One of the most advertised benefits of CBD is its applications as a sleep aid. And CBD can indeed help people who suffer from insomnia fall asleep, but not in the ways you might expect.
What is CBD, exactly?
CBD is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found in cannabis. Unlike THC, CBD will not get you high. In fact, most commercially sold CBD is sourced from hemp, which is a variant of cannabis that contains only tiny amounts of THC.
The most common way CBD is sold is in oil form. However, the substance — be it in the form of an oil, a tincture, or an isolate — can be applied to a wide variety of different products while maintaining its health benefits. That’s why you can now buy CBD beer, jam, coffee, e-liquids, and gummies, among other colorful creations.
The dangers of CBD
Since this is a new product, there are some risks associated with CBD consumption. Chief among them is the fact that there hasn’t been enough time to study what effects long-term consumption of CBD has on the body.
Another major risk comes from bad actors. Around the world, the recent boom of CBD products has led many scammers to try to benefit from the gold rush by making wild claims and cutting corners on production. Poor production standards can lead to products that don’t contain the amount of CBD advertised on the bottle, or that come contaminated with outside agents.
What about sleep?
CBD is a downer, but it is not a naturally sleep-inducing substance. Instead, it promotes healthier sleep by providing other benefits that help you sleep well. Mostly, those effects have to do with promoting a healthier hormonal balance and helping lower your levels of anxiety.
CBD and your anxiety
Mood problems like stress and anxiety are two of the largest causes of insomnia. Anxiety disorders often lead to trouble sleeping. The heightened state of alertness promoted by those disorders make it difficult for the body to enter the relaxed state required for a healthy sleep cycle.
Fortunately, one of CBD’s most well-understood benefits is its anxiolytic properties. If worry keeps you awake at night, you should give CBD a try. Not only is it effective, but it is much healthier than many types of anxiety medication, with the added benefit of having zero risks of causing addiction.
Remember that different consumption methods lead to different effects. Vaping CBD causes a strong initial effect, but it wanes quickly. While an edible takes longer to kick in, the effects last longer.
CBD and hormonal balance
Another common cause of insomnia is hormonal unbalances. CBD has a direct effect on your hormonal levels by helping lower the amount of cortisol — a stress hormone — in your bloodstream. But the substance also has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Inflammation around the body, especially in the gut region, has been linked to mood and hormonal disorders, including an increased risk of chronic stress and depression. This indicates that anti-inflammatory substances like CBD may be able to promote better sleep and overall well being by reducing inflammation in the body. If you’d like to learn more about how CBD affects your body, you should read this guide written by Cibdol.
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