Sales of CBD products have exploded across the globe, with the US and the UK currently having the two biggest CBD markets worldwide. Whether it’s CBD oil, gummies, skin cream or tea, there’s plenty of hype about how these products can help you sleep. Whether it is international or in India, anybody can vouch for the fact that a good night’s sleep is essential to your overall health and well-being. Experts recommend adults sleep at least seven hours each night. Proper sleep contributes to memory formation, prevents sickness, and ensures you feel well-rested and have energy for the next day. Unfortunately, as many as 70% of Americans report not sleeping the recommended hours.
One increasingly popular strategy for sleeping better is taking cannabidiol (CBD), a derivative of cannabis. CBD is commonly used to improve sleep, but much more research must be done to determine the exact effects CBD has on sleep quality.
What does the research say about CBD and sleep?
To understand whether cbd capsules can improve sleep, we first have to understand what causes poor sleep.
Possible causes of insomnia include:
- Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety
- symptoms of chronic conditions, such as pain
- eating a large meal or consuming caffeine, especially toward bedtime
- environmental factors, such as distracting devices or an uncomfortable bed
- If your insomnia is due to external factors or related conditions, CBD may help by treating the causes of sleeplessness.
What does CBD do in the body?
If you’re thinking of taking CBD for sleep, or any supposed health supplement, it’s worth understanding how it functions in your body. This helps you to make an informed decision about whether a product or supplement is right for you or not.
When it comes to cbd capsules India, we don’t yet have all the answers. We know it can interact with a wide variety of systems in your body, but we also know that there’s still plenty to be discovered about how this molecule works.
One key system it interacts with is called the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS). You probably know your body has certain systems such as your digestive system, nervous system and immune system. But have you ever heard of the endocannabinoid system? For many of us, the answer will be no. The ECS is an incredibly important system in your body but it’s one that doesn’t get the exposure it deserves.
It was discovered fairly recently in scientific terms ― we’ve only known about it for around 30 years, and we’re still learning about it. For a system that’s discussed so little, the ECS actually has some major functions in the body. It’s involved in a host of processes across the body including the regulation of:
- mood
- sleep
- appetite
- memory
- fertility
- pain perception
The main role of the ECS is considered to be in maintaining homeostasis, which means it’s important for keeping internal balance in your body. The ECS helps the body and brain to respond to change. Imagine you have a fever- The ECS helps send signals to the brain telling it changes need to be made to bring your temperature back into balance. Your brain and body then make changes to bring your temperature down to normal. So it’s not the ECS itself that’s fixing the problem. Instead, it acts like an alarm system to alert the body that something is out of balance.
ECS receptors are found throughout the body, from the cells of your immune system right through to the lining of your stomach. So this personal alarm system can efficiently alert your brain that something needs addressing.
So where does CBD fit into this system?
Your body produces its own cannabinoids, which are called endogenous cannabinoids or (endocannabinoids) and are the molecules that bind to the receptors of the ECS. Endocannabinoids bind to receptors of the ECS throughout the body. It’s kind of like two jigsaw pieces fitting together. Only certain molecules will fit together with certain receptors in the same way as only matching jigsaw pieces fit together.
So in the ECS, the endocannabinoids bind to the receptors of the ECS and through this binding they bring about changes in the body. Whilst THC can bind to ECS receptors, CBD doesn’t have the same binding power.
CBD is called an exogenous cannabinoid (exocannabinoid) meaning that it’s made outside of the body. It’s more commonly referred to as a phytocannabinoid, which means it’s from a plant.
CBD interacts with the ECS by stopping endocannabinoids from being removed from the receptors or recycled, so their levels remain higher than they would without it being there. By doing this it improves signalling in the ECS. As ECS receptors are found throughout the body and involved in the regulation of diverse processes, when a person takes CBD it’s likely going to influence these processes.
However, as always in biology, it’s not quite so simple. CBD also interacts with numerous other receptors around the body that are involved in a variety of important functions.
CBD or other CBD-based products such as cbd capsules have also been studied for its potential to improve symptoms in immune diseases, cancer, neurological disorders and many other illnesses.
Provides chronic relief: Some people who use CBD for chronic pain report sleeping better. Currently, it is unclear whether these patients sleep better because of the pain relief or because CBD directly affects their sleep. Other initial studies of CBD and sleep disorders suggest positive outcomes. However, not everyone experiences the same sleep benefits with CBD use, and additional research is needed to deepen our understanding of CBD as an intervention for sleep disorders.
Helps to reduce anxiety: While not a sleep disorder itself, anxiety can contribute to poor quality sleep, insufficient sleep, and sleep disorders. Because CBD calms the nervous system by improving the Serotonin level which is a chemical signal that’s linked to pain, depression and anxiety, it’s through this interaction that CBD has been shown to play a part in reducing feelings of stress, anxiety and fear and may be helpful in managing many types of pain. This probably explains why CBD can help people sleep. One study showed that nearly 80% of participants who used CBD to treat their anxiety reported lower anxiety levels within a month. Sleep initially improved in more than 65% percent of participants, followed by fluctuating results.
Can treat Insomnia: People who suffer from insomnia experience difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night. Because of their history of poor sleep, people with insomnia may suffer from anxiety about getting inadequate sleep, which can then increase sleeplessness at night. Given the potential positive outcomes of CBD treating anxiety, it is speculated that CBD may also help reduce the anxiety associated with insomnia.