Does CBD help with sleep, and how much should you take?

Does CBD help with sleep?

The evidence on CBD for sleep is limited and mixed. However, there's some promising research that indicates it could be beneficial to some people who have trouble sleeping. This may be something to do with how CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system.

This system regulates a wide range of bodily functions including immune function, the body’s natural inflammatory response, mood, and sleep. By interacting with it, CBD could help to ease inflammation that may prevent comfort and restful sleep. It may also have analgesic effects, although further study and good-quality data are needed. It’s also thought to ease anxiety and stress, potentially calming the mind and helping it to achieve a state of restfulness. 

Historically indica cannabis was thought to be better than sativa cannabis for sleep, but more up-to-date scientific research is needed to determine whether there’s a difference between the effects of indica strains and sativa strains on sleep.

It’s also thought that certain terpenes might aid sleep more than others, possibly due to the way they interact with CBD, but more research is needed before we can make any certain claims on that. 

How much CBD should you take for sleep?

Every individual is unique and a highly personal approach to dosage is necessary to avoid side effects. The Food Standards Agency (the FSA) recommends that healthy adults take no more than 10mg of CBD per day. However, this is a limit and not a recommended dose. 

When you first try CBD for sleep, it’s important to start low and go slow. Start with a low dosage and gradually increase it, being careful not to exceed the 10mg limit. It’s a good idea to keep a sleep diary. Make a note of how much sleep you managed to get, how many times you woke up (if any), whether you were able to get back to sleep and how you felt your cognitive faculties functioned throughout the day.

This will give you useful qualitative data to inform your dosage decisions so that you can make adjustments to your dosage schedule as and when needed.

Find a starting dosage by consulting with a doctor

A doctor that is both registered to prescribe medical cannabis and experienced in doing so for sleep issues will be able to provide the best advice. It’s essential that you consult with a medical professional before beginning to use any form of CBD, or any other medicinal cannabis products.

When to take CBD, and which form?

CBD comes in many forms, including gummies, capsules and drops. Drops are placed under the tongue, where they’re absorbed into the bloodstream through membranes and take effect fairly quickly, typically in around 15 to 45 minutes. When taken in gummy or capsule form, CBD takes longer to have an effect because it passes through the digestive tract and liver before entering the bloodstream, typically taking around 1 to 2 hours. 

As for gummies, check how much CBD is in each one, as one 10mg gummy would be your full daily limit. Given that gummies can take up to two hours to have an effect, people may find it helpful to take one a couple of hours before bed. 

Whether you need advice on CBD dosage for anxiety-related sleep issues or CBD dosage for insomnia, a medical professional is always the best person to give guidance.

Side effects and who should avoid CBD

Broadly speaking, CBD is well tolerated by the body. However, it’s still important to be careful with consumption because CBD affects everyone in slightly different ways and some people have reported adverse side effects after consuming CBD. These include:

• Dry mouth

• Drowsiness

• Fatigue

• Loss of appetite

• Diarrhoea

• Drop in blood pressure

• Light-headedness

A 2019 rodent study also raised potential concerns that long-term CBD use may result in liver damage.

CBD should not be consumed by those who are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, trying to conceive, and anyone taking medication. This is because certain medications can react with CBD, including blood thinners, thyroid medications, seizure medications and heart rhythm medications.

Signs you may have insomnia 

We’ve all suffered through the proverbial ‘long night’ where sleep proves elusive, the mind won’t relax, and the body can’t get comfortable. But when this inability to relax and fall asleep persists, this may be classified as insomnia. 

The NHS suggests that you may have insomnia if:

• You consistently find it hard to fall asleep

• You wake up multiple times throughout the night

• You wake up very early and cannot fall back asleep

• You wake up feeling exhausted

• You are unable to take naps during the day even though you are tired

• You feel tired and irritable throughout the day

• You find it hard to concentrate and make mistakes during the day due to fatigue

Adults typically need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night in order to maintain good health. As such, those afflicted by long-term insomnia may greatly increase their risk of a number of serious health conditions including hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, and depression.

You should see your GP if your sleeping problems persist longer than a month and if they’re having an impact on your mental or physical wellbeing. 

Better sleep habits

If insomnia is affecting you to the point that it’s impacting your life, it’s important to address the underlying causes. This could include lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity, reducing caffeine intake, and getting into a regular sleep routine. Make sure that you avoid screen time an hour before your bedtime and try incorporating some form of meditation into your daily ritual, especially just before you head off to bed.

Your sleeping environment can also have a huge impact on your sleep quality. Try to keep your bedroom free from noise and distractions, maintain a cool but comfortable temperature, and ensure that it’s dark for the best possible sleeping environment.

CBD or prescribed medical cannabis? 

While cannabis use is strictly regulated in the UK, CBD alone isn’t classed as a controlled drug and shops can sell CBD products over-the-counter, as long as they contain no more than 1mg of each controlled cannabinoid per container. 

This has given rise to a tsunami of CBD products flooding the high street. However, it’s important to be mindful that these products are classed as a food supplement and not medicine in the UK, which means regulation isn’t strict and so quality can vary between brands. For example, research has found that over-the-counter products regularly contain less CBD than advertised. Hemp seed oil is also sometimes erroneously marketed as CBD oil, which can cause confusion. 

With prescribed medical cannabis, on the other hand, your treatment plan will be devised by an expert clinician based on your insomnia symptoms and needs. Importantly, prescribed medical cannabis can contain THC alongside CBD and there’s some evidence that products containing both cannabinoids could help some patients better manage insomnia symptoms. For example, in one small double-blind crossover trial, 65% of 29 adults no longer met the threshold for clinical insomnia after two weeks of taking a balanced CBD:THC oil. 

FAQs

What strength of CBD is best for sleep?

Research hasn’t yet established an ideal strength of CBD to take for sleep. There are also many factors that influence the effects of CBD, including method of administration and how much someone has eaten, so the ideal strength will vary from person to person. 

Is 25 mg of CBD good for sleep?

The FSA advises that adults should not exceed 10mg of CBD per day, so you should not take 25 mg of CBD for sleep. 

Is 10 mg of CBD a day too much?

As we’ve mentioned, it’s recommended that healthy adults don’t exceed 10mg of CBD per day. However, if you’re new to CBD, it’s important that you start on as low a dose as possible.  

Does CBD make you sleepy or just relaxed?

Research indicates that CBD is more likely to relax people than make them sleepy. However, drowsiness is a possible side effect of CBD and it can have a sedative effect if the dosage is too high. Its potentially calming properties might help people feel more relaxed and less anxious before bedtime, which can indirectly encourage sleepiness.

Releaf patients always receive expert advice on how they can take medical cannabis for insomnia. If you’re considering trying CBD or medical cannabis for a sleep disorder, our online eligibility checker is fast and free.

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