Restless sleep and sleep disturbances are common. Since CBD reduces stress and anxiety while lowering blood pressure, taking it before bed can aid in getting a restful night’s sleep. It is also a relaxant, which also aids a person with drifting off when they’re resting.
To get the full sleep-inducing effects of CBD, you’ll need to take a higher dose about an hour before bed. CBD’s mild sedation properties require a hefty consumption of CBD. A good dose to go with is 160 mg as this not only puts you to sleep but keeps you asleep longer. If the duration of your sleep isn’t the concern, a dose as low as 40 mg is enough for the relaxation to kick in so you can drift off into slumber.
Since CBD affects hormones, it affects the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol levels in a healthy human are highest when there is a threat or danger, and everyday activities that cause stress can signal the body to create more of this hormone. It inhibits sleep as it keeps the mind amped up. CBD slows down the production of cortisol which improves sleep quality.
People that suffer from insomnia have high cortisol levels all night while normal sleepers peak in the morning upon awakening. This leads to the racing mind that keeps people awake. Research has shown that a dose as high as 300-600 mg of CBD can quickly drive down cortisol levels which can help insomniacs settle into sleep.
Since CBD’s side effects are negligible in the general population, they’re also a great choice for sleep over benzodiazepines and anti-psychotics like Seroquel. Seroquel can have terrible side effects like restless legs while also creating a dependency so that the user must take the drug to sleep. CBD comes without all those strings attached.