CBD Pills and Sleeping Pills: Here’s What You Need to Know

If you’re comparing CBD pills and sleeping pills, there are many things to look at. CBD works on your endocannabinoid system, so it can regulate sleep-inducing receptors. Sleeping pills also work on the brain. But they promote relaxation using different chemical interactions.

Not everyone reacts the same to CBD or sleeping pills. In fact, some people who take sleeping pills end up wired, not relaxed and ready for bed. Also, different sleeping pills impact your long-term health differently. And that’s why you should research sleeping pills and the range of CBD products that may help you get more rest.

Now, to understand how sleep aids can help you, we must first explore other factors that affect sleep. And there are plenty. Your caffiene intake, other medications or vitamin deficiencies could steal your sleep. Certain mental health conditions or chronic pain can lead to insomnia. Even environmental factors, like your room temperature, can impact your night’s rest.

How CBD Pills and Sleeping Pills Work

Cannabidiol

CBD may help balance hormones that regulate sleep. That’s important, because your cortisol levels can affect your sleep. And that could happen in several ways. 

If your cortisol peaks at night instead of during the day, sleep will be challenging. But CBD may help regulate this hormone. And your sleeping pattern should adjust afterwards. This cannabinoid can also balance your cortisol levels, so that they are lower at night when you wish to rest. 

How does this happen? Well, CBD binds to your brain’s natural cannabinoid receptors. For many people, that boosts your ability to relax and drift off. Of course, not everyone reacts the same way to CBD products. In fact, some people won’t notice any effect, while others may feel stimulated. This also has lots to do with the form of CBD you select. If you have too much THC in your product, it could trigger wakefulness. 

Now, if you stick with legal CBD (with THC concentrations below 0.3%) you should be ok. But it’s still worth being cautious. So, for this reason, it’s important to take the lowest possible dose of CBD, then wait up to 2 hours to see how you feel. If, after 2 hours, you don’t feel anything, you can slowly increase your dosage. Keep experimenting until you find a dose that helps you to relax. It shouldn’t take too long to find the dose that helps you relax and fall asleep faster. 

Sleeping Pills

When you hit the drug store, you’re faced with so many different sleeping pill options. There are over-the-counter ( OTC) sleeping pills, or prescription sleep medications. Both work differently, so it’s important to understand each option.

Further complicating the issue? Different prescription medications interact with different body systems. Some help you relax. But some interact with other drugs or alcohol. To stay safe, always read your drug labels. Follow all safety instruction to avoid complications.

Some over-the-counter drugs include antihistamines to make you drowsy. In fact. many OTC options weren’t meant to help you sleep. Instead, they targeted allergies.

Even prescription sleeping drugs don’t target sleep receptors. Instead, they help you relax and manage your anxiety. So, by getting get rid of these obstacles, you get a better night’s rest.

Both options have side effects. These include drowsiness, confusion, dry mouth and agitation. Some people even develop hallucinations and nightmares. Depending on the person, the side effects may be mild to moderate.

For this reason, you’ll need to see your doctor if you take prescription sleep medications. Even if you stick with over-the-counter medications, you could notice unwanted side effects. So you should notify a friend or family member in case you experience complications.

Comparing CBD and Sleeping Pills

Sleep issues aren’t the same for any two people. Some people have an occasional rough night. But others experience frequent restless nights. And that leads to more serious health issues. Unless you find a way to improve your sleep. 

For some people, CBD is that option.  And, unlike sleeping pills, it causes far fewer side effects. Even better? To date, no one has overdosed on CBD. By contrast, many people overdose on sleeping pills. Studies also suggest that CBD is non-habit forming. But some sleeping pills may become habit-forming. And users have to carefully wean themselves off the drugs to prevent addiction. 

Many researchers believe that using CBD may help in other ways, too. It could help you manage addiction, chronic pain, depression, acne, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep issues, and the side effects of chemotherapy. Sleeping pills don’t address any of these conditions, and may, in fact, make them worse. While more research on CBD and sleeping pills should be conducted, the present information is promising. 

Why Choose CBD For Sleep Issues

The lack of serious side effects is one of CBD’s biggest advantages. It may promote sleep by helping you relax and leveling out your off-balance sleep hormones. 

If you use CBD capsules or pills, take them about two hours before bed. (That’s how much time it takes for edibles to work their way through your digestive tract and take effect.) Tinctures, oils, and other forms of CBD kick in faster. And that’s because they enter the body via a quicker route. 

You place tinctures under your tongue (sublingually). Or you can massage oils, creams or lotions into your temples, or elsewhere on your body to be absorbed by your skin. Everyone has a type of CBD product that works best for them. But many people who use CBD to promote sleep choose edibles or tinctures.

CBD products are non-habit forming even when they’re part of your daily/nightly use. CBD may also work on aches and pains that can impair sleep. So if you’ve had a particularly busy day that has required more of your body than normal, CBD may be an ideal solution to help ease you into dreamland. 

Conclusion

Clearly, there is much to consider between CBD and sleeping pills. It’s important to make a choice based upon the need for sleep and any other underlying medical issues. It’s important to inform your doctor before you try any new medication. No major drug interactions have been reported with CBD products. Still, a doctor may have insight on your specific medications’ interactions.

It’s important to discuss your sleep issues with your doctor in case there are serious underlying issues they can discover. CBD is great because it is a very low-risk treatment option. Whether it is the miracle you have been seeking or not, it shouldn’t cause any side effects. Sleeping pills cannot make a similar claim.

Always start with the lowest dose possible and slowly increase the dosage of CBD until you find the right amount for you. Make sure to wait an hour or so after taking the first dose to allow the effects to take place.