CBD Oil for Sleep – Combating Insomnia

The Growing Interest in CBD Oil for Sleep

Using CBD oil to aid sleep is one of the most common uses. In our previous articles, we have covered some rather astonishing applications for CBD oil, such as epilepsy, cancer, and MS, but what about more everyday uses, like CBD oil for sleep? Some statistics claim that as many as one in three people regularly have issues sleeping. If you fall into this figure you’ll know how a poor night’s sleep can have rippling negative effects though your whole day.
Let’s dive into why so many of us have trouble drifting off and look into the potential of CBD oil for sleep.

What is CBD oil?

Cannabidiol, abbreviated as CBD, is one of the many cannabinoids found in the industrial Cannabis Sativa L. plant. One of the most popular forms of cannabidiol is CBD oil. It reportedly has numerous benefits, such as pain relief and combating anxiety and depression. This may also help those with sleep issues, which is the topic of today’s article. Please have a look at the various other HealthyTOKYO articles on CBD oil for a more general overview of its unique properties.

Why do we sleep?

To actually answer why we sleep goes beyond the scope of this article. Although we are still not exactly sure why we sleep, there are a few theories that postulate the reason for us spending about a third of our lives in dreamland.

First up we have the “Energy Conservation theory”, a fairly straight forward argument that claims our bodies adapted to sleep in order to save calories during a time long before our modern age of opulence. Sleep may have been a natural response to limit the amount of energy we used during the night when we humans are less effective at gathering food.

Next we have the “Restoration Theory”. Often we use the words rest and sleep interchangeably, and it’s not surprising that when we sleep our bodies use this as an opportunity to recover and perform various restorative functions such muscle repair and protein synthesis. On the other side of this, sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce the immune system’s effectiveness, making us more prone to becoming sick. In addition, the brain is also said to repair itself during sleep by clearing away adenosine, a natural by-product of neuron cell activity, the build-up of which is said to actually signal your body to feel sleepy.

Finally, we have the “Brain Plasticity theory”, a very curious concept that builds off the supposition that our brain uses sleep time to reorganize and restructure itself. Think of your brain as an enormous warehouse that receives many shipments of information throughout the day. If we didn’t take the time to organize and store these “shipments”, everything would become a mess, making it impossible to keep operations running smoothly.As mentioned in the previous article, ‘CBD oil for MS’, there is strong evidence that shows CBD oil to be a neuroprotectant that reduces neuroinflammation, and actually promotes neuroplasticity.

Sleep clearly serves an important role in brain development, as infants usually require about 13 hours of sleep or more every day, and adults have their ability to learn new things become severely impaired when deprived of sleep. There are a few other theories with convincing arguments as to why we sleep, but let’s move on to the common issues that prevent us from sleeping and how CBD oil may be able to help.

What causes insomnia? Pain, sleeplessness, and CBD oil

Being unable to fall asleep, also known as “insomnia”, affects about 30% of the population, but what leads to insomnia exactly? The most common causes of sleepless nights are anxiety, stress, and depression. In turn, a lack of sleep will often exacerbate these symptoms, leading to a vicious cycle. As we have explored in previous HealthyTOKYO articles, the effects of CBD oil have been seen to help to alleviate all three of the symptoms above.

Mental ailments are not the only thing that cause people to toss and turn, however, as people who suffer from chronic pain will certainly have trouble sleeping as well. While it would be going too far to say that CBD oil could help cure chronic pains, it is safe to say that among their many other applications, cannabinoids such as CBD oil have been shown to have anti-inflammatory qualities along with analgesic (painkiller) properties.

Clinical Evidence and CBD Oil’s Impact on Sleep

One study on the effects of CBD oil on sleep found that nearly 70% of those who reported sleep issues all showed improved sleep within the first month of using CBD oil. Over a longer period of time, however, the results came back mixed. This suggests using CBD oil to aid sleep may become less effective over time.

In another study, reports gathered from over 400 volunteers polled the effectiveness of CBD oil on people’s sleep environment. The results were largely positive, as the volunteers reported great improvements in their sleep and reduced insomnia. The study tested various cannabinoids, but showed CBD oil’s positive sleep benefits to come out on top.

In addition, research conducted in Brazil on the effects of cannabinoids on the sleep cycle found that CBD had no disruptive properties to the three stages of sleep: deep, slow-wave, and REM. This is particularly good news for those who suffer from sleepless nights due to anxiety, as traditional anxiety medications have been shown to inhibit the sleep cycle.

Finding your CBD sweet spot for optimal sleep

It should be noted that while larger doses of CBD oil are recommended to ease anxiety, pain, and stress leading to the peace of mind many insomniacs seek, in smaller amounts, CBD oil has paradoxically been shown to actually increase alertness. Everyone’s sensitivity to CBD oil varies though, so it would be better to start small and find a personal sweet spot if you are looking to use CBD oil for sleep.

Conclusion

The importance of a good night’s sleep is undeniable for our health, and with sleep issues being as prevalent as they are, it is natural to want to look for some form of aid. If you suffer from insomnia, trying CBD oil may do the trick.
If you have any questions about CBD oil for sleep, its other applications, or just have questions about health in general please feel free to contact us by making use of the site chat feature located on the bottom right of the page

Before you go, just remember:

● One in three people has issues sleeping on a nightly basis

● Sleep is theorized to help with neuroplasticity, as does CBD oil

● Not getting enough sleep will impair your ability to learn

● Anxiety and stress are major causes of insomnia, but CBD oil can help