CBD is seeing more use with each passing day by people looking to revitalize their health in less chemical methods. However, by its very nature, CBD suffers from an unfortunate stigma due to the illicit use of marijuana in the past. Part of this stigma includes attributing traits to the CBD in circulation that might not be accurate. For example, one of the most common traits assigned to CBD is its sedative effect on those who consume it.
This idea that CBD puts people to sleep is a cause for concern among those who have yet to give it a fair chance. However, the certainty of this effect is in question and likely what brought you to this article. We hope that by reading it, we can help alleviate some of your concerns regarding any potential drowsing effects CBD might have.
Can CBD Make You Tired?
Rather than beat around the bush, we feel it is best to address the elephant in the room. Specifically, whether cannabidiol (CBD) has a sedative effect in and of itself or if it is just another substance for relaxation. The answer in its simplest form is that CBD does not make you tired by itself. There are no compounds that trigger the human body’s process to enter the beginning of our sleep cycle. However, there is a reason behind the misunderstanding regarding CBD’s effect on falling asleep.
CBD has often been used to improve the quality of sleep we enjoy and even expedite the rate we can fall asleep. However, this is not because CBD directly triggers those responses. CBD is often mixed with more traditional sleep aids like melatonin to help us fall asleep, but CBD is used to help us stay asleep. The uses of CBD might not put you to sleep, but it can be used in ways that promote a better quality of sleep overall.
CBD offers many benefits that can improve sleep, but it will not put you to sleep. Its effects range more toward pain management and, more interestingly, mental health maintenance. If you are interested in how it can help, the answer is not exactly simple but can be explained.
How Does CBD Interact With the Body?
Different substances react with the body through various mediums that impact how we process them. Cannabidiol is no different in that the way it interacts with our body correlates to its effects on us. Our body is lined with multiple different protein-based structures called receptors attached to the cells within. Every product we ingest or introduce to our body interacts with specific receptors so our bodies can absorb the effects. When it comes to CBD absorption, this is no different as the receptors that deal with the substance are just as particular.
The receptors responsible for the processing of CBD are currently believed to be CB1 and CB2 receptors found in the central and peripheral nervous systems. While these receptors’ exact process to get CBD into your system is not fully understood, the prevalent theory involves the modulation of serotonin signals. If you were unaware, serotonin is the chemical responsible for maintaining mental health and is one of the many “happy chemicals” that help regulate mood.
The fact that serotonin relates to the CB1 and CB2 receptors allows the interaction of CBD to help address specific mental health issues that afflict the average person. However, serotonin and the receptors associated with it are not responsible for the chemicals our bodies release to help us fall asleep. So, stimulating these receptors will not put you to sleep any more effectively than simply sitting around. The real purpose of these receptors is more valuable than the erroneous belief that it can put them to sleep.
CBD is Good for Anxiety
Cannabidiol might come from cannabis plants, but one of its best features involves its ability to reduce the level of anxiety we feel. Anxiety is one of the country’s leading mental issues, and almost everyone has a very good reason for suffering from it. However, CBD is a powerful tool to overcome anxiety, which has led to some of the rumors that it can put you to sleep. The simple reality is that the more anxious we are, the harder it is for us to rest ourselves long enough to fall asleep at all.
Anxiety is a well-known mental health issue that is often medicated using CBD. Anxiety involves the sympathetic nervous system going into overdrive and supercharging your fight-or-flight response—however, many different forms of anxiety yield different effects. Regardless of the particular form of anxiety, it can make falling asleep and staying asleep a near impossibility. This is why people believe that CBD can put you to sleep since CBD is used to alleviate anxiety.
The fact is that CBD can only mitigate anxiety, so you are not crawling up the walls with anxious behavior when you try to go to bed. This use of CBD to combat anxiety might have led to some misconceptions about a drowsing effect, but it truly shines when coping with mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, in 2011, a study examined CBD’s effectiveness in treating social anxiety disorder (SAD).
A portion of the study participants were provided 400 mg of CBD, while the rest were given a placebo to be ingested orally. As the study ended, it was found that those participants that were administered CBD showed reduced levels of anxiety against those who were given the placebo instead. Using CBD to treat these mental health conditions can make your life situation a little more peaceful when compared to simply powering through the symptoms. However, as we have already stated, it will not put you to sleep unless mixed with a drowsing agent.
