You spend nearly one third of your life asleep – hopefully. If you are not getting the sleep you need, if your sleep is inconsistent or interrupted, if you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying that way, then the effect on your life can be dramatic and traumatic.
As a result of the importance of sleep in our overall well-being and happiness, a whole multi-billion dollar industry has grown up to help us improve our sleep—from supplements and medications to sleep coaches and high-tech gadgets—researchers are considering cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative.
The Endocannabinoid System and Sleep
Understanding the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is essential to understanding the effect CBD may have on sleep.
“The endocannabinoid system is a complex neurochemical network in the body that regulates various bodily functions, including emotions, pain and sleep,” says Chantel Strachan, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine physician and headache specialist at Columbia Doctors and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. While the body naturally releases endocannabinoid molecules, external sources of cannabinoids, such as CBD, can affect the body via the ECS, she adds.
The hypothalamus—which plays a significant role in the ECS—impacts sleep regulation, says Daniel Whitelocke, M.D., owner and CEO of Ozark MMJ Cards, an Arkansas service that helps qualified patients obtain medical marijuana cards. “The hypothalamus, a peanut-sized structure buried deep in the brain, is enriched with cannabinoid receptors and governs the circadian rhythm of our sleep-wake cycle,” he says. Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that, among other functions, help our bodies fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning, and research suggests the ECS factors into that cycle.
How CBD Benefits Sleep?
CBD is the second most abundant compound in the cannabis sativa plant, and many studies suggest it may indirectly benefit sleep. In fact, CBD—which doesn’t cause the intoxicatingly psychoactive “high” associated with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—might help people with different sleep disorders, including insomnia and restless leg syndrome, as well as other conditions known to negatively impact sleep, according to research.
For instance, CBD may help people relax by easing anxiety and pain, two factors that may make it difficult for someone to fall or stay asleep, says Dr. Strachan.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes difficulty in falling asleep. This condition can be caused by factors such as stress, anxiety, emotional worries, jet lag, and night shift work schedules to name a few. Insomnia can be acute or chronic and is generally defined as chronic insomnia when it occurs at least three times per week for over three months. Last year in Sweden a study showed 24.6% of the population to be reporting ‘insomnia symptoms’ with those persons averaging 5.7 hours of sleep a night. That’s the bad news … the good news? CBD may be extremely effective in the fight against anxiety and stress. CBD has anti-stress properties which may help calm a racing mind and a rapid heart rate. Researchers have found that the calming effects of CBD are felt almost immediately, compared to antidepressants which often take weeks to take effect. “Insomnia results from an overactive stress reaction that’s spilling into a rest time when we’re not trying to process conscious trauma,” he adds. “CBD can suppress this dysregulated cycle of stress hormone overactivation and equalize the sleep and wake rhythm through counteracting hormones.”
Disorders of Circadian Rhythm
The Circadian Rhythm is the 24-hour cycle that we usually call our ‘internal clock.’ This cycle controls hormones in the body that make you feel alert or tired. These hormones are melatonin, the go-to-sleep hormone, and cortisol, the wake-up hormone. What role does CBD play in circadian rhythm?
Circadian rhythm disorders, also known as sleep-wake cycle disorders, occur when the body’s internal clock, which dictates when you fall asleep and when you wake up, is misaligned with your environment. Circadian rhythm disorders can develop when there are changes in sleep habits, often due to travel or work, or as a byproduct of a medical condition, aging or genetics.
Your circadian rhythm is all about a beautiful balance, and your Endocannabinoid Systems only job is balance! CBD naturally supports your Endocannabinoid System and helps bring balance back to your body at a cellular level. You can use CBD in your favorite form to help promote and balance sleep.
CBD may improve both the quality and quantity of sleep by ensuring the body progresses through the normal stages of sleep and REM sleep without undue interruption, which would help people with circadian rhythm disorders, says Dr. Whitelock. “CBD’s action on cannabinoid receptors initiates a cascade of events that culminates in a more natural timing of sleep relative to the diurnal rhythm of night and day,” he explains.
