06/24/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/24/2021 23:42
Some nights, you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. But there are also nights when you don't remember having a problem, but you still don't feel rested when you wake up in the morning.
That's because the quality of sleep is as important as the quantity of sleep. Healthy sleep cycles follow a definite pattern throughout the night, which vary somewhat from person to person but are necessary for all people to function well. And even if you've always been a good sleeper, quality sleep can be harder to maintain at certain times of your life.
That's why many people are using CBD for sleep as part of their nightly wellness routine. It's not a sedative that just knocks you out but a natural substance that helps your body and mind stay in balance. And when used in combination with other natural substances like herbal teas, it can help you maintain that top-quality sleep for years to come.
Sleep might seem as simple as falling off a log, but it's really a complex processinvolving your whole body and brain.
It begins before bedtime when you start to feel sleepy. This is due in part to hormonal changes: your cortisol, sometimes called the 'stress hormone' because it's associated with alertness and agitation, starts to drop while your melatonin levels increase.
Once you go to bed and into the Land of Nod, your sleep goes through repeated four-stage cycles that typically last between 70 and 120 minutes.
As you repeatedly cycle through the night, the REM stage typically gets longer. Eventually, as your need for sleep gets satiated, your melatonin levels start to drop, and your cortisol starts to rise again, and you naturally wake up.
Because you cycle through these stages multiple times per night, it's not necessarily a problem if you wake up at some point. You might just be between sleep cycles. But if you spend too much of the night awake or not enough of it in a deep sleep, you can end up feeling tired in the morning.
Given the complexity of this process, it's not surprising that a lot of things can throw it off. Here are some of the chief culprits in modern life.
So to summarize what we've learned so far about how to sleep better:
That's why CBD oil for sleep is such an attractive option. It's not a sedative or a drug, but it does interact with your body in ways that can help you stay calm and relaxed so your sleep cycles can run at optimum.
CBD is one of many compounds in the cannabis plant, called cannabinoids, that scientists have been studying for possible wellness benefits. The key seems to be the human body's endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS is a set of receptors in your nervous system that are involved in an ever-growing list of bodily functions - mood, memory, appetite, immune response, even standing upright. Overall though, the ECS supports homeostasis: the balance of your body's rhythms and cycles. Sleep-wake homeostasis is one kind of homeostasis: the longer you're awake, the more you want to sleep, and the longer you sleep.
CBD and other cannabinoids interact with those receptors in ways that researchers are still figuring out, but many users have found that CBD helps them maintain a calm and relaxed feeling through common stresses like public speaking. So it's not surprising that many people also use CBD oil for sleep.
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to CBD or sleep, for that matter. For quality sleep, though, you'll likely prefer some ingestible form of CBD to an inhaled form like a vape because you want something that will stay in your system all night. Inhaled CBD usually wears off in a few hours.
Many people like CBD gummiesfor sleep because they're tasty, but if you're sensitive to sugar, you might prefer to take a simple CBD oil tincture. You can make the experience more flavorful and relaxing by blending it with a cup of tea, which can include herbs that are themselves relaxing. Some of the best herbs for tea that helps you sleep include:
It's best to put milk or cream in your tea before the CBD oil since oil and water don't mix, but the fat in the milk will help it blend. cbdMD will also soon be coming out with fruit-flavored CBD drink mixes that are water-soluble, so you can make CBD tea without any milk or cream if you prefer.
Whatever way you prefer it, it's best to take your CBD oil for sleep about an hour before bed so your body has time to digest and absorb it.
While many people find that plain CBD products help them maintain quality sleep, there are also specially formulated CBD sleep aids that include extra ingredients to aid slumber. cbdMD's CBD PMis actually made with many of the same herbs for tea that make you sleep that we mentioned earlier - chamomile, valerian root, passion flower, lemon balm, and hops - along with melatonin, which can be extracted from plant sources.
Currently, CBD PM is available either in tincture or softgel form. Each has advantages and disadvantages, so which one you choose depends on your preference.
Advantages of CBD oil for sleep:
Advantages of the CBD softgels for sleep:
In addition, cbdMD is developing CBD for sleep gummies with a similar formulation. Gummies have benefits similar to those of the softgels, but you don't need a liquid to swallow them with, and they come in delicious flavors.
CBD can be a great tool for helping you get better sleep, but it's good to remember the list of things we mentioned earlier that can lower sleep quality. If you really want to keep your nights restful in the long term, you also want to practice what the experts call sleep hygiene.
For the most part, this simply means avoiding those disruptors. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet in the evenings. Eat moderately at dinner and avoid coffee and alcohol too late. Avoid screen time before going to bed. But it's also good to create positive nighttime rituals that help you relax and that you train your brain to prepare for sleep.
Those rituals depend on your personal tastes and needs. But there are several ways that you can incorporate CBD for sleep.
These are just a few ideas. Feel free to dream up your path to sweet dreams!
As we mentioned, we've got new products coming out like CBD for sleep gummies and new concentrationsand options to help you get better rest. We also still have our staple sleep aids, like our CBD oil for sleep and CBD PM Softgels. So stay tuned to the sleep tagon our blog for more announcements and tips on getting better sleep so you can live a better life!