<\/span><\/h2>\nCBD may be a natural sleep aid that could help you get more rest. In a 2019 study published in\u00a0The Permanente Journal<\/em>, of people taking\u00a0CBD for sleep problems, 80 percent reported less anxiety and 67 percent showed improved sleep scores. Individual sleep scores did fluctuate over the course of the study, according to the researchers, and they note that the “results must be interpreted very cautiously” because the study was not a randomized, blinded trial. (Check out these other\u00a0natural sleep aids\u00a0that may work.)<\/p>\nHowever, there are some reasons why CBD might help you sleep. “The brain is loaded with cannabinoid receptors that when activated, enhance brain function and produce a calming effect, dialing down stress and inflammation,” says\u00a0Mary Clifton, MD, a board-certified internal medicine doctor practicing in New York City, a recognized expert in medical marijuana and CBD, and co-author of\u00a0The Grass is Greener: Medical Marijuana, THC & CBD Oil<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em>“CBD products activate those receptors in the brain and nervous system, which can lead to a sedative effect,” says Dr. Clifton, who is also an advisory board member for\u00a0ZoneIn CBD, a CBD company.<\/p>\nCBD also may help with depression and physical pain, says\u00a0Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, who uses CBD products as part of some of her treatment plans and is the owner of BZ Nutrition, a nutrition counseling service.<\/p>\n
“CBD can help alleviate some of the main issues that typically cause insomnia; I’ve found most of my clients suffer from insomnia as it relates to their anxiety, PTSD, sometimes\u00a0depression, and\/or physical pain,” she explains. “CBD oil has been shown to help alleviate anxiety, which helps to relax people into slumber a bit more easily. CBD can also help ease some physical pains, which can keep people up too.”<\/p>\n
<\/span>What type of CBD is best for insomnia?<\/span><\/h4>\nThere are hundreds of different brands of CBD, all with different formulations and promises, and they are not all created equal, says McKenzie Mann, hemp researcher and product development manager for\u00a0Blue Forest Farms, a farm that grows high-CBD hemp and sells CBD products.<\/p>\n
“CBD is kind of the wild west these days,” Mann says. “Anyone can get in the business and there are a lot of so-called CBD products with little or no actual cannabidiol in them,” he explains. Mann adds that there’s a big difference between a bottle you grab at the gas station and a high-quality, independently tested product.<\/p>\n
In addition, different strains of hemp plants have different chemical makeups, making some better suited for helping with insomnia than others, Mann says. “Look for a strain higher in terpenes, a compound that has been shown to improve sleep,” he recommends, adding that a tiny amount of THC will compound the sleep-promoting effects (as long as it’s legal where you live).<\/p>\n
Another option Mann suggests is to look for\u00a0cannabinol (CBN)\u00a0oil. CBN is a compound extracted from the hemp plant, similar to CBD oil, but has an even more powerful sleep-promoting effect.<\/p>\n
“A full-spectrum oil will give you the CBN and terpenes along with the CBD so that’s always my first recommendation,” Mann says.<\/p>\n