved sleep for a more restful night contributing to more energy in the morning and productivity throughout the day.
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