THC Can Put You to Sleep
Another reason there is a misconception that CBD can put you to sleep is that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a compound found within cannabis plants that does have sedative effects. THC is one of the primary components of the poor reputation that CBD has suffered in the eyes of the general public for years. The reason is that THC is also the psychoactive compound found in cannabis plants that is responsible for intoxication. Many do not realize that CBD products do not use THC as an active ingredient, meaning there is no chance that the average CBD product will lead to intoxication.
However, the fact that it retains these qualities and is a compound found in the same plant as CBD has led to most people viewing them interchangeably. While THC is legal in some parts of the country, the stigma remains an unfortunate byproduct. That said, one of THC’s more innocuous effects is the drowsing effect it has to offer. Most cannabis products labeled “indica” are the types of products that will start off the process of putting you to sleep and making you feel tired.
Back in 2008, a study was conducted on marijuana strains to determine the efficacy of each strain on helping to reduce REM sleep, which is responsible for the dreams we have at night. By reducing REM sleep, and the dreams it brings, it is possible to have a more peaceful rest. The study found that those subjects who took the strains high in THC showed reduced REM sleep levels.
It is worth noting that no CBD retailer can remove THC from their products completely. However, legal standards have the operating maximum THC concentration in their products, about 0.3%. So, while most CBD products will have a minuscule amount of THC in them, there is not enough to cause the drowsing effect to take hold. So basically, to get a CBD product to induce the drowsing effects of THC, you would have to consume every product in stock within the same sitting to get even close.
If you have concerns about the exact concentration of THC in the product you are considering, you should check the vendor’s website for certificates of analysis. Each COA provides a breakdown of the concentration of each type of CBD in the product and the exact concentration of THC. Being able to review the COA will grant you the opportunity to be entirely sure that the CBD product you are purchasing does not have excessive levels of THC that might induce a drowsing effect.
What is the Appropriate Dosage?
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to taking CBD for any reason, real or not, is finding the correct dosage to get the benefits you are after. The reason is that there are no official guidelines on what constitutes an appropriate dosage for CBD by any reigning federal or pharmaceutical administration. With this in mind, studies have been conducted to determine the extent of human tolerance for CBD and other cannabis derivatives. In 2011, a prominent study was conducted on a range of CBD dosages on a continuous basis.
The results found that doses of up to 1,500 mg a day offered little to no consequence of the subjects taking CBD. This indicates that the human tolerance for CBD is quite high. Supplementary studies conducted in 2017 and 2019 confirmed this, though it uncovered that some people experience side effects from the consumption of CBD.
However, when it comes to finding the appropriate dosage, the factors involved are relatively similar to those attempting to find a dosage for any prescribed pharmaceutical. You need to consider your current weight and the condition you need the CBD for. You also need to be aware that your individual chemistry will directly affect what concentration of CBD will be effective for you. Some people will require more CBD in their supplement to enjoy the benefits than others, and there will be a great deal of trial and error involved in determining what dosage is effective for you.
Finding the ideal dosage of CBD can be made simpler by verifying the details on the product you purchase, but ultimately the results will likely vary. Once you have found the ideal dosage for your particular needs, you will enjoy mental health benefits (among others) with ease.
X-perience CBD
Cannabinol is a powerful compound found in cannabis plants. It offers mental health benefits that were once thought to be the exclusive domain of pharmaceuticals. Given the negative connotations associated with marijuana, CBD gets a bad rap from the general population for being “a drug.” The fact is that CBD is no different than any other over-the-counter medication and can offer you a great deal of relief. However, CBD is not a compound that can put you to sleep like Xanax or melatonin is. At least not in the traditional sense. At most, CBD can relax you and make you more susceptible to other sleep-inducing compounds.
CBD can be a highly valuable addition to your arsenal, and now that you know it will not have you falling asleep in the middle of the day, you can safely try it out. However, you might be wondering where the best place to get ahold of a CBD product might be. For that, we at Neuro XPF would like to be of assistance. We offer an assortment of CBD oil, gummies, and vape fluid that will allow you to enjoy your CBD in the style you prefer. We also offer COAs for each batch we produce so you can shop with certainty. So, if you are ready to take the 1st step on your CBD journey, check out our website and x-perience the best CBD has to offer.
Do you have any questions or concerns regarding CBD use, or what products may be the best for your personal situation? If so, please do not hesitate to reach out and contact us at any time! You can find our contact information right over here. As a potential first-time user, this new world of CBD may be a little overwhelming at first, so we would be more than happy to guide you through the process and assist you however we possibly can! We greatly look forward to hearing from you!