Sales of CBD products have skyrocketed around the world, with the US and the UK now having the two largest CBD markets worldwide.

Whether it's CBD oil, bubble gum, skin cream, or tea... there's a lot of buzz about how these products can help you sleep better, but limited research to actually support these claims.

So can cannabidiol (CBD) really help you sleep?

What is the best CBD for sleep? Are there any downsides to using it? Are CBD products safe?

In this article we will answer these questions and many more.

Let's start by looking at what exactly the term CBD means and what this compound is believed to do in your body.

What is CBD?

While you may be aware of some of the purported health benefits of CBD products, you may not be aware of what it actually does in the body. In fact, scientists are still studying the biological functions of CBD, so we still have a lot to learn about this compound.

CBD stands for cannabidiol and is a chemical found in cannabis plants. CBD is a type of compound called a cannabinoid. Around a hundred cannabinoids have been identified in the cannabis plant and you may have heard of some of the main ones:

• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
• delta 9 tetrahydrocannabidiol (THCV)
• cannabidiol (CBD)
• cannabinol (CBN).

When you think of the word "cannabis," you may automatically think of the recreational drug, but in reality there are different forms of this plant, and that's important to understand.

Cannabis used as a recreational drug contains THC, which is the compound responsible for causing the psychoactive effect. These come from the cannabis plant, often referred to as marijuana.

Psychotropic substances affect the way the brain works and cause changes in our mood, emotions, thoughts and behavior. (1)

However, there are also cannabis plants that contain very low levels of THC (so they do not cause psychoactive effects in the body) and often contain higher levels of CBD than the recreational drug. These are commonly used to make CBD products and are generally made from the cannabis plant.

CBD is not psychoactive in the same way that THC is, so those who take it do not get "high." This is an important characteristic because, without this effect, it is not subject to the same level of legal regulation as THC.

What does CBD do in the body?

If you're considering taking CBD for sleep, or any purported health supplement, it's worth understanding how it works in your body. This will help you make an informed decision about whether a product or supplement is right for you and what you hope to achieve by taking it.

When it comes to CBD, we don't have all the answers yet. We know that it can interact with a wide variety of systems in your body, but we also know that there is still a lot to be discovered about how this molecule works.

One key system it interacts with is called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). You probably know that the body has certain systems, like your digestive system, nervous system, and immune system...

But have you ever heard of the endocannabinoid system? For many of us, the answer is no. The ECS is an incredibly important system in our bodies, but it's one that doesn't get the exposure it deserves.

It was discovered relatively recently - we've only known about it for about 30 years and we're still learning about it. For a system that's so little discussed, the ECS actually has some important functions in the body.

The ECS is involved in a multitude of processes throughout the body, including regulating:

• of mood
• of sleep
• of appetite
• of memory
• of fertility
• of pain perception (2) (3)

The main role of the ECS is thought to be maintaining homeostasis, meaning it is important for maintaining internal balance in our bodies.

The ECS helps the body and brain respond to changes and helps restore balance when we experience pain, inflammation, or stress.

Imagine you have a fever. The ECS helps your body send signals to your brain telling it that changes need to be made to bring your body temperature back into balance. The brain and body then make changes to bring your temperature back down to normal.

So it's not the ECS itself that fixes the problem. Instead, it acts like an alarm system that alerts the body that something is out of balance.

ECS receptors are found throughout the body, from immune system cells to the lining of the stomach, so this personal alarm system can effectively alert our brain that something needs to be addressed, no matter where it is in the body.

So how does CBD fit into this system?

Our bodies produce their own cannabinoids, called endogenous cannabinoids or (endocannabinoids), and they are the molecules that bind to the receptors in the ECS. It’s like two puzzle pieces that fit together, except that certain molecules will fit into certain receptors in the same way that only two matching puzzle pieces fit together.

So in the ECS, endocannabinoids bind to ECS receptors and through this binding they bring about changes in the body. While THC can bind to ECS receptors, CBD does not have the same binding strength.

CBD is called an exocannabinoid, meaning it is produced outside the body. It is more commonly referred to as a phytocannabinoid, meaning it comes from a plant.

CBD interacts with the ECS by stopping endocannabinoids from being removed from receptors or recycled, so that their levels remain higher than they would be without it. In this way, it enhances signaling in the ECS. (4)

As ECS receptors are found throughout the body and are involved in regulating various processes, when a person takes CBD it is likely to affect these processes.

However, as is always the case in biology, things are not that simple. CBD also interacts with numerous other receptors throughout the body that are involved in a variety of important functions. One notable one is the serotonin receptor.

Serotonin is a chemical messenger linked to pain, depression, and anxiety. (5)

Through this interaction, CBD has been shown to play a role in reducing feelings of anxiety, stress, and fear, and may be helpful in managing many types of pain.(2) This likely explains why CBD can help people sleep.

CBD has also been investigated for its potential to improve symptoms in immune system diseases, cancer, neurological disorders, and many other diseases. (2) (6)

While this all sounds very positive and encouraging, CBD can also have some less desirable effects on the body.

