How To: Use CBD to Promote Unbelievable Sleep
These days, it is almost impossible for people to “turn off” – between constant smartphone connection and rising digital social pressures, rates of insomnia and other sleep-related disorders amongst Americans (and most of the rest of the world) are soaring.
Whether you toss and turn all night, or simply lay there thinking about the problems of the day, it can be frustrating not getting great sleep, especially if you’ve tried all of the “other things” that are supposed to help:
- Exercising during the day
- “Winding down” an hour before bed
- Not consuming caffeine beverages in the afternoon
- Going to bed at the same time every night, with the same routine
- Stop drinking alcohol
- Creating a super dark room with blackout shades
- Putting in ear plugs
- Turning on the blue-light filter on your phones or putting away your devices completely before bed-time
- And every vitamin, supplement, and herb out there!
The fact is, sometimes you still can’t get a good night’s sleep. It’s not your fault; there’s something bigger going on.
CBD is a natural method to help promote general wellness when it comes to aiding in your sleep. Pure CBD oil is not meant to treat any sleep issues but instead help with a general feeling of relaxation that can help support sleep.
Disclaimer: Pure Hemp Shop makes no claims that CBD can cure, treat, or prevent any illnesses, whether that is mental, physical, or emotional. All data here was provided from customer experience with our products. If your pet has any serious medical issues we recommend you consult your veterinarian. Pure Hemp CBD Products are only designed to help promote an overall sense of wellness only.
Sleeping Disorders – The American Dilemma
The sad fact of the matter is, between 50-70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders 2. Even worse, the majority of those people suffer from chronic, long-term sleeping problems.3 Essentially, this all boils down to the fact that over one-third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.3
So, this brings up the question: what are people doing to try and get a better night’s sleep? According to the statistics, people are increasingly turning towards dangerous sleeping pills for the answer. In fact, 4% of all adults take sleeping pills (roughly 13.2 million people).3
The scary part is, with the rise of sleeping pill consumption, emergency-room visits are also on the rise.3 The truth is, sleeping pills can be extremely dangerous and should only be taken as a last resort.
There are many healthier ways to help with better sleep such as exercise, yoga, meditation, and even more natural products such as melatonin.
CBD is a great addition with more natural methods such as melatonin and other stress relieving activities. It's a safe, sane and non-addictive alternative that is sorely lacking in our culture.
So… What EXACTLY Is CBD?
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably already familiar with the fact that CBD is the non-psychoactive part of cannabis plants such as marijuana or hemp, and that it stands for Cannabidiol.
Of course, it’s really the medical aspects of this molecule that make it so exciting.
CBD was first discovered in the 1960s and since then it has been used to treat epilepsy by doctors and more research is being done for what other possible pure CBD oil may have.
The best part is, as of the beginning of 2019, it is legal in all 50 states thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill passed by President Donald Trump. This is because the Farm Bill legalized hemp – a plant of the cannabis family which only contains less than 0.3% THC – yet has a high content of CBD.5
Since hemp is legalized in all 50 states, CBD from hemp is also legal. And that’s why it has exploded in popularity over the past year or so.
Additionally, the research into CBD for sleep has been very promising, but no medical claims can be made yet.
This Is How CBD Works
The amazing thing about CBD: it is one of the only molecules that work in almost every system in your body. That’s because it interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a recently-discovered all-encompassing system that plays a role in balancing your mood, appetite, and even sleep.4
The endocannabinoid system exists throughout your central nervous system in the form of cannabinoid receptors known as CB1 and CB2.4 CBD can connect to these receptors, restoring balance to the functions of the body and the brain.
Think about it this way: the endocannabinoid system (ECS for short) is like a gyroscope that maintains the balance in your different bodily systems. It is possible that without cannabinoids like CBD, it can become unbalanced due to a “cannabinoid deficiency”.
This deficiency may be responsible for causing excessive inflammation, mood disorders, and yes – even lack of sleep, out of control anxiety that causes insomnia, and mysterious pains in your body. (read our article on Clinical Cannabinoid Deficiency to learn more)
Here’s What The Research Says About CBD And Sleep
While those theories certainly are very interesting and could tell us why CBD works, what’s even more impressive are the experiments we have that show how effective CBD is as a sleep aid. (Pure Hemp CBD makes no claims on our CBD products for treating sleep, all data are from customer success stories and experiments conducted outside of Pure Hemp CBD)
In one such Colorado-based study, a group of people suffering from anxiety and sleeping disorders was given two separate assessments one month apart.
The dosing used in the study was 25 mg capsules, and the results they achieved were pretty amazing: 79% of the people in the study reported lower anxiety and 66% of the people reported better sleep.4
The theory goes that by stopping the anxious thoughts, they are clearing the mind to let the natural sleep mechanisms take over.6
But that’s not the only amazing success story. In addition to many individual stories validating CBD’s use as a sleep aid, Consumer Reports recently held a poll about the subject. 10% of the respondents to the poll said they are using CBD as a sleep aid, and the vast majority of those people say that it works for them.
The bottom line is this: the existing studies have shown us some very promising results, and it would be great to have even better and more well-funded studies into this subject, to show how CBD works as a sleep aid.
