Sleep is essential. Without rest, your body starts to experience a wave of negative effects. Unfortunately, around 70% of the American population is sleep deprived [1]. If you are struggling to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, you may not have enough energy to function the next day [2]. So what is the solution? Some people are reaching for cannabidiol (CBD) as a natural approach to getting more restful sleep. But does scientific research support this habit? Here is what to know about CBD and sleep.
What is CBD?
There are more than 100 organic compounds, called cannabinoids, found in the plant called Cannabis sativa, which includes hemp. Of those hundreds of cannabinoids, the two most widely researched are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
THC is how certain strains of Cannabis sativa induce a high. CBD, on the other hand, does not interact with the body in the same way as THC. Instead, CBD tends to do the opposite of THC, which will be explained in greater detail further along in this article.
CBD Products Best Sellers
What Forms Does CBD Come In?
You can find several forms of CBD presently available:
- Capsules and pills (such as FDA-approved Epidiolex [3])
- Sublingual sprays
- Oils and tinctures also referred to as droplets or drops
- Edibles
- Topical products
- Vape juice
Keep in mind that the FDA has only approved Epidiolex. That means that any other CBD product you find is not regulated. The quality of CBD varies between manufacturers, and so you will have to find reliable sellers to try.
How Does CBD Help With Sleep?
If you are considering trying cannabidiol for sleep issues, then you need to know how it will affect you. Research has found that CBD interacts with something called the endocannabinoid system (ECS) [4]. The ECS is interwoven into the body’s entire nervous system and works to establish equilibrium—scientifically known as homeostasis.
When you use CBD, it interacts with the ECS by binding to certain receptors, similar to how neurotransmitters or hormones work. In fact, it was found in clinical studies that CBD can modulate serotonin release by interacting with serotonin receptors [5].
Serotonin just so happens to be involved with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It also acts as a precursor to the hormone involved in sleep, melatonin [6].
Thus, CBD may potentially help people who have trouble with sleep.
What Does Research Say About CBD and Sleep?
Currently, there is an insufficient amount of research on how CBD affects sleep out there. There are many preliminary studies involving anxiety and sleep, however, and much of the evidence collected is optimistic.
A review from 2012 took into consideration earlier research on CBD and THC to see how cannabinoids affected insomnia, epilepsy, pain, social anxiety, and other conditions [7]. The researchers stated that a higher dose of oral CBD (150-600 mg per day) had a potential therapeutic effect on insomnia, as it “may cause mental sedation.”
One study from 2014 declared that CBD “is able to control the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD),” although the actual sample size only contained 4 patients [8]. Another review from the same year concluded that cannabidiol has potential effects as a wake-promoting agent [9].
More recently, a 2019 case series looked at adults with anxiety and sleep disturbances [10]. Within the first month of taking CBD, 79.2% of the patients had decreased anxiety scores. Many of the participants also slept better during the course of the study.
The most recent review of previous studies on CBD and sleep from 2022 found that when cannabis (CBD, THC, or a mixture) was used for chronic pain, the participants saw improvements in their sleep [11]. However, the researchers stated that any evidence on whether or not CBD is effective at promoting better sleep is inconclusive at this time. Further research, including randomized controlled trials with larger sample groups, is needed.
Are There Any Side Effects or Risks of CBD?
If you plan on taking CBD for any reason, be sure to speak with a medical professional first. While evidence suggests that CBD is well tolerated among many people, there are instances where it interacts with certain medications. Any prescription that comes with a grapefruit warning is a contraindication against CBD.
Most people experience little to no side effects, but there is always a chance. The most common side effect is fatigue. Researchers tend to believe that the side effects are dependent on the dosage size. According to a large retrospective study, 10-400 mg of CBD a day is generally safe [10]. However, other studies found that even taking up to 1,500 mg a day is tolerated by most [12].
Want to Try CBD For More Restful Sleep?
Sleep is vital to good health and well-being, but it can be hard to come by sometimes. The current amount of research on CBD for sleep issues is lacking in conclusive evidence, but there have been many positive results. Since CBD is generally safe for most people, there is no reason not to give it a try to see if it works for you.
Sugar Bottom Hemp has a wide variety of CBD products, including tinctures and edibles. Our hemp is minimally processed, ensuring you get the purest CBD available. Plus, our extracts are all tested in independent, third-party labs. We have something for everyone—even your pet—so check out our shop today!
Bibliography
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3. Greenwich Biosciences, Inc. (n.d.). EPIDIOLEX® (cannabidiol). EPIDIOLEX.com. https://www.epidiolex.com/starting-on-epidiolex
4. Grinspoon, P., MD. (2021, August 11). The endocannabinoid system: Essential and mysterious. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569
5. De Gregorio, D., McLaughlin, R. J., Posa, L., Ochoa-Sanchez, R., Enns, J., Lopez-Canul, M., Aboud, M., Maione, S., Comai, S., & Gobbi, G. (2018). Cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and reverses both allodynia and anxiety-like behavior in a model of neuropathic pain. Pain, 160(1), 136–150. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001386
6. Lee, B. H., Hille, B., & Koh, D. S. (2021). Serotonin modulates melatonin synthesis as an autocrine neurotransmitter in the pineal gland. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(43). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113852118
7. Zhornitsky, S., & Potvin, S. (2012). Cannabidiol in Humans—The Quest for Therapeutic Targets. Pharmaceuticals, 5(5), 529–552. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph5050529
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9. Murillo-Rodriguez, E., Sarro-Ramirez, A., Sanchez, D., Mijangos-Moreno, S., Tejeda-Padron, A., Poot-Ake, A., Guzman, K., Pacheco-Pantoja, E., & Arias-Carrion, O. (2014). Potential Effects of Cannabidiol as a Wake-Promoting Agent. Current Neuropharmacology, 12(3), 269–272. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159×11666131204235805
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11. Kolla, B. P., Hayes, L., Cox, C., Eatwell, L., Deyo-Svendsen, M., & Mansukhani, M. P. (2022). The Effects of Cannabinoids on Sleep. Journal of Primary Care &Amp; Community Health, 13, 215013192210812. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221081277
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