How Can CBD Help Me Sleep?
By Clarissa Lenherr on 8th April 2021
Do you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep? Wired mind keep you up at night or stress waking you in the middle of the night? Whatever the trigger, a bad night’s sleep can leave you feeling low in mood, energy and productivity. And while there are many sleep hygiene tips and tricks you can try, sometimes we need a helping hand to take the edge off — especially when counting sheep just won’t cut it!Read on to learn how CBD can be a potentially calming antidote to contribute to a deep and restful nights slumber.
The relationship between CBD and sleep
CBD may contribute to a calmer and more restful night of sleep, thanks to its ability to help reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Stress significantly affects the quality and quantity of our sleep. This is thanks to Cortisol production. Cortisol usually peaks in the morning and falls throughout the day, but sufferers of insomnia may have higher cortisol levels at night (1). Elevated cortisol levels at night can interfere with your sleep hormones, particularly melatonin, leading to difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.
One small scale study that looked at 11 individuals who were either given a placebo or CBD supplement with a dosage of between 300-600mg found that CBD contributed to a reduction in cortisol output. As we know cortisol can interfere with our melatonin production, this would suggest that CBD’s action on cortisol could help those who suffer with sleep deprivation related to stress.(3)
If anxiety keeps you awake at night, CBD might be your bedtime best friend. A review in 2015 suggested that thanks to the interaction of CBD on serotonin receptors in the brain (2), this could reduce anxiety levels. Further, a 2019 CBD sleep study reported that 79.2% of the patients they tested felt less anxious and 66.7% reported better sleep after CBD administration (4).
How to use CBD for sleep
There are a variety of different ways to incorporate CBD into your everyday routine. CBD can be enjoyed in many forms including vapes, CBD oils, pills and edible sources such as gummies or MEDA Sleep and MEDA Calm CBD drinks which contribute to that blissful night’s sleep.
Other tips for a better nights sleep:
Make sure to get natural daylight exposure during the day, especially first thing in the morning. This can prompt our circadian rhythm which is governed by lightness and darkness.
Avoid caffeine later in the day, especially after 3pm. Caffeine can promote the release of cortisol which can interfere with our sleep hormones. If you want an uplift in the afternoon, reach for a MEDA Focus drink instead.Keep a routine. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Consider a meditation routine to help and clear the mind
Limit screen time in the evening and reduce blue light exposure one to two hours before bed. Consider blue light blocking apps on your electronics or wearing blue light blocking glasses.
Sweet dreams…
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/