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Sleep issues are common among a large portion of the US population and as an immediate medication, many consider taking sleep aids that usually have associated side effects. A bad choice of sleep aid might make you addicted to it complicating things further. CBD is a better alternative to sleep regulating drugs as it comes with minimal side effects and offers better results.
There is no denying that the effects of CBD on insomnia and sleeplessness vary in people depending on their individual tolerance levels and biology but the safety and non-habit forming nature of CBD is undisputed. Here are the ways in which CBD addresses sleep issues.
Reduced Anxiety
The stress hormone, cortisol has a significant impact on the sleep cycle and CBD is effective in regulating the levels of cortisol in the body which helps to improve the sleep cycle. Anxiety and stress can decide sleep quality, and stress brings a direct increase in the cortisol levels, which in turn leads to poor sleep quality.
Relaxed Muscles
Moving disorders like hypermotility and tremors are common in Parkinson’s disease patients and several studies have suggested that CBD is an effective treatment for movement disorders. Frequent muscle tremors in people with Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disturb their sleep leading to insomnia. CBD is a potent medicine that can reduce the frequency and severity of the muscle tremors bringing a positive impact in sleep quality.
Pregnancy Symptoms
Women usually suffer from various symptoms like nausea, stress and pain during pregnancy and all of these symptoms can affect the sleep cycle. Once the symptoms improve, sleep quality too improves. Effects of CBD usage on pregnant women is not a much-explored area and minimal studies were only conducted. Even though WHO assures that CBD has little adverse effects, you have to consult your doctor if you plan to take CBD during pregnancy.
Eliminates Nightmares
Nightmares are something that denies you a quality sleep because you end waking up in the middle of the night troubled by these nightmares. Nightmare is a common feature of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder(RBD) characterized by rapid eye movement and people usually act out in their dreams. When motor inhibition is lacking in REM sleep, it often leads to movements that are at times violent and cause injuries to the individual or bedmates.
Using CBD medication helps improve the symptoms of RBD and people can get a good night’s sleep as the nightmares do not trouble them.
Relief From Somnolence
Sleeplessness in the night is not the only sleep issue, but many report somnolence or daytime sleepiness. CBD does not work like a common sleep inducing drug that puts you to sleep minutes after you take it, but it takes up the task of regulating the sleep and wake cycle of the body, helping you stay awake during the day and fall asleep easily during the night.
Somnolence can affect the daytime productivity making it tough to fall asleep at night. The time of taking CBD is crucial in deciding the impact and taking CBD during the day hours helps in keeping the users alert and active, and gives then restful sleep during night hours.
PTSD Relief
Experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event might trigger the development of Post-Traumatic stress Disorder, and the symptoms include frequent nightmares, severe anxiety and recurrent flashbacks, all of which are detrimental to sleep quality. In a majority of cases the symptoms improve over time, provided the people get adequate care but in some cases, they can get worse and interfere in the daily functioning.
Anxiety is one of the visible symptoms of PTSD and it can induce RBD. The effects of CBD in relieving anxiety symptoms can help in reducing sleep disturbances and regulating sleep cycle.
CBD Pain Relief
Pain associated with various health conditions can adversely affect the sleep quality of people and improving the pain symptoms is the only way to regulate the sleep cycle. Chronic pain is associated with various disorders like arthritis, cancer etc. and the unbearable pain makes it difficult for the patients to get a good night’s sleep.
How regulated our sleep cycle is decides how fine the quality of our lives will be. Sleep issues pave way to several associated health issues that would not be solved unless the sleep issues are addressed. When it comes to sleep regulation, CBD has to compete with various sleep-inducing drugs in the market but the way CBD works is different from that of these drugs. CBD does not aim for immediate sleep-inducing effects but it tries to reach the target by gaining better control of the sleep/wake cycle.
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