CBD, the Sleep Cycle, and Better Rest

With the high stress from work-related issues, one needs to get better sleep. Most people have started relying on CBD to improve their sleep cycle. It is known to treat insomnia, chronic pain, and circadian rhythm disorders.

CBD has been known to have many benefits for an individual's body. The sleep cycle and better rest are benefits CBD has been known to have. There are different ways in which one can consume CBD to have some sleep or rather get better rest. Some of these forms include tinctures, vaping, topicals, and edibles. All these are different forms, and it all depends on individual preference on how one plans to get the effects of CBD. This article explains more about the benefits of CBD in giving better rest and sleep. Learn more about what is sleep insomnia?

What is CBD?

CBD is an active and natural compound found in the cannabis plant. It does not have the psychoactive effect as it does not have the presence of the THC compound. This makes it a psychotropic compound.

Types of CBD

Full-spectrum CBD

Full-spectrum CBD has all the compounds that are found in the cannabis plant. This includes the THC compound, although its percentage is low (0.3) and thus cannot cause a high effect. Full-spectrum CBD is the most active compound of the three types of CBD. When full-spectrum CBD is consumed in high amounts, it may have a high effect. It does not undergo so many processes during extraction as it only involves removing the extra fats and unnecessary compounds.

Isolate-based CBD

Isolate-based CBD is one of the least active types of CBD. This is because it has no compound found in the cannabis plant except CBD. It goes through several processes to make sure that all the compounds are removed and that it is completely pure. Most people that consume isolate-based CBD are the ones that do not want to feel the THC compound.

Broad-spectrum CBD

Broad-spectrum at times, may look similar to the full-spectrum CBD. The only difference is that the former has almost all the compounds found in the cannabis plant except THC. There are instances when THC can be found in it though in small amounts. These small traces cannot cause high effects on an individual.       

Sleep and the Endocannabinoid System

The body has the endocannabinoid system that is centrally placed in the body. This system is responsible for the regulation of all the functions of the body. Some of the functions include sleep, moods, and comfort. According to Maroon & Bost (2018), the endocannabinoid system has cannabinoid receptors found within the body. When CBD is applied to the skin, it interacts with the cannabinoid receptors; hence the effects can be felt. The brain has the presence of the hypothalamus structure. It assists in regulating sleep. This can be done by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. It regulates the circadian rhythm, which plays a major role in waking and sleeping at night.     

How Does Sleep Benefit from CBD

CBD is one of the active and organic compounds that is found in the cannabis plant. It is known to play a major role in indirectly assisting an individual in sleeping. The great thing about CBD is that it does not have psychoactive effects; thus, it may be important to those with insomnia who find it hard to get some sleep. This can be seen as CBD has for a long time been known to have the ability to ease pain and anxiety, and this two are the main factors that may prevent one from getting some sleep.   

Insomnia

Kollmann et al. (2019) stated that insomnia is the long hours that one cannot get some sleep even after a long and tiresome day at work. At times, it may be a sleeping disorder. The hypothalamus system is the one that is related to the functions of sleep. CBD assists those with insomnia conditions by working with the hypothalamus to regulate stress. CBD cats on the stress hormone that makes one unable to sleep by deactivating it and even counteracting it, thus equalizing the rhythm level of sleep and being awake.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders

It is also referred to as the sleep-wake disorder. The circadian rhythm happens when the internal clock of the body is the one that suggests the time when one will wake up and fall asleep. At times it may not be following the environment. This sleeping disorder mainly occurs when it matters to do with aging, traveling through a change of environment, medical conditions, and medical conditions.

According to Kaul et al. (2021), CBD assists in improving the quantity and quality of sleep by ensuring that the body can progress through the different stages of sleep that are normal and without interruption. Mostly, nurses are the ones that use CBD, especially those that are into the night shift, since they are the ones that are mostly affected by the sleeping disorder. 

Anxiety and Depression

CBD is known to have anti-anxiety properties. This means that CBD can minimize the anxiety present in individuals. It acts on the endocannabinoid system by playing different roles like regulating emotions, creating an equilibrium in the brain, and even managing the storage of different memories. It also activates the endocannabinoid system by balancing the hormones. This helps one get back to their normal sleeping routine.   

Chronic Pain

Pain in the body is most times brought about by inflammation in the body. Inflammation is whereby harmful substances get into contact with the healthy cells, thus damaging them. This may make the body swollen, sore, and painful. This will make it difficult for a person to be able to sleep. Eskander et al.  (2020) reported that CBD acts as a pain reliever and may minimize the pain felt through its anti-inflammatory properties. It may make the body relaxed and calm and make one be able to fall asleep easily as it has analgesic properties.  

Conclusion

The choice of using CBD to assist with sleep will always be on the individual preference. When used in low amounts, it can be the best alternative and may give you the benefits listed above in this article. However, if you are doubtful, it is always better to talk with a health practitioner to advise you on the different ways to consume CBD and the dosage that you may need. This is so that you may avoid any occurrence of the risks that are associated with them. Learn more about what terpenes help with sleep?

References

Eskander, J. P., Spall, J., Spall, A., Shah, R. V., & Kaye, A. D. (2020). Cannabidiol (CBD) As A Treatment Of Acute And Chronic Back Pain: A Case Series And Literature Review. J Opioid Manag, 16(3), 215-8.

Kaul, M., Zee, P. C., & Sahni, A. S. (2021). Effects Of Cannabinoids On Sleep And Their Therapeutic Potential For Sleep Disorders. Neurotherapeutics, 18(1), 217-227.

Kollmann, T., Stöckmann, C., & Kensbock, J. M. (2019). I Can't Get No Sleep—The Differential Impact Of Entrepreneurial Stressors On Work-Home Interference And Insomnia Among Experienced Versus Novice Entrepreneurs. Journal Of Business Venturing, 34(4), 692-708.

Maroon, J., & Bost, J. (2018). Review Of The Neurological Benefits Of Phytocannabinoids. Surgical Neurology International, 9.