CBD for Sleep
Recommended to you
Sleep: A Simple Guide to Shut-Eye
Table of content:
- Summary
- Why is sleep important?
- What Sleep Issues do to the body
- Five life hacks to help combat sleep issues
- CBD Oil to the rescue: the current research into CBD and sleep
- Final word
- FAQs
Summary

Why is sleep important?
Let’s begin by answering the question: why is sleep important? Sure, most of us enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep, but how does it help to maintain the health of our body and mind?
- It fortifies the immune system.
- It helps to maintain your metabolism, and therefore getting enough sleep (alongside other healthy lifestyle choices) can help to prevent you from gaining weight.
- Sleep is vital for the regulation of healthy brain and cognitive function. It enables you to be alert and to be able to concentrate on your tasks the next day.
- Poor sleep is linked to an increased risk of strokes or heart disease, in comparison to those who sleep between seven to eight hours per night.
What Sleep Issues do to the body
We’ve all been there at least once in our lives – tossing and turning and yet sleep feels further away than ever. Lying awake at night, waking up tired, and waking up many times during the night is not a recipe for success. This can lead to you feeling tired the next day, feeling irritable, and finding it difficult to concentrate. These issues can last for days, months, or even years. So, what causes sleep issues? Well, it can be caused by a variety of factors, such as tension, an unsettled mind, aches, travel, excessive alcohol use, or it can just be one of those unfortunate life occurrences. Sleep Issues do not discriminate, and can affect anyone at any age.
Prolonged sleep issues can have serious consequences for our body and mind.
Five life hacks to help combat sleep issues

So, what can you do if you’re dealing with bouts of sleep issues? Here are five tips for you to follow, as they may be able to help improve your ‘sleep hygiene’ routine.
Stick to schedule
This means deciding on a set time to go to bed every night. You should always try and wake up at the same time every day – yes, even on weekends! This can help your body to get into a rhythm and sleeping pattern, making it easier for you to fall asleep. That being said, you should only try and sleep when you feel tired. Otherwise, you can become frustrated and tense, and this will only worsen your sleep situation.
Create a comfortable environment
Your bedroom should be your safe haven – somewhere you want to sleep and spend time winding down before bed. Try and make it as dark as possible while you sleep. This could mean you purchase blackout curtains to help with this. Ensure your bed is comfortable by purchasing a comfortable mattress. It’s worth spending a bit more money on your mattress if you can – consider it an investment. After all, you’ll ideally be spending eight hours on it every night!
Avoid technology
It’s a good idea to avoid technology for up to an hour before bed. Instead you could read a book, or run yourself a nice warm bath. Screens can be distracting and tense for your mind, especially if you receive work emails or messages on your phone. It’s important that you allow yourself to switch off before bed, and not to feel under any pressure to reply to messages. Top tip: avoid picking up your phone if you struggle to sleep, it’s not a healthy habit to pick up.
Avoid the caffeine
Caffeine can act as a stimulant, so it’s therefore best to avoid it before bed. Caffeine can include tea, coffee, and energy drinks. Instead opt for water or herbal drinks. It’s a good idea to not consume any drinks a couple of hours before bed, as otherwise your sleep may be broken by the urge to go to the bathroom.
If you can’t sleep, get up
This may sound strange, but it’s an important sleep hack. The idea is to take your mind off the fact that you can’t sleep, or you will begin to associate your bed with wakefulness. You could read a book for half an hour until you feel sleepy again or do some yoga or meditation. Whatever works for you!
CBD Oil to the rescue: the current research into CBD and sleep

