CBD vs. Melatonin
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, supplements like CBD and melatonin can help. But how exactly do these compounds work and which one is best? To help you decide between CBD and melatonin, we’ve outlined what the research tells us about these sleep-inducing products.
CBD for sleep
The cannabinoid compound CBD has some impressive abilities that could help you to rest up. Also known as cannabidiol, CBD is a naturally occurring chemical compound that can be found in hemp and cannabis plants—but don’t worry, it can’t get you high.
Research tells us that CBD may be able to help improve your sleep in two ways:
1. Improving sleep scores
A 2019 study investigated the effects of CBD on patients with anxiety and sleep quality complaints. Patients were given CBD oil and, at the end of the study, a majority (66.7%) of patients who had experienced poor sleep saw their sleep scores improve within the first month. Importantly, the CBD treatment was well tolerated (1).
2. Treating sleep disorders
CBD is not just potentially useful for generally improving sleep, it could also help patients struggling with sleep disorders. One review of the effects of cannabinoids on sleep found that CBD holds a lot of promise as a treatment for REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness (2). REM sleep behavior disorder can result in unpleasant and vivid dreams with violent limb movement, while excessive daytime sleepiness results in difficulty staying awake and alert.
Other benefits of CBD
Research tells us that CBD holds a range of other therapeutic properties besides its sleep-improving characteristics. Other benefits that you may experience from CBD include:
Reduced inflammation (3)
Improved anxiety and mental health (4)
Reduced pain (5)
Improved skin condition (6)
A reduction in seizure frequency (7)
Neuroprotection (8).
Melatonin for sleep
You’ve probably come across melatonin in the drug store marketed as a sleep aid, but what exactly is it? Melatonin is a type of hormone that we naturally produce in our brains, in the pineal gland, specifically. Melatonin is produced in response to the time of day. Our pineal gland produces the hormone at night to help you fall asleep and maintain your sleep/wake cycle. It’s also thought that daylight triggers the suppression of melatonin production, helping you to wake up.
But you don’t have to wait for your pineal gland to kick in; melatonin can easily be purchased as a supplement.
So what does the research tell us about melatonin supplements? A meta-analysis of
Melatonin supplements as a treatment for sleep disorders found that melatonin reduced the amount of time it took participants to fall asleep, increased their total sleep time, and increased the quality of their sleep. Overall, the study concluded that melatonin may play an important role in the treatment of insomnia (9).
Other benefits of melatonin
Melatonin can be useful for more than just sleep. Other health benefits that you might experience from melatonin supplements include:
Maintaining a healthy immune system (10)
Regulating blood sugar levels (11)
Protecting you from heartburn (12)
Improving the symptoms of certain depressive disorders (13).
CBD vs. melatonin: which to choose?
When it comes to deciding between CBD and melatonin for your sleep needs, they both offer some impressive effects. It’s best to try both individually to see if you tolerate one better than the other, or prefer one’s effects.
But the good news is that if both CBD and melatonin work well for you, you don’t have to choose! A combination of melatonin and CBD could provide you with an extra sleep boost. One study found that a combination of CBD and melatonin could be especially beneficial for a range of disorders (14). To make it even easier to combine the two, melatonin gummies with CBD are available to purchase here.
How to consume?
So how exactly do you consume CBD and melatonin?
CBD
CBD can be consumed in a variety of ways. The best option for you will depend on your preferences, needs, and experience. Methods of consuming CBD include:
Vaping: Vaping delivers fast and strong CBD effects, but it can be a little intimidating for those new to CBD (15).
Edibles: Edibles are a fun, easy, and fuss-free way to consume CBD. When you eat CBD. it can take up to a few hours to hit its full effects, so this is a good option if you want longer sustained effects (16).
Topical treatments: Topical CBD treatments such as shampoos, lotions, and lip balms are available nowadays. Be sure that your CBD topical contains a carrier oil to help deliver the effects of CBD into your system (17).
Tinctures: Tinctures contain CBD in an alcohol solvent. They’re easy to dose, but you might want to avoid them if you restrict alcohol in your diet.
Nasal sprays: CBD nasal sprays can deliver fast and effective results, and are easier to use than vapes (18).
Melatonin
The choice for melatonin is a lot easier. Various melatonin supplements like pills or powders are simply taken orally a few hours before bed.
Side effects
Before adding any compound into your routine, it’s important to understand the potential side effects.
Possible side effects from CBD include:
Dizziness
Reduced appetite
Diarrhea
Lethargy (19).
Possible side effects from melatonin include:
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Drowsiness (20).
Before taking melatonin, make sure you ask your doctor whether it’s suitable to use alongside your medications. Certain anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, contraceptives, diabetes treatments, and immunosuppressants can have negative effects when combined with melatonin (21).
The bottom line
Both CBD and melatonin have been shown to contain some impressive sleep-aid properties, as well as other therapeutic benefits. Whether you choose CBD, melatonin, or a combination of the two, they’re likely to help you get a good night’s rest.
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**Standard Disclaimer: CBD is not FDA-approved. We make no such claims that using our products will guarantee relief. Moreover, research regarding CBD is still ongoing and in the early stages.**
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