CBD and Sleep. What you need to know.
Updated: Aug 27, 2020
CBD and Sleep! What steps have you taken for Sleep?
Are you tired of tossing and turning around all night? Can’t get to sleep?
Have you tried the recommended steps for a better night’s sleep? Over 70 million people admit to not getting a good night’s sleep.
Let’s review a few basics of sleep first. While you sleep, your body restores the energy expended during the day. When you sleep is generally maintained by your circadian (sir-cade-ian) rhythm. This natural, internal process is what helps regulate your awake and sleep cycles and repeats every 24 hours. It is representative of what a balanced system looks like. We also know that sleep is the number one missing ingredient for a healthier life. It affects every area of our lives and is as important as breathing, eating, and drinking water. Sleep is necessary to regenerate your mind and body. Getting the right amount of sleep will give you more energy and vitality, may keep you from gaining weight, and may help you lose weight
In today’s world many people are turning to CBD
Let’s start with the basic understanding of the ECS so we can begin to understand it’s effect. The ECS has a fundamental job of maintaining balance in many biological processes including appetite, metabolism, and regulation of sleep-wake cycles.1 The ECS may also play a significant role in how we dream,2 influencing what we dream about and how emotionally intense our dreams are. The ECS may also indirectly influence sleep through its work balancing mood, stress, or immunity. So, what can you do if you can’t sleep? Balance your ECS with CBD! Buy CBD from www.getcbditworks.com
How can I get a better night’s sleep?
About 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep problem. Our nation’s sleep problem is
so widespread that the CDC has called insufficient sleep a “public health epidemic.”
What role does cannabis play?
The topic of sleep is a big one that covers far too much information for a single article. Today, we’ll focus on how hemp-derived cannabis interacts with the body in the realm of sleep.* We know by now that humans have used cannabis in many ways for thousands of years. Scientist have been studying the active compounds in cannabis and have found therapeutic properties to assist with sleep issues. Going to sleep at night and being awake during the day are the natural cycles of our circadian rhythm. When that cycle is disrupted, for whatever reason—shift work, trauma, travel, health issues—you start to suffer. Using hemp-derived CBD products to help improve sleep also recalibrates our circadian rhythm and returns our ECS to balance for optimal health and wellness.*
How does CBD affect the cycles and stages of sleep?
There is not a simple answer to that question, but two factors that affect the stages (REM and Non-REM sleep) and the cycle of sleep (circadian rhythm) is 1) the quality of the product and 2) type of cannabis, or chemovar, of your CBD. There is scientific research that broadly addresses how cannabis affects sleep stages and sleep cycles.4 Bringing the ECS into balance with CBD, along with getting plenty of natural light, eating earlier, and making more time for sleep, allows your sleep stages and rhythms to enter a balanced state, providing better sleep.* Using CBD allows the ECS to move away from overuse of endocannabinoids which swings the ECS out of balance in the opposite direction.5 There is also research that addresses the major hemp compounds found in cannabis and how they influence sleep. Several cannabinoids (not just CBD) and botanicals, like lavender or valerian root, have a direct role in improving sleep. Both CBD and CBG have been shown to assist with sleeping problems,6* and CBD has also been shown to promote relaxation. There has been an abundance of research over the last five decades that supports the therapeutic benefits of CBD to reduce daytime sleepiness and promote alertness.7*
CBG is a newly researched and lesser known cannabinoid. A new area of interest surrounds CBG and its relationship with sleeplessness, stress related disorders, situational stress, and a host of other sleep challenges. CBG is a direct agonist (promoter) of CB2 receptors, which means it really likes binding with CB2 receptors. One amazing find is that CBG interacts with the serotonin receptors of the gut-brain axis. This is important because research has demonstrated the importance of the gut-brain connection for good quality sleep.8 Get CBD it works!
Why do I wake up different hours of the night? Will CBD help?
There are many reasons why people don’t sleep through the night. Some of which are: Sleep issues are different for everyone. And, because everyone is unique, the 6 hours of sleep one person gets may not be enough for a person who requires 8 hours of restful sleep. We know that CBD works and can help balance the ECS which can positively impact our sleep, another factor can also help promote restful sleep—vitamins!*
Nowadays, we know people do not have enough of the staple vitamins and minerals to promote healthy sleep. Incorporating vitamins and minerals into our diets can work synergistically with our CBD and ECS to enhance sleep. One of the primary markers in determining sleep health is the level of vitamin D3 (which is actually a parahormone). Vitamin D3 and associated B complex vitamins have a profound effect on sleep quality. As D3 levels are adjusted between 60-80ng/ml, sleep gets better. Research from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), compared people getting more than 7 hours of sleep per night with people getting less than 7 hours sleep per night. People with fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, on average, consumed lower amounts of vitamins A, D3, and B complex vitamins, as well as magnesium, niacin, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus.