Firstly, we need to answer the question: what is CBD oil? CBD, short for cannabidiol, is derived from the cannabis plant. There are over 100 compounds in the plant, with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being the main psychoactive compound. This means that it can cause a ‘high’ for those who consume it. However, CBD has no such properties, and this means that it can make a great addition to a whole host of wellness products. So, how is CBD oil made? It first needs to be extracted from the plant and then diluted with a natural carrier oil. This makes it fit for human consumption. Popular choices for carrier oils are hemp seed, avocado, and coconut oil.
So, what does the current research say about CBD for sleep? The good news is that the research looks promising and helps to support the use of CBD as part of your night-time routine. One review entitled ‘Cannabidiol in An Unsettled Mind and Sleep: A Large Case Series’ published in The Permanente Journal examined the effects of CBD on an unsettled mind and sleep using a study as an example. 72 people took part in this study; 47 people were experiencing an unsettled mind and 25 were dealing with poor sleep. The participants received one dose of 25mg of CBD per day and this was in a CBD capsule. The study lasted for one month and the results were encouraging. 66.7% of people experienced an improved sleep and 79.2% of them reported that their feelings of an unsettled mind were lessened.
Another review published in 2018 examined the way that CBD could positively affect your sleep. It was entitled ‘Cannabinoids and Aches: New Insights From Old Molecules’ and it was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology. The review notes that aches can cause sleep problems. It can be distracting and debilitating and prevent you from drifting off to sleep. The authors of the review report that after an examination of the current studies into CBD for aches, there appears to be enough evidence to support the use of CBD to manage aches, due to the way that it can reduce and possibly help to reduce aches. By improving your aches levels, it may be able to help you get that good night’s sleep you need.
Now we will examine one small study published in 2014 in the journal National Library of Medicine. This study examined the effect of CBD on four people with Parkinson's disease, who were suffering from REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). This disorder is associated with broken sleep, thrashing around, and acting out your nightmares and dreams. The authors of this study noted that the CBD had a prompt and substantial reduction on RBD symptoms and there were no negative side effects present. While further research is needed, they also note that CBD shows potential in being able to help control the symptoms of RBD.
Another review entitled ‘Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature,’ also supports the use of CBD as a potential treatment for RBD. It also notes that it may be helpful in the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness. This is a symptom of sleep issues and sleep issues, and therefore adding CBD to your routine may help you to improve your concentration. One review published in 2014 entitled ‘Potential Effects of Cannabidiol as a Wake-Promoting Agent,’ reported that CBD may be able to promote wakefulness. They based their conclusions on both human and animal studies. This means that CBD may be able to help you deal with the grogginess you feel after a sleepless night.
Final word
Adding the all-natural CBD to your night-time routine may be able to help you get the peaceful sleep you need. Of course, CBD alone can’t do this kind of heavy lifting for you, as you will also need to make healthy lifestyle choices. This includes exercising, a healthy diet, and making sure that you stick to a sleep hygiene schedule. So, what are you waiting for? Try CBD for a peaceful night's sleep!

FAQs
When to take CBD oil for sleep?
It’s recommended that you take CBD an hour before you want to go to sleep. This gives you a chance to feel the effects. While you wait for it to kick in you should make the most of your night-time routine. You could have a bath, read a book, or listen to some calming music.
How many drops of CBD oil for sleep?
Before taking CBD oil, choose the correct dosage in compliance with your weight. If you’re a CBD newbie, begin with some drops of 5% CBD oil and then increase the dosage step-by-step if necessary. It’s all about a trial-and-error approach until you discover the best dose of CBD that compliments your sleep.
How to take CBD oil for sleep?
The main ways to consume CBD for sleep are CBD capsules, CBD oil, CBD edibles and vaping CBD. Vaping CBD and CBD oil will allow you to feel the effects faster, but CBD capsules are easy to dose and consume. The choice is down to you! We recommend doing some research before you decide.
How to use CBD balm for sleep?
You can also use topical CBD as part of your sleep routine. You apply it to your body and the CBD will be absorbed through your skin. Not as much CBD will be absorbed into your body compared to other methods, and therefore some people prefer to avoid it.
Is it better to take CBD at night or in the morning?
It all depends on what you’re taking CBD for. If you’re taking it for sleep then it’s best to incorporate it into your night-time routine. Whereas some people enjoy consuming CBD in the morning to help kick-start their day.