Can CBD help us to get a better night’s sleep?
In this edition of ‘A Holistic Approach’ we are looking at the much talked about topic of sleep. Whether you sleep like a baby or toss and turn, clock watching throughout the night, it comes up in conversation time and time again.
- 22% of people in the UK struggle to fall asleep every single night
- A further 15% struggle to fall asleep at least once a week
- Monthly NHS prescriptions for Melatonin have risen by 148% in the last 6 years with 87,990 prescriptions being issued for Melatonin at a cost of £2.6 million & 438,399 prescriptions for Zopiclone, costing £292,354. Both of these are prescribed to help people sleep.
“CBD is a natural alternative which may help your body to relax which in turn can promote a good night’s sleep.”
Ask yourself – How many times in the last week have I had to change or put my plans on hold or have I told someone I cannot do something because I am too tired?
Benefits of adding CBD to your Night time Routine
CBD is a natural alternative to many of the medications on the market to help with sleep issues. It is known to help the body to relax which in turn can promote a good night’s sleep. Some of the benefits may include:
01
it’s a Natural alternative
CBD short for Cannabidiol is a naturally occurring chemical compound which derives from the cannabis plant. It interacts in a very specific way with receptors in our nervous system. These receptors affect things like pain, mood and our appetite. CBD offers a natural and effective way to manage pain without addiction or harmful side affects.
02
promotes longer, deeper sleep
The sleep – wake cycle or circadian rhythm is the natural internal process that determines when it is time to be awake and when it is time to sleep. This cycle relies on consistency. If you find yourself suffering often from ‘afternoon slump’ or day time tiredness, you may want to consider using small amounts of CBD to stimulate alertness. This is important as it enhances daytime performance which then promotes a strong and consistent sleep – wake cycle meaning you sleep longer and deeper when it comes to bedtime.
03
calms the body
Whatever your reason for feeling tense or uptight when going to sleep, whatever stories you are reliving in your mind from during the day, CBD may help your body to maintain balance and stability. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system and receptors in our bodies to make them feel calmer and more relaxed. A body that is relaxed has a much better chance of getting a good nights sleep and waking up in the morning feeling refreshed. Along with taking CBD or using one of our bath and body products before bed, we suggest you also try on this:
Put your hands out flat either resting by your side or on top of your stomach, making sure they are not touching. Focus your attention on your hands and as you do this completely relax them. You will start to notice them tingle and become heavier the more they relax. This has a knock on affect to the rest of your body and you will find from your toes right up to your head will begin to relax only. Not only is this great for bedtime but it can also be used during the day when you feel tense or uptight.
04
May reduce feelings of anxiety & STRESS
Lying in bed, in the dark, not being able to sleep, with your mind going into overdrive because you don’t have all the usual distractions of daytime is an awful feeling to deal with night after night. It is almost like a vicious circle of wanting it to be night time so you can get into bed as you are so tired and then once you get there wishing it was morning again just so you can get up and distract yourself. Cannabinoids, of which CBD is one, are considered the ‘feel good’ molecules that are released by our bodies when we feel relaxed or happy. These attach to the receptors in our brain which then stimulates the feel good response.
A study ‘Cannabidiol Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series’ by Dr Scott Shannon, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado was carried out to determine whether CBD helps to improve sleep &/or anxiety, the sleep and anxiety scores of the participants were measured both before and after. In the study of 72 people, 47 for anxiety and 25 for poor sleep, a 25mg capsule of CBD was given to them daily. In the first month 79.2% reported lower anxiety levels and 66.7% reported better sleep.
CBD may help to reduce both the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety and stress. Research has shown that when participants in a public speaking event were given CBD before they went on stage, their stress levels and social anxiety lowered.
05
rELIEVEs ACHES & PAINS
Does chronic pain, sore muscles and various aches keep you awake at night? If it does, then you are not alone. The British Pain Society reports that chronic pain affects more than two fifths of the U.K. population, meaning that around 28 million adults are living with pain that has lasted for three months or longer. Taking medication to ease the pain can sometimes turn into a double edged sword. On one side it takes away the pain or at least manages it, on the other it may affect your digestive system or may give you brain fog.
We know that pain affects the amount of time we sleep for and the quality of the sleep we get. Flip this over and we also know that sleep quality and duration has an affect on our pain threshold and we are left with a no win situation.
Added to this, persistent pain and non-restorative sleep (Restorative – the sleep we need to get every night to help recharge our batteries) affect our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
CBD has been known to tackle pain in a natural way whilst looking after not only your physical and digestive health but also your emotional health.
06
SOOTHEs DIGESTIVE DISCOMFORT
The wellbeing of our Gut, in general terms, the health of our digestive tract has a huge impact on our health overall. An upset stomach, bloating, tiredness, problems sleeping and skin irritations can be due to having poor gut health.
CBD has been suggested to help with digestive health and early research indicates that it can help to alleviate Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and improve its symptoms. It may also help with other symptoms associated with the digestive system such as nausea and stomach cramps or pains.
How to get started
One of the first things to do is decide why you are taking CBD. Pick one thing. Is it to get rid of the pain that keeps you awake at night, is it to help with feelings of anxiety or stress, it is to regulate your sleep pattern?
If you focus on too much at once it can seem like you are getting nowhere fast.
“CBD is a natural alternative which may help your body to relax which in turn can promote a good night’s sleep.”
CBD may improve sleep because it tackles the root cause of what is keeping you awake.
About Jennifer
Jennifer is the founder of Awaken Potential and C-H-O-53 CBD Bath & Body.
She is a primary school teacher, certified children’s mindfulness and meditation coach and a holistic tutor. Her ethos is based on a holistic approach to education, learning and wellbeing for both children and their parents.
C-H-O-53 is her brand of CBD (Cannabidiol) Bath & Body products which are handmade in Northern Ireland, UK.
C-H-O-53 was created so Jennifer could offer her customers the choice of a natural health alternative, in keeping with the holistic ethos that Awaken Potential represents.
Jennifer lives in the seaside town of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland with her partner David, teenage son Sam and her two King Charles Cavaliers, Riley & Cooper.
To find out how you can work with Jennifer you can visit her at www.awakenpotentialhub.com