Sleep – Natural Remedies & CBD Oil

CBD for your sleep

Sleep is something we do for approximately 1/3 of our lives. It’s an important time that the body needs to recharge, repair and regenerate readily for our busy, waking hours.  As we all know, lack of sleep can have a massive impact on our mental and physical state, one bad night can have a negative knock-on effect for days after.  In this day and age, it’s common for one bad night to roll into two bad nights, a week of bad sleep, months and even years of not so restful nights.  There are lots of factors like work pressures, shift work, a snoring partner, small children, health issues, menopause, needing to pee, etc that interrupt our sleep, and it’s very easy to get into a bad pattern, but not so easy to get back into a good sleep routine.

Lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain, exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, increased sensitivity to pain, inability to prioritise, reduced cognitive function and many more issues.  Sleep is more vital than food for sustaining life. We can apparently last 2 months without eating (not going to try that one) but only 11 days without sleep (definitely not trying that one either).

There are many things we can do to promote a good night’s sleep.  One main thing is to stop screen time at least 30-60 minutes before bed.  The blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, TVs and laptops stimulates the brain, suppressing the production of melatonin which is an important hormone in the regulation of our sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm.  The blue light keeps us awake, so it’s good to have a rule of no technology in the bedroom.  Also avoiding TV as many programmes after 9 pm are full of drama and suspense which can trigger our flight or fight (adrenal) response, waking us up.  Create a peaceful 30-60 minutes before bed where you are slowly winding down from the day and calming the mind.

There is a key period of time when the body needs to be fully resting for maximum healing and recharge and that is between 10 pm and 1 am.  Try to get your bedtime as close to 10 pm as possible to get the most benefit of this reset period. If when you get to bed there are niggly and annoying physical reasons why you can’t drop off then CBD oil can help with some of them.

Restless legs are also a common complaint that stops individuals from getting to sleep.  This can be caused by a magnesium deficiency triggering muscle contractions and twitches. Try taking a 250mg magnesium supplement* a few hours before bed. This will boost your magnesium levels and help prevent the twitching which can stop you falling into the land of Nod.

There are many other lifestyle factors that can contribute to a poor nights’ sleep.  Caffeine can stop you from nodding off, especially if you consume tea or coffee in the afternoons/evenings. Try having chamomile tea or any of the bedtime teas that most of the supermarkets stock now.  Eating heavy and rich meals before bed can cause heartburn and discomfort.  Try to eat no later than 7 pm and have a light meal – eat for what you are about to do (lie down and rest).  Breakfast should be a meal fit for a king, not supper.  Having 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a small glass of warm water with your main meals can aid digestion and help prevent heartburn.

When choosing a CBD oil, not all are equal and top quality is a must for optimal results.  When you have the combined ingredients of raw whole CBD and terpenes you get the entourage effect, where the amazing benefits that CBD oil on its own is increased and boosted by the addition of terpenes. Terpenes have been shown in studies to further increase the many positive effects of CBD oil .  That’s why I chose Spirit of Hemp as it is the RAW, whole plant extract with the beneficial Terpenes.

All in all, there are multiple factors that can contribute to a bad nights’ sleep. When this goes on for a prolonged period of time some help via a good quality nutritional supplementation including CBD oil and readjustment of certain lifestyle factors can lead to a restful slumber.

Just think what is possible after a fabulous nights’ sleep…….HAPPY DREAMS zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz