It is a simple fact that most of us don’t get enough sleep. With work, life and our own bodies conspiring against us, it can be impossible to let our bodies rest enough.
This can become more severe with insomnia being a major issue, but even just regular lack of sleep can be damaging to us.
After all, sleeping is when our bodies and minds repair and regulate themselves, without that we start the day worse off, and the effect is cumulative.
Today then we are going to look at what CBD gummies can do to help you fall asleep, and wake up bright and fresh!
WHAT ARE CBD GUMMIES?
CBD gummies are exactly what they say they are, edible gummies that have the all important CBD in. The gummies can come in all shapes, sizes and flavours, but the important part is the CBD inside.
What is CBD?
CBD is a compound that is found in the cannabis plant. However it doesn’t have THC in, so you cannot get “high” from CBD. What it does have though are the many health benefits that cannabis has been shown to have.
To make things just a little more complicated, CBD will normally also have a load of other compounds from the cannabis plant in as well, which have also been shown to help.
How the CBD is extracted can affect what type of CBD you get, the three types are:
Full Spectrum CBD gummies - This CBD type is trying to keep as much of the cannabis plant as possible. Full spectrum tries to take out as little as possible, so as to keep all the good cannabinoids, terpenes and fats in. Due to this full spectrum will have almost all of the cannabis plant, but might well contain some THC.
Broad-Spectrum CBD - Like full spectrum, this type tries to keep as much of the cannabis plant in the CBD, however the THC removal is more thorough, meaning that it is certain that it is THC free
CBD Isolate - This type is just the CBD compound, with no other cannabinoids, terpenes or THC.
What are CBD gummies made out of?
The inside of CBD gummy bears is basically the same as a normal sweet, that is some glucose, sugar, pectin and some flavouring to give them great fruit flavours. Added to that will be some CBD oils to make it more than a delicious snack!
Here at SMOKO we have made sure that our SMOKO CBD gummies can be used by everyone, so they are:
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Fat Free
- Made in the UK
What are the different types of CBD gummies?
Like any great idea, there are plenty of CBD brands and versions of the CBD gummies products on the market, which will vary in flavour and CBD strength.
When looking to try a CBD gummy it is important to look where it is made, how it is made and how reputable the company is. After all CBD is a new market, and there will be products out there that aren’t all they say they are.
Here at SMOKO though we try to make sure that anything we sell is made in the UK, and has been thoroughly tested before we sell it. For our CBD we made sure that the hemp plants we use was grown on farms using sustainable practices in the United States, and then the actual CBD product was created in the UK.
As we have been around since 2012 we have had time to prove ourselves to the thousands of customers who buy our products.
Benefits of CBD Gummies
CBD gummies have a range of health benefits from the way the CBD reacts in our bodies. The three main ways that CBD can help are:
The last one is what we are focusing on today, but all three areas do contribute to helping you sleep.
Why people can’t sleep will always be a mixture of issues combining to make sure you can’t get any rest. The most common issues are stress, pain and stimulants like caffeine.
That is where CBD comes in.
As CBD helps with pain it can help with the more common aches and pains we all have that stop you getting comfortable. But that isn’t all, CBD is able to relax all the muscles that you didn’t even know you had tensed, leading to a more relaxed state.
There is also growing evidence that CBD can help with neurological disorders, mental issues like anxiety and depression, indicating that CBD can help calm your brain and let you finally get some sleep.
HOW DO CBD GUMMIES AFFECT YOUR BODY?
How this all works comes down to what CBD is, and something in all our bodies called the endocannabinoid system (of ECS for short).
The ECS is a large system of nerve receptors that reaches all throughout your central nervous system and into your brain. Its main job is to keep your body in homeostasis (keeping your body in normal and stable condition). This means it is the ECS job to regulate pain, appetite, stress and sleep, to name just a few.
It does this with the help of a compound in our bodies called endocannabinoids, which are made by our bodies and are there to find the issues with your body, tell the ECS and get it sorted.
This all applies to CBD as the scientific term for CBD is a cannabinoid, meaning that it comes from the cannabis plant. Why this is important is that the ECS sees cannabinoids as the same as endocannabinoids.
To simplify all this, when you take CBD you are giving your body more compounds that the ECS can use to find and help with issues in your body.