Benefits Of CBD Over Prescription Drugs
The most obvious and startling benefit of CBD as a supporting element for sleep aid may simply be its safety. Prescription sleeping pills like Ambien have recently led to a spike in emergency room visits, and it’s no secret they are notoriously unsafe and very dangerous to take.2
Dosages of sleeping pills are very sensitive, as well. Take too much, and you’re in trouble.
Additionally, sleeping pill addiction is on the rise in the US. Many people who begin taking sleeping pills soon find they can’t sleep without them. Then their tolerance begins to go up, leading to larger doses just to sleep.7
The end result of a sleeping pill addiction may be an overdose and a visit to the ER.
Compare that to CBD. The “normal” dosage is between 10-50 mg, but it has been demonstrated as safe to take doses as large as 1,500 mg, 3,000 mg, or even 6,000 mg at a time!6 That makes it astonishingly safe compared to almost any drug in existence. CBD is not meant to replace medication or act as a sleeping pill but instead is a great supporting element to promote feeling of relaxation and with other sleep aids such as regular exercise, meditation, and melatonin.
And when it comes to addiction, CBD is definitely not addictive. In fact, instead of building a tolerance, the evidence suggests it has a reverse-tolerance effect – in other words, taking CBD often leads to a situation where users need LESS CBD to achieve the same desired result.8
And even if there were a tolerance, since there is no known unsafe dosage you need to avoid you’ll be safe anyways. Altogether, CBD is mind-blowingly safe, while prescription sleeping pills are outrageously dangerous.
The Full Entourage Effect For Refreshing Sleep
Another interesting finding is the comparison between CBD isolates and full-spectrum hemp CBD.
Full-spectrum hemp CBD is much more than just CBD, it also contains hundreds of other compounds known as “terpenes” which have their own results. When they are all working together with CBD, it is known as the “entourage effect”.
In this case, it’s very interesting because high-CBD strains of hemp (like the pure hemp oil sold in our store) also contain a terpene known as myrcene.
Myrcene just so happens to be well-documented in animal studies showing its sedative action. In fact, herbalists have been prescribing high-myrcene herbs as a human sleep aid for centuries.6
So for promoting a sense of relaxation of full-spectrum hemp oil could be more effective than CBD isolate due to the addition of this powerful terpene. The combined result of CBD and myrcene used together with natural methods such as meditation, melatonin, and other stress relieving activities could be just the combination you need to finally get some high-quality ZZZ’s.
How To Use CBD For Relaxation
Now, assuming you’re ready to start trying to get better sleep and you want to use CBD to help promote the feeling of general wellness and relaxation, after reading all of this, you might be wondering about the best way to take CBD.
There are three main ways to take CBD, each with their own benefits:
- Tinctures – the most popular way to take pure CBD oil involves a pure oil tincture with a dropper cap. You simply use the cap to suction up some oil and then drip a few drops you’re your mouth. You can swallow it, put it in your beverages, or let it absorb underneath your tongue, which leads to the best absorption rates. (You can see our selection of CBD tinctures)
- Edibles – may be the most enjoyable way to take CBD, edibles are usually gummy candies that have CBD in them. They taste delicious and give you a dose that absorbs quickly into your system. (See our edibles shop )
- Vapor – Using CBD vape is the second-most popular way to get your CBD, it involves using a vape pen to inhale flavored CBD vapor into your lungs and features an incredible absorption rate with rapid effects. (Check out our selection of vaping juices )
How Much pure CBD oil Should You Take For relaxation?
There is somewhat of an art to dosing and taking the right amount of CBD.
Generally, studies show that a smaller dose of CBD has a stimulating effect.6 Actually, this can be useful during the day to promote day-time wakefulness.
Taking a nap or feeling groggy in the afternoon can lead to poor night-time sleep, so taking small doses of CBD (between 0-25 mg) throughout the afternoon might help you stay awake and arrive at bed-time fully tired and ready to sleep.
Conversely, larger doses of CBD have been shown to have a calming, almost “hypnotic effect” (according to one 1977 animal study).6 Of course, this means a larger dose of CBD (100-200 mg) taken closer to bed-time could have the best effect.
Doses as large as 600 mg have been shown to have a sedative effect in studies.6
Some Final Tips And Tricks For Your Ultimate Slumber
Of course, the best advice we can give you in all of this is to find out what works for you through trying different things and monitoring your results. Use common sense; don’t start out with the maximum dose you can afford – start with a regular dose of 50 mg and see what happens.
Then adjust it from there.
Another trick you might try is to keep a sleep journal every morning to measure your success and find out what’s working. With everything in this article, the key is to find out what works for your body, your routine, and your preferences, so that you can build a healthy habit.
We hope that you can use CBD to help with relaxation and help promote your pursuit for great sleep! And if you need some new CBD products to help you on your new adventure, then check out our full shop to find the right full-spectrum CBD hemp oil for the job! Click right here.
Thanks so much, and we’ll see you next time – hopefully well-rested and feeling good!
Sources:
1 - https://www.health.harvard.edu
2 - https://www.theatlantic.com
3 - http://www.healthcommunities.com
4 - https://sleepauthority.com
7 - https://www.addictioncenter.com
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