CBD can be especially helpful for people who experience circadian rhythm disorders due to shift work, where sleep windows change depending on a person’s work schedule.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a widespread mental health disorder which affects around 8% of the Swedish population — that’s around 800, 000 Swedes. That is only those suffering from severe anxiety disorder. If you add in those reporting mild to bothersome anxiety, the number almost triples. More disturbingly, the rise over the last decade of reported anxiety of any variety, especially amongst older women and younger boys, is two-fold and growing at an alarming rate!!
As awareness of mental health problems becomes more mainstream, we are finding that more people are suffering, and the age range of sufferers is getting bigger. One in three teens will suffer from some form of anxiety disorder before they reach the age of 18. Many studies have found CBD to be a potential treatment for anxiety disorders. While more research is needed, studies link CBD use to improved sleep due to its ability to decrease anxiety.
“CBD’s well-established role in reducing anxiety—without causing stony lethargy that can accompany THC products—makes it an ideal tool to calm intrusive thoughts before laying down to sleep,” says Dr. Whitelocke. More specifically, CBD acts on the endocannabinoid receptors in the limbic system—a set of brain regions known to play a role in many important functions, including the regulation of emotions, storage of memories, sexual arousal, olfaction (or our sense of smell) and forming of learning patterns. When the limbic system is out of equilibrium, such as when an intrusive memory leads to anxiety and insomnia, CBD activates the ECS to help repress that memory and, consequently, facilitate sleep. “By restoring hormone balance,” says Dr. Whitelocke, “CBD acts as the great equalizer.”
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disease that can be described as a relentless need to move, strong discomfort, and pain in the legs. RLS is seen as a hidden public disease and as many as one million Swedes may be affected. RLS negatively influences sleep and is considered to be a strong pre-cursor to depression. It is most prevalent in working-age women. Currently, there is no official treatment or cure for RLS. As a general rule, doctors recommend a healthier lifestyle, possibly with medication to reduce stress and ease pain. However, these medications are restrictive, as they cause side effects and do not really solve the underlying problem. For some people, CBD is a natural alternative that improves their condition day and night.
Early research suggests CBD can reduce the frequency of abnormal nerve firings that lead to involuntary muscle twitching, which is the hallmark symptom of RLS, says Dr. Whitelocke. “For a person who is prone to waking as a result of limb movement in sleep, this can come as a great benefit,” he says.
Chronic Fatigue/Pain
The diagnosis exhaustion disorder accounts for the majority of all long-term sick leave in Sweden. Severe, constant fatigue; Poor concentration and “brain fog”; Joint or muscle pain with no cause; Sleep disorders including chronic insomnia; all of these are considered symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Research strongly suggests that ME/CFS is an inflammatory condition associated with neuroinflammation. Considering the significant anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids, particularly CBD, it is likely that it may have a positive impact on this disorder.
Studies show CBD has promising pain-relief potential. Researchers find that by applying products with CBD oil to painful areas, study participants report reduced pain and swelling often associated with inflammation.
CBDs for ZZZs
“With regards to sleep, having adequate pain control is crucial to being able to relax both body and mind without the worry of addictive or toxic effects of other analgesic alternatives,” says Dr. Whitlocke.
Ultimately, the choice to use CBD for sleep is between you and your health care provider. Some reasons to consider CBD for sleep include wanting to try a plant-based option or seeking an alternative to conventional treatments that haven’t been effective, says Dr. Strachan.
CBD is a safe alternative to prescription sleep medications, adds Dr. Whitelocke. “Especially when you consider the relatively low toxicity of CBD products,” he says, “using CBD for sleep is a wise alternative for almost anybody seeking to improve the quality and quantity of restorative rest.”
USE CBD TO HELP WITH YOUR ZZZ
