How Is CBD a Key Driver in the Sleep Aid Sector?

April 7, 2023 Red Redial Team 0 Comments

It’s no secret that we have an issue with sleep in the United States… and perhaps all around the world. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan in 2017, at least 1 in 3 adults use some sort of sleep aid to help them get a better night’s rest. WebMD.com estimates that about 1 in 5 American adults use either over the counter or prescription sleep aids on a regular basis. While there may be some discrepancy in the numbers, the bottom line is that we’re all having a tough time falling or staying asleep.

Insomnia is running rampant in our society. Whether that’s due to increased stress levels or technology is up for debate, but what is clear is that something needs to be done about the incessant insomnia that so many of us experience.

Sleep is integral to overall health and wellness, and not getting enough of it could lead to serious health conditions both in the near and long term future. If you’re one of the many looking for a safe yet reliable sleep aid, it may be time to consider CBD. While CBD is used for so much more than sleep (pain management, relaxation, anxiety/depression), its role as a sleep aid could be the most impactful yet.

Table of Contents

Causes of Sleeplessness/Insomnia

There are a number of causes as to why people lose sleep or don’t get enough of it in the first place. Some people simply have a little bit of trouble sleeping one or two nights per month – that’s typically no big deal. Other than being a bit of an inconvenience, it doesn’t seem severe enough to do anything about it. Other people, however, suffer from severe insomnia – chronic sleeplessness. But why? Here are some of the reasons why insomnia plagues certain people:

Anxiety and stress
Pain
An environment that does not promote sleep (too cold, too hot, too noisy, too light)
Too much caffeine or alcohol before bed
Shift work (an odd work shift causes sleep patterns that may not be familiar or are hard to get used to)
Jet lag
Mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, etc.
… and more

You’ll note that anxiety and stress are first on the list. There’s a very good reason for that. Where insomnia is concerned, those are the number one causes. What are people stressing about? The causes are limitless including job loss, divorce, illness or death of a loved one, school, problems at work, finances, their own health, and much more.

CBD and Insomnia

The reasons people take CBD are as varied as the people themselves. One of the many reasons to incorporate CBD into your life could be for use as a sleep aid. Many people use CBD as a sleep aid to help them combat restlessness, difficulty falling asleep, and difficulty staying asleep. CBD is generally considered to be a safe and reliable sleep aid, especially because it tends to not come with many of the serious side effects as other products. According to Forbes, just some of the reasons people opt for CBD as a sleep aid include:

Inhibits arthritis symptoms
Could help with pain management
May reduce PTSD symptoms
Could offset depression and anxiety

CBD and Stress/Anxiety

Stress and anxiety play a major role in inhibiting one’s ability to get proper sleep. The good news is that there is reason to believe that CBD may help combat that. This works by way of the endocannabinoid system and the way it reacts to CBD. The endocannabinoid system is a neural network that is part of the central nervous system.

A series of clinical trials conducted in 2020 showed that using varied doses of CBD had a positive impact on the reduction of anxiety in certain individuals. What’s more, the test subjects reported no serious adverse side effects. While the studies were on anxiety and not directly on the use of CBD as a sleep aid, the connection between the two is apparent and is promising for the future of the product.

CBD, Sleeplessness, and Pain

Another leading cause of sleeplessness is pain of some sort. From a simple headache to chronic muscle/joint pain, many people lose sleep every night because they are experiencing either pain or severe discomfort. Coincidentally, one of the leading reasons people use CBD is to combat pain.

In an average week, almost 95% of people report losing at least one hour of sleep due to pain of some sort. Two hours or more of pain or more are lost nightly by roughly 85% of adults. But with pain relief being one of the main reasons why people use CBD, there is a real possibility of these numbers improving.

The Many Benefits of CBD

In addition to relief from sleeplessness (caused by anxiety, depression, PTSD, pain, etc.), there are a multitude of the other reasons as to the increase in people are turning to CBD:

May help protect against neurological diseases – The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of CBD come into play here. It is therefore possible that CBD could provide useful protection against certain neurological conditions.
Could reduce certain complications with diabetes – Research suggests that some cells within the bodies of people with diabetes may react differently to high glucose levels when CBD is entered into the equation. People with artery wall plaque buildup, neuropathy, and general complications from Type 2 Diabetes may benefit from the use of CBD.
May be a useful aid for epileptic symptoms – Some people with epilepsy credit CBD for helping them manage symptoms related to their epileptic seizures. In fact, the FDA approved the use of CBD under a specific brand name as a form of treatment for certain people with epilepsy.

CBD works wonders for many people in numerous ways. Roughly 60% of the people who currently take CBD use it – at least in part – to get better sleep. If you’re thinking about using CBD as a sleep aid, know that you’re in good company. Still on the fence? You’ll never know unless you try it!