{"id":3173,"date":"2020-02-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-01T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betternutrition.com\/2020\/02\/01\/cbd-for-sleep\/"},"modified":"2022-04-05T15:54:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-05T21:54:28","slug":"cbd-for-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betternutrition.com\/conditions-and-wellness\/sleep-insomnia\/cbd-for-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Can CBD Help You Sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As the popularity of CBD continues to skyrocket, sleep is one of the big reasons why people take it. How does it work? The jury is still out on a final answer, but preliminary research has unearthed a few clues.<\/p>\n

The Calming Effect of CBD<\/h2>\n

Our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids, molecules that have a calming effect on the nervous system and make us feel good\u2014the runner\u2019s high, for example. CBD is a plant source of phytocannabinoids: molecules that are so similar to our own endocannabinoids that our bodies react in much the same way.<\/p>\n

These cannabinoids, whether they\u2019re made by our bodies or obtained from CBD supplements, seem to play a role in regulating sleep. A study of cells in the central nervous system found that CBD influences certain genes that regulate our circadian rhythms.<\/p>\n

Early research published in 1981 tested different doses of CBD on 15 volunteers with insomnia. It found that people slept significantly more after taking a single 160-mg dose of CBD. A few of the volunteers felt drowsy the next day, but there were no other side effects, no signs of toxicity, and no psychotropic effects of a \u201chigh.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sleep-Anxiety Connection<\/h2>\n

Research published much more recently, in 2019, tested a daily CBD dose of 25 mg in 72 patients at a mental health clinic in Fort Collins, Colo. All were suffering from anxiety and\/or insomnia, and were also receiving other treatments, including medications in many cases. The study lasted 3 months, with patients being tested at the end of each month.<\/p>\n

After one month, there were significant improvements in anxiety in 79 percent of patients and in sleep among 66 percent, while these conditions worsened among some of the others. Anxiety improvements continued during the remaining 2 months of the study, but sleep fluctuated. For anxiety, CBD was taken in the morning, and for sleep, it was taken after dinner.<\/p>\n

Researchers found that CBD was better tolerated than psychiatric drugs, and that there was no evidence of any safety issues. They concluded that although there was significant improvement in sleep among some patients, CBD seemed to hold more promise as a treatment for anxiety.<\/p>\n

CBD and Sleep in PTSD and Parkinson\u2019s<\/h2>\n

One of the manifestations of Parkinson\u2019s disease may be significant and disturbing physical movements during sleep because dreams are acted out. Called REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), the movements can be intense and violent. In Brazil, researchers tested CBD on four Parkinson\u2019s patients and found that it substantially reduced the occurrence of RBD.<\/p>\n

Other research has found that CBD reduced nightmares in people suffering from PTSD. In an 8-week study, initial doses of 25\u2013100 mg in capsules followed by daily doses of 1\u201316 mg in an oral spray were found to be effective. The exact doses were based on how individuals responded to the CBD.<\/p>\n

What Kind of CBD to Take<\/h2>\n

Experts typically recommend starting low and going slow to avoid possible side effects such as drowsiness the next morning. In addition, some forms of CBD take longer to produce an effect, and if this isn\u2019t considered, you could take much more than you need before the real effects kick in. Here\u2019s an estimate of how long different forms take to produce an effect:<\/p>\n