In summary, the ECS and overall health and wellness are tightly controlled by sleep. Sleep is our body’s way to repair itself for the next day. These key repair mechanisms have a complex array of neurotransmitters, hormones and healing factors to facilitate a healthy night’s sleep. None of this happens unless the fundamental vitamins and minerals are in place. It is no surprise in today’s intense society that people have challenges with sleeping well. There are still many unknowns, but we do know the ECS and sleep are complex intricate orchestrations of the human body to heal, repair, and regenerate itself on a daily basis.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent or mitigate any disease or medical conditions.
Get CBD It Works!
You can buy CBD, CBG and vitamins from www.getcbditworks.com
Other Tips to Try
Tip 1: Follow your normal sleep cycle.
Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day.
Avoid sleeping in—even on weekends.
If you nap then limit your nap to 15-20 minutes in the early afternoon
Tip 2: Control your exposure to light
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark—making you sleepy—and less when it’s light—making you more alert. However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm. Melatonin ( www.getcbditworks.com)
How to influence your exposure to light
During the day:
Expose yourself to bright sunlight in the morning.
Spend more time outside during daylight. .
Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as possible.
At night:
Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime.
Say no to late-night television.
Don’t read with backlit devices.
When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark.
Keep the lights down if you get up during the night.
You can also purchase products that have melatonin in them. I prefer to use Ultracell Dream ( Non CBD) www.getcbditwrks.com
Tip 3: Exercise during the day
People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep.For better sleep, time your exercise right
Exercise speeds up your metabolism, elevates body temperature, and stimulates hormones such as cortisol. This isn’t a problem if you’re exercising in the morning or afternoon, but too close to bed and it can interfere with sleep.
Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime. If you’re still experiencing sleep difficulties, move your workouts even earlier. Relaxing, low-impact exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching in the evening can help promote sleep.
Tip 4: Be smart about what you eat and drink
Your daytime eating habits play a role in how well you sleep, especially in the hours before bedtime.
Limit caffeine and nicotine.
Avoid big meals at night.
Avoid alcohol before bed.
Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening.
Cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs.
Wind Down! Relax and Clear your Head!
Utilize deep breathing exercises to help you sleep
Breathing from your belly rather than your chest can activate the relaxation response and lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels to help you drift off to sleep.
Focus your attention on different parts of your body, you can identify where you’re holding any stress or tension and release it.
Maybe go treat yourself to a body massage or warm bath.
Tip 6: Improve your sleep environment
A peaceful bedtime routine sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s stresses. Sometimes even small changes to your environment can make a big difference to your quality of sleep.
Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet
Keep noise down.
Keep your room cool. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
Make sure your bed is comfortable.
Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex.
Tip 7: Learn ways to get back to sleep
Don’t stress over your inability to sleep.
Make relaxation your goal, not sleep.
Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity.
Postpone worrying and brainstorming.
[1] Tringale, R., & Jenson, C. (2014). Cannabis and Insomnia. O’Shaughnessy’s Society of Cannabis Clinicians, August 31-32. Retrieved August 4, 2020, from https://www.semena-marihuany.cz/img/5E9EC245-448E-17B2-C7CA-21C6BDC6852D.pdf
[2] Murillo-Rodriguez E, Pastrana-Trejo JC, Salas-Crisóstomo M, de-la-Cruz M. The Endocannabinoid System Modulating Levels of Consciousness, Emotions and Likely Dream Contents. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2017;16(4):370-379. doi:10.2174/1871527316666170223161908
[3] Smith, S., & Paris, M. (2018, November 13). Sleeping Well in The Age of Stress: Part 2 [Web log post]. Retrieved August 13, 2020, from https://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/sleeping-well-in-the-age-of-stress-0
[4] Pava, M. J., Makriyannis, A., & Lovinger, D. M. (2016). Endocannabinoid Signaling Regulates Sleep Stability. PloS one, 11(3), e0152473. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152473
[5] Hanlon EC, Tasali E, Leproult R, Stuhr KL, Doncheck E, de Wit H, Hillard CJ, Van Cauter E. Sleep Restriction Enhances the Daily Rhythm of Circulating Levels of Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol. Sleep. 2016 Mar 1;39(3):653-64.
[6] Russon, EB.(2008) Cannabinoids in the management of difficult to treat pain. Therapuetics and Clinical Risk Management, 4(1):245-259. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660
[7] Murillo-Rodriguez,E et al. (2014). Potential effects of cannabidiol as a wake-promoting agent. Current Neuropharmacology, 12 (3):269-272(4). Retrieved from: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cn/2014/00000012/00000003/art00006
[8] Sharkey, K. A., & Wiley, J. W. (2016). The Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Brain-Gut Axis. Gastroenterology, 151(2), 252–266. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2016.04.015
About Zilis’ Scientific Research & Development Department
Our Scientific Research and Development Department is headed up by Dr. Marielle Weintraub, a hemp industry expert. She holds a master’s and a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience and is very active in many dietary supplement and hemp industry trade associations, including her role as the current President of the U.S. Hemp Authority. Dr. Weintraub is committed to the continued development of hemp-specific information and testing to fulfill the Zilis mission.
Zilis is the creator of UltraCell®, a CBD oil product derived from hemp. Based in Argyle, Texas, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, Zilis is privately held.