CBD blocks the activity of a group of enzymes in the liver called cytochrome p450 enzymes. These enzymes are very important and are responsible for breaking down toxins and drugs in your body.

This in practice means the following:

If you are already taking medication and then choose to take CBD, this may change how long the other medication stays in your system.

For example, let's say you take a medication (drug A) that you know treats an illness, but, for some strange reason, makes you feel a little dizzy as a side effect.

If you then decide to take CBD because a friend said it helped him with his dizziness, what you will actually find is that you will now feel more dizzy and this is because the CBD you took blocked the enzymes that would normally break down drug A in the liver.

This means that Drug A stays in your system longer when you take CBD, so the side effect of dizziness will affect you for a longer period of time.

While this is an example I just made up, for many drugs the impact of slowing their breakdown can be quite serious and have significant effects on the body, so it's something to keep in mind if you're considering taking CBD.

Types of CBD products you will find on the market

Products containing CBD are available in many different forms, including:

• CBD candies
• Oil: CBD oils can be taken in drop form, placed under the tongue, or mixed into foods and drinks.
• Creams and lotions
• Capsules and tablets: swallowed like a regular tablet
• Patches: these can be applied to the skin and release CBD directly to the skin's surface
• Food: there are various foods such as tea, sweets, cookies and chocolates that contain CBD.

Many CBT sleep products contain other ingredients that are intended to help you sleep, such as herbal products such as valerian, chamomile, or lavender. Others include melatonin or 5-HTP or L-tryptophan or magnesium.

Currently, CBD oil for sleep is the most popular form people choose and is generally taken by placing drops under the tongue (sublingually) before bed. (8)

There are also differences in how CBD is extracted and included in products. There are three main types of CBD available:

• Full-spectrum CBD. This form contains all the compounds found in the plant, so it will contain traces of THC.
• Broad-spectrum CBD. This is the same as full-spectrum, except it does not contain THC.
• Isolated CBD. CBD is isolated from the rest of the plant's components, so you can be sure you're only getting CBD.

So, for someone trying to decide whether to take CBD for sleep, the range and variety of products available can be daunting and full of misinformation. Let’s now look at what is considered the best CBD for sleep and whether there is evidence to support it.

What are the best CBD products for sleep?

CBD research is a fast-moving field, so we are constantly discovering more and more about the pros and cons of this compound. At present, there are no official guidelines from the UK NHS, NICE or the US FDA on how to use CBD for sleep.

According to the latest research conducted in the UK, CBD oil is the most popular CBD product that people use. A research study into the reasons why people use CBD found that CBD oil was the most popular form that people turned to to help with insomnia or sleep problems. (8)

In this study, 48% of people who took CBD for sleep reported that it helped them fall asleep faster. Nearly 40% said it helped them sleep better. These results can’t prove that CBD oil is the best CBD for sleep, but they do show that people are turning to this form for sleep problems.

It's worth noting, however, that the sleep measurements weren't done in a controlled sleep lab or with any precise sleep-recording instruments. People were asked to provide details about whether they felt CBD helped them, so any improvements were reported by the person taking CBD for sleep themselves.

Because of this, we can't say for sure that taking CBD oil for sleep works, it's just that people who take it tend to feel that it helps them sleep. To confirm these results, we need sleep studies where people's sleep is examined in a controlled manner, before, during, and after taking CBD for sleep.

Additionally, we still don't know enough about the safety and functions of CBD, especially for long-term use. And finally, with CBD products being poorly regulated (at the time of this writing), it's often unclear whether the product you choose will actually contain the ingredients you're hoping for.

Does CBD have side effects?

Because products containing CBD are relatively new, we don't know all the possible side effects of taking them.

According to the Food and Drink Agency (FDA) in the US and NICE in the UK, possible side effects may include:

• Liver damage
• Diarrhea and nausea
• Changes in appetite
• Mood swings
• Changes in weight.

CBD can also interact with other medications you may be taking. NICE currently lists 155 recognized drug interactions. Alcohol appears on this list, as combining it with CBD can be dangerous - the two can enhance each other's effects, so it's worth being careful if you're drinking.

CBD dosage for sleep

If you've looked for CBD products online or in stores, you've probably noticed that the dosages on the packaging can vary. Often, the labels will have numbers like 750mg/1000mg/2000mg written in large letters on the bottles.

This is a bit misleading because, upon closer inspection, these numbers usually refer to how much CBD is in the entire package and not the dosage of the individual gummies, drops, or capsules. Most individual doses will be between 5-25mg/dose.

Different doses of CBD have been tested for various conditions, but there is still a lack of scientific data. This means that there is no standard dose that can help you sleep. The FDA recommends that you do not exceed 70mg of CBD per day.

Research studies have shown that CBD is safe in doses up to about 1500mg, (8) (12) but more data is definitely needed here to know how it might affect you long-term and to examine the effects in larger populations of people.

Furthermore, we probably don't need to remind you again that what is written on the label may not accurately reflect what you get in the product.

So, if you're looking for what CBD dosage you should take for sleep, then the truth is that you really should wait until good research studies look into this further. What we can tell you is what the studies so far tell us about the effects of CBD on sleep and sleep disorders.