On my somewhat cluttered bedside cabinet alongside my lamp, phone charger, glasses, airpods, Kindle and vitamin D tablets now sits Cannabis oil.
Bought through amazing Amazon – never thought it could sell me drugs – it’s the latest weapon in my sleep armoury. Since semi-retirement, and particularly during the pandemic lockdowns, I’ve been finding getting a good night’s sleep a real challenge.
Even though there’s less stress in my life I sometimes can’t quiet my buzzing brain so, in desperation, I’ve turned to drugs.
I’ve got a 10ml bottle of Healthspan’s CBD oil peppermint oral drops. I can take one to eight drops up to three times a day. I tentatively took my first dose yesterday. Even though the oil is extracted from non-marijuana strains and has no psychoactive or addictive effects I didn’t quite believe it.
Of course, nothing happened, but last night and I’m sure this is just coincidence I got a slightly better night’s kip.
Over the last few years, CBD oil has emerged as an increasingly popular natural treatment for insomnia. Although studies are still in their early stages, there are promising signs that CBD is an effective treatment for improving and enhancing your sleep.
Like many other potential benefits of CBD, research into CBD’s effects on sleep conditions such as insomnia is still in its early stages. However, the existing data suggests that CBD could be an extremely helpful, safe treatment for preventing insomnia and improving sleep quality.
For example a 2014 study found CBD oil reduces the frequency of events related to REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
The four people given CBD during the study all showed measurable, substantial improvements. The researchers further described CBD’s effects and concluded that CBD is “able to control the symptoms of RBD.”
A review from 2017 had similar findings. The researchers noted that preliminary research into CBD “may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia” and that it may treat REM sleep behaviour disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness.
CBD is available in a variety of forms, making it easy to use before bed to help you fall and stay asleep. However, there are a few things to be aware of if you want to use CBD for better sleep, but have never used it before.
First, not everyone has the same tolerance to CBD. This means that a mild dose of CBD for one person could be a significant dose for another. When you’re just starting with CBD, you’ll get the best results by choosing a relatively mild dose.
Using CBD for sleep is a simple process. Below are some of the basics below for the most widely used forms of CBD, from sublingual CBD tinctures to vape oils (e-liquids), edibles, capsules and more.
CBD Tinctures
CBD tinctures are designed for sublingual (under the tongue) use. CBD in this form takes about 20 minutes to start working, meaning you should use it about half an hour before you go to bed in order to improve your sleep.
CBD Vape Oil (CBD E-Liquid)
CBD vape oil, or e-liquid, is designed for use with a vaporiser. Inhaling CBD as vapour allows it to enter your bloodstream and take effect relatively quickly. If you prefer to vape your CBD, you can do so about five to 10 minutes before you go to bed for optimal effects.
CBD Capsules
CBD capsules allow you to consume CBD like you would a capsule-based supplement, making the process more convenient.
This form of CBD needs to pass through your digestive system and liver before it makes its way into your bloodstream. For optimal results, it’s best to use CBD capsules about one hour before you plan to go to sleep.
Topical CBD
CBD can also be applied topically using CBD moisturisers, body salves and serums. This form of CBD is absorbed dermally (through the skin). Since this method of ingesting CBD isn’t very efficient, it’s best to apply any topical CBD products at least one hour before you sleep.