Effect Of CBD On The Brain
By helping the ECS, CBD helps to regulate your brain. For example, a leading theory is that when we are stressed or anxious the ECS can help put you back into balance by introducing serotonin or dopamine into your brain.
If you have ever been so stressed that you can’t think straight, you can see why this can be a huge help!
Relaxing Effect Of CBD
But it’s not just stress that can help with, CBD can physically help you to relax as well. With meditation and other relaxation techniques, a core tenet is that what happens in your body affects the brain, and vice versa.
That is why a common stress relieving technique is to physically relax each part of your body manually. By relaxing the body we can help our brain as well.
The good news is that CBD gummies can help with both. As we just said, CBD can help with your brain, but it is also a physical muscle relaxant as well. It does this by stopping the compounds that are used by the body to induce muscle rigidity and spasms.
EFFECT OF CBD ON THE SLEEP CYCLE AND QUALITY OF SLEEP
By taking this multi-prong approach, CBD can be a great, non-invasive way to relax and finally get some sleep. It not only stops or dampens the physical reasons that we can’t sleep (like pain and tense muscles) but seems to be able to help with the mental reasons such as stress and anxiety as well.
Unlike other medication though, CBD isn’t forcing sleep onto the body, or just knocking you out for a few hours. Instead CBD encourages and boosts the body to do what it should be doing anyway, creating balance in your body to allow you to fall naturally to sleep.
CBD Gummies For Sleep And Relaxation: What Does Science Say?
Though CBD gummies are still new, there have already been a few scientific studies on how CBD helps with sleep, and how effective it can be. The studies are small at the moment and until there are large, multi-year studies we can’t say anything is 100% certain, but they do show promising evidence!
One study on the effect of CBD on the sleep of those with Parkinson's disease found that it really helped people get a proper relaxing sleep cycle.
Another study in 2019 showed that most of the people who tried CBD got better sleep. The study actually targeted those with sleeping disorders or mental disorders that can stop sleeping (like anxiety). It also found that “CBD appears to be better tolerated than routine psychiatric medications”.
In another study the scientist looks at how cannabis affects sleep. Though CBD isn’t cannabis, it does come from it and cannabis obviously has CBD in it, so the study does still at least help. In the study the authors suggest that CBD can be of help, especially for those with pain-related issues that stop sleep.
Are CBD Gummies Safe To Take?
One of the great things about CBD gummies is that they are a low dose method which will gently help. For example our SMOKO CBD gummies have 25mg of CBD per gummy, which is on the lower side of doses.
However as there is a lot about CBD we don’t really know, it is important to listen to your body about what it needs. Start on a smaller dose, like 1 CBD gummy a day, and then work upwards if that doesn’t work.
To get the most out of your CBD gummies for sleep, try taking CBD edibles 1 hour before going to sleep. CBD edibles, such as gummies, can take up to 30 minutes for the system to absorb.
From what we know there are very few side effects of CBD, though some people have experienced reduced appetite, drowsiness and fatigue. If you find yourself getting side effects then make sure to talk to a doctor.
Also for those taking medication with a “grapefruit” warning, CBD might not be for you. CBD affects medication the same way that grapefruit does, so if you are on medication like statins you should talk to a medical professional before taking any CBD.
CONSIDERATIONS TO BE MADE WHEN PURCHASING CBD GUMMIES FOR SLEEP AND RELAXATION
As CBD is still so new, it is extra important to check that what you are getting is all proper and correct before you put it into your body.
Before buying CBD you should always check that it has a Certificate of Analysis, or COA, from a third-party laboratory. This means that the company is reputable and has made sure that what they are selling has exactly what they say it has, and nothing more.
At SMOKO, you can view our independent third-part lab test certificates on every page of our CBD products so you can be sure of what you are buying.
You should also be able to find the list of ingredients in the CBD gummies as well, so you can tell what is in there before you buy it.
BEST CBD GUMMIES FOR SLEEP AND RELAXATION: CONCLUSION
If you are looking for something then that will help you sleep, that hopefully explains how CBD can help. Whether you have a mental disorder that affects your sleep, or just cannot get your body to rest, CBD may be able to help.
To try CBD gummies and see for yourself if they can help, check out our SMOKO CBD gummies, or our oral CBD tinctures - if you have any other questions just give our UK based customer service a call!
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