CBD Oil Vs Melatonin Natural Sleep Aids: Do Cannabinoids (Cannabidiol) Promote Better Sleep?

If there is one thing that the majority of Americans can agree on, it is that we need more sleep. The body and brain require a certain amount of sleep every single night to repair the damage caused by various activities and stress during the day. It is not uncommon to choose something to help these people sleep better, though the abuse of prescription medication for the task isn’t always the best option. A natural remedy works well too, like cannabidiol (CBD) or melatonin. However, which one does the job the most effectively and the safest?

The lack of sleep can be linked to many issues, from the medications someone takes to the bed that they sleep in. However, if the cause is not external, one of the biggest sources can be stress. Stress takes a toll on the body, keeping someone up for hours on end with the same worries and anxieties about their life and their issues. Without getting an adequate amount of sleep, these same people are at risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and more. If choosing a sleep aid for this concern, the remedy selected is of the utmost importance.

CBD and melatonin both have their advantages. CBD is a chemical compound that is found within the body and from cannabis plants. Terry Roycroft, the president of the Medical Cannabis Resource Centre, Inc., said, “Cannabis influences the bodies endocannabinoid system, which plays an important role in regulating your anxiety, which calms the body enough to fall asleep.”

Usually, CBD is not considered a sedative, but it has the ability to ease the stress and anxiety in the body so that the user can feel relaxed enough to let go and drift off. One study notes that this product can help with sleep as well by reducing the number of “nightly sleep disturbances.” THC, the psychoactive compound of cannabis, “significantly decrease the time it takes to fall asleep in physically healthy insomniacs.” CBN, another cannabinoid that seems to have less popularity, is the strongest sedative of all cannabinoids, with scientific research that goes back to the 1970.

Melatonin is not a chemical compound, but a hormone that occurs in the body when an individual gets tired. It is necessary to the body for regulating the sleep-wake cycle, and it impacts the immune and the reproductive systems. This hormone is triggered for release with darkness, and can be increased with various foods like walnuts, tomatoes, olives, strawberries, milk, and more.

Both of these remedies can feasibly be used together, rather than pitting them against each other. Some companies are even already creating supplements where they are combined for the right type of balanced. Regardless of the combination, every user has to determine what the best balance is for them. Trial and error is the easiest way to figure it out, but both natural substances are not known for side effects, which is a plus.