Quality sleep is a gift that everyone doesn’t get. It is estimated that about one-third of the American population doesn’t get adequate sleep due to various health issues and environmental factors. It is when we sleep that our body heals itself and prepare to face the next day.
People bothered by recurrent sleep issues often depend on sleep drugs that do the job effectively when it comes to putting you to sleep. However, they have sedative effects that can make you drowsy during the day. Some sleep drugs could even be abused.
CBD and melatonin are two sleep aids that provide quality sleep without causing side effects.
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin has been in use for many years, with its sleep-inducing properties backed by scientific evidence. Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland located in the brain. It is crucial in regulating our circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).
The levels of melatonin secretion are influenced by the presence of light, with the levels steadily increasing in the evening. Melatonin reaches the peak levels at the hours between 11 PM and3 AM. The levels of melatonin in the bloodstream are quite low during the daytime.
Inadequate secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland leads to sleep issues, and this situation could arise when you are exposed to artificial light during the night hours. Age is another factor that influences melatonin production in the body. Once you are past 60 years of age, the melatonin production in your body decreases rapidly.
Synthetic melatonin is taken to make up for the inadequacy in melatonin production in the body. Melatonin is quite effective in treating insomnia, addressing jet lag, reducing sleep latency, and improving the efficiency of sleep.
What Is CBD?
CBD/cannabidiol is one of the hundreds of cannabinoids found in cannabis plants. CBD works by interacting with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system known to regulate various body functions like sleep, mood, anxiety, appetite, and more.
Can You Take CBD And Melatonin Together?
CBD and melatonin are safe for use, and you can use them together to get amplified sleep benefits. CBD offers sleep benefits by influencing CB1 and CB2 receptors while melatonin works to offer better sleep by activating MT1 and MT2 receptors. CB1, CB2, MT1, and MT2 receptors are all G-protein coupled receptors and hence their structures are similar to one another. They also generate similar effects on body functions.
Melatonin and CBD complement one another and hence can be used in combination. However, discuss with a doctor before you start taking CBD, melatonin, or a combination of both to address your sleep issues.
