Did you know that adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep each night? If you’re not quite hitting your sleep quota, you’re definitely not alone. A huge portion of the population doesn’t come close, squeezing in maybe six hours if they’re lucky. Whether full-on insomnia or a few sporadic sleepless nights, it’s estimated that some 70 million U.S. adults don’t get the sleep they need.

Seeing as sleep issues are so prevalent that insufficient sleep is considered a public health epidemic, it makes sense why you hear about so many people using CBD to help them sleep. It is one of the top three reasons people use CBD, after all…but does it work? It just might.

Here we’ll take a closer look at how taking CBD could help support sleep, and why it could be something to consider.

Can CBD Help You Sleep?

Before we get too deep into using CBD for help with sleep, it’s important to understand just how important sleep really is. Maybe you stay up late to catch up on things that didn’t get done during the day, or maybe it’s the only time during the day you have a free moment to yourself so you skip out an hour or two of sleep most nights. Perhaps you want to sleep but find your mind won’t stop when your head hits the pillow, despite how tired you actually are.

Whatever’s keeping you up at night, insufficient sleep is devastating for your mental and physical health. Irritability, anxiety, agitation, decreased concentration and lack of focus and energy are all mental manifestations of insufficient sleep. Physically, lack of sleep can decrease immunity and increase the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even certain types of cancer.

Here's something else to consider if you don’t sleep well. Drowsy driving is considered very similar to drunk driving. Not only does driving when you haven’t had enough sleep slow your reaction time, it also reduces your ability to make quick decisions and stay alert.

Even one or two nights of insufficient sleep each week can have a negative impact on your overall wellbeing. While there is an abundance of over-the-counter and prescription medications created with sleep in mind, but the majority of people that take them report they don’t get the rejuvenating night’s sleep they’re looking for.

In fact, almost 6 out of 10 people that take sleep meds say they wake up the next day feeling forgetful, confused and drowsy. Sleep meds can also be habit forming and be dangerous when combined with other drugs or alcohol.

For individuals seeking more natural solutions for sleep, CBD is quickly becoming one of the most popular alternatives there is. Not only is it non-intoxicating, but it works naturally with your body to produce its potential sleep-inducing effects. How exactly does CBD help with sleep, though?

Here’s How CBD Could Help You Sleep

If you’re looking for something to knock you out at night, CBD might not exactly offer the results you want. CBD shouldn’t make you sleepy and actually shows to promote wakefulness when taken in smaller doses. On the other hand, higher doses of CBD could create a sedative-like effect. One study discovered that 160mg of CBD worked well to increase total sleep time while decreasing total sleep interruption.

Most people find that CBD helps them relax enough to the point where they can let go of the day’s stressors and find the peace of mind necessary to relax and fall asleep. One study that gave CBD to patients to help with anxiety and sleep found that almost 80% of participant found anxiety relief, while nearly 70% saw improvements in sleep.

Experts suggest that CBD shouldn’t be considered a treatment for insomnia or other sleep disorders, but rather something that can be used to aid in relaxation, perhaps helping to quiet the anxious thoughts that can get in the way of getting a good night’s sleep. While clinical research is still in its infancy when it comes to CBD to help support sleep, it’s widely accepted that the potential CBD contains is largely due to the effects it has on stress.

Another way CBD is thought to help with sleep is the influence it has on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is suggested to help maintain homeostasis of the body’s sleep/wake cycle, and CBD shows to support the ECS. Falling asleep and sleeping soundly through the night is said to be intimately connected to the ECS and the body’s circadian rhythm. Any imbalances to the ECS can disrupt the functions it helps balance, sleep included. Because CBD is said to positively influence ECS function, it’s suggested to work positively on our sleep behavior.

Should You Use CBD To Help You Sleep?

If you’re interested in seeing if CBD can help you sleep, keep in mind that CBD shouldn’t be considered a “miracle cure” for anything. That being said, it could help support stress levels and the body’s sleep/wake cycle to help you get the sleep you need.

Experts suggest that the best way to use CBD to help with sleep is by regular, daily use. This gives CBD time to build up in the system and work with the body’s ECS. Taking CBD twice daily, once in the morning and again a couple hours before bed, is believed to be the best way to experience the benefits CBD contains.

Getting a good night’s sleep every night is critical for living a well-balanced life. Considering that sleep influences absolutely every aspect of our lives and plays a crucial role in our mental and physical health, it’s easy to see why not getting sufficient sleep affects us so drastically.

Can CBD help you sleep? It very well might. There’s a reason it’s one of the top reasons people turn to CBD products in the first place. While it might not exactly work like a sedative, it contains some serious potential to ease stress and support the body’s natural sleep cycles.