Can You Take CBD Edibles for Sleep?

Good sleep is an essential need for better body health. However, pain, anxiety, fatigue, or traumatic thoughts can cause sleeping difficulty. Read on to learn more about CBD edibles, how to use CBD edibles for sleep, how CBD edibles interact with your body for sleep, the right dosage to consume, and how CBD edibles tackle sleeping problems.

In this Covid -19 pandemic, you can struggle to maintain a good living standard. Therefore, anxiety and stress may result in sleep disorders such as insomnia. Fortunately, herbal remedies such as CBD products stabilize your sleeping problems. CBD is an active chemical compound extracted from the leaves and flowers of hemp plants. Upon extraction, it is added to ingredients to manufacture edibles such as sweets, baked goods, brownies, gummies, and many more. However, can they help with sleeping problems? CBD is different from THC, which has mind-altering effects that increase anxiety and alertness.

How to Use CBD Edibles for Sleep

CBD edibles are chewy products that often have a delicious taste. They are infused with a precise amount of CBD oil and are easy to prepare and customize. The most common type of these edibles is CBD gummy bears and brownies.

According to Goodman et al. (2022), CBD edibles allow you to use CBD oil with a delicious taste and flavor by covering the bitter taste of cannabis. However, if you wish to join the CBD regime, be ready to spend a fortune since these gummy bears and brownies may cost 30 to 50 dollars, depending on the CBD potency. Fortunately, you can easily make your own CBD edibles by adding CBD oil to your meal recipe. For instance, when preparing a hot soup, add a few drops of cannabidiol oil when the dish is complete. However, the cannabinoid, under direct heat, can easily dissociate, altering its strength. Afterward, you can take your food one hour before bed. When you take CBD oil under your tongue or vape it, the calming effects for sleep kick in within 5 minutes. On the other hand, CBD edibles pass through the breakdown of digestion enzymes and liver metabolic rate before entering the bloodstream.

How CBD Edibles Interact with Your Body for Sleep

Foley & Forey (2020) explained that CBD compounds interact with two body receptors (CB1 and CB2) to induce a relaxing feeling which tackles causes of sleeping problems like pain, stress, and anxiety. The body receptors are components of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) responsible for maintaining internal body balance or homeostasis. For sleep, CBD induces the ECS to release more anandamide that binds with CB2 receptors in the peripheral nervous system to relax your muscles and joints. At the same time, it allows the ECS to produce more body cannabinoids called 2-AG, which is signaled to the central nervous system to bind with CB1 receptors. The combination results in mood regulation that lowers your disturbing thoughts for better quality sleep. After the two body cannabinoids complete their actions, they are broken down by body enzymes, but CBD prevents their dissociation, prolonging the feeling of calm and excitement for good sleep.

Also, the interaction between CBD and ECS components causes an increase in the production of the stress-relieving hormone serotonin. It decreases the release of the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for negative emotions.

What Is the Right Dosage for CBD Edibles for Sleep?

Trans et al. (2020) explained that finding the right CBD dosage in edibles is not straightforward since most edibles are sold without proper instructions. Therefore, reviewing the brand's website and customer reviews is important to figure out dosage guidelines. For instance, companies responsible for producing CBD gummy bears explain that one bear contains 2 to 5 mg of CBD depending on the product's potency. High CBD potency gummy bears contain 5 mg, and low potency gummy bears contain 2mg of CBD.

The CBD dosage mostly depends on the condition you are treating. According to clinical research, a dosage of 8 to 20 mg is appropriate for better sleep and keeping alert and fresh for the next day's activities. Using gummies, you need to consume a maximum of 4 highly concentrated gummy bears for quality sleep.

There are always expected side effects when you overdose on any drug or supplement. CBD edibles are not exceptional; overdosing on CBD can increase your anxiety and fear, making it harder for you to sleep, plus additional side effects like nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and dizziness. To avoid this, expert advises their insomnia patients to add a few drops of CBD oil to their meals since CBD tinctures are sold with calibrated droppers for better management of CBD dosing.

How CBD Edibles Tackle Sleeping Problems

They Act as an Anti-Depressant

You tend to have trouble falling asleep when you suffer from depression and anxiety. Sales et al. (2018) stated that CBD has a positive impact on people who have depression issues. It interacts with brain receptors to increase the release of the hormone serotonin, which tackles traumatic thoughts.

Pain Relief

Fibromyalgia pain is heavily linked with causing poor quality sleep. In addition, it becomes a problem for one to fall asleep when under chronic pain. People use painkillers to cure the situation; however, some medications may be addictive or have undesirable side effects. CBD edibles have limited side effects and are also non-addictive. It interacts with endocannabinoid receptors in tackling how your brain perceives pain electrical impulses.

Improves Mental Health

Mental disorders can cause sleeping problems. For instance, people with ADHD, PSTD, and Parkinson's have problems falling asleep. CBD edibles provide a feeling of relaxation in the body due to their calming effects. It alleviates mental health disorders symptoms like impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity.

Conclusion

CBD edibles are gaining more popularity than other cannabis products because they allow you to harvest CBD calming effects with a delicious flavor. Apart from masking the bitter taste of CBD oil, eating them an hour before you go to bed can help you fall asleep faster and keep you more alert, energetic, and fresh the next day. Research shows that CBD tackles causes of sleeping problems such as pain, anxiety, and stress and relaxes your body joints and muscles for better sleep. However, it is important to consult your health provider for the proper dosage to avoid overdosing the CBD edibles.

References

Foley, J. (2020). CBD analysis in oils and foods (Doctoral dissertation, Augusta University).

Goodman, S., Wadsworth, E., Schauer, G., & Hammond, D. (2022). Use and perceptions of cannabidiol products in Canada and the United States. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 7(3), 355-364

Sales, A. J., Crestani, C. C., Guimarães, F. S., & Joca, S. R. (2018). The antidepressant-like effect induced by Cannabidiol is dependent on brain serotonin levels. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 86, 255-261.

Tran, T., & Kavuluru, R. (2020). Social media surveillance for perceived therapeutic effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) products. International Journal of Drug Policy, 77, 102688.