Rest & Relaxation is often considered a cornerstone to healthy living, giving our body and mind time to reset. Recovery is another “R” that can help you rejuvenate, gain focus and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let’s explore more about how one of the 3 R’s, Rest, is connected to hemp CBD, how hemp can be used, and its benefits.

What is meant by ‘rest’?

Rest can mean many things, but we tend to define it more in the physical sense: sleep and the body’s inactivity. Rest can also mean ‘quiet wakefulness,’ however, we will explore more on that next week when we focus on Relaxation.

How Hemp impacts Rest Let’s start with the science: our endocannabinoid system and ‘balance’

To understand how hemp cannabidiol is connected to sleep, we need to go back to the basics of the science. All humans have an endocannabinoid system, which helps to regulate different systems in the body – such as the immune system, nervous system and endocrine system – and keep them in balance. Hemp cannabidiol interacts indirectly with receptors in the endocannabinoid system and stimulates them to restore balance.

Hemp improves sleep because it improves the root causes of insomnia

If your nervous system is out of balance, you may experience: stress, anxiety, poor mood. This in turn can cause other health conditions, such as sleeplessness, high blood pressure, nervousness, etc. hemp cannabidiol can help to restore balance to the nervous system, which in turn helps improve the symptoms that cause poor sleep.

How Hemp can be used to improve sleep

While we are always learning more about hemp cannabidiol, current research and understanding of hemp cannabidiol shows that how quickly hemp effects sleep will vary, with effects ranging from immediate to 2-4 weeks.  Be patient and understand that proper dosage is important, as well as other factors, such as timing, and route of dosing (oil tincture, smokable, edible).

Here are some final things to consider: Higher doses may be more effective, based on current research.  For most adults, doses of 25 mg or more are suggested as a starting point.  Hemp oil (tinctures) may help you to sleep longer, because they are released into your system more slowly.  Check labels and 3rd party lab tests to ensure the hemp is high quality and does not contain harmful ingredients.  You may not need to take it long-term. Once you experience improved sleep, you may not need to take it every day. Take a pause and then return to your regimen as needed.  Consult with your physician if you take medications to understand more about how hemp may interact with your prescriptions.