CBD and Melatonin: Is It Safe To Use Them Together?
Most people could use a little more sleep. Many of us lead busy lives, and it's hard to find the time to lay still and doze off for 7 to 9 hours every night. That’s why natural sleep aids are such a popular solution for people who have a difficult time winding down after sunset.
Both CBD and melatonin are well-known, well-loved supplements used to promote better sleep. Since they work to support sleep in different ways, the idea of combining the two is appealing. CBD and melatonin can work to address your body’s needs from multiple angles, easing your mind and body into sleep.
Before you use CBD and melatonin together, here’s what you need to know about how the duo works to promote better sleep.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol, often abbreviated as CBD, is a cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are utilized by your body’s endocannabinoid system. This system is a huge group of receptors that exists within and influences many of the most important processes in your body.
Your circadian rhythm, or internal clock, works with your endocannabinoid system. The processes that support relaxation and improve mood are also influenced by the endocannabinoid system.
How Does CBD Support Better Sleep?
When you use CBD, you’re providing broad support to your endocannabinoid system in its quest to support many functions throughout your body. CBD’s relaxation-enhancing abilities combined with its ability to support your body’s natural circadian rhythm work in unison to support better sleep.
CBD isn’t a sedative. It doesn’t override how your body works or change its natural messaging. Instead, it works to promote more productive signaling and responses that ease your body through the natural transitions of the day.
CBD supports homeostasis, which is why it's beneficial in so many different ways.
Since CBD also helps ease mental and physical tension, you’ll find you’re more relaxed. It’s much easier to fall asleep when you’re relaxed, so using something at bedtime to promote relaxation is a no-brainer.
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone your body produces to prepare itself for bed. Your circadian rhythm is responsible for the messaging that tells your body to produce melatonin. Your circadian rhythm can interpret the light you perceive through your eyes, and it’s always checking to see when the sun goes down.
As your circadian rhythm begins to notice the absence of sunlight, it starts to produce hormones and chemical messengers that tell your body to wind down for the night. Melatonin is one of the essential messengers in this process.
How Does Melatonin Support Better Sleep?
Melatonin reduces your level of alertness. It doesn’t directly sedate you. It tells your body that it’s time to dial down its senses and slow its processes a little bit. Melatonin levels begin to peak at night. The effects of melatonin are subtle and gradual.
You’ll notice towards the end of the day that you don’t have the same vigor and enthusiasm you had after your second cup of coffee and that you no longer have it in you to complete a big project. That’s partially the effect of melatonin.
Many people use additional melatonin to supplement the amount of melatonin their bodies naturally produce. This is partially because many of our habits work to delay melatonin production. Your circadian rhythm tries its best to adapt to the environment, but humanity has come a long way since nighttime meant that things were always dark.
Phones, TVs, computers, and gaming devices emit blue light that’s very similar to the light emitted by the sun. Many of us use these devices at night, and the light they emit can confuse the circadian rhythm.
As a result, it may mistakenly believe that it’s too early for bed and delay or throttle the release of melatonin.
While it’s essential to avoid disruptions and distractions that can prevent the body from getting tired, such as blue light and mental stimulation that comes from watching, scrolling, or playing games, additional melatonin can support the body’s efforts to get to sleep.
Can You Use CBD and Melatonin Together?
CBD and melatonin work differently. Their effects work in unison, rather than stacking on top of each other. CBD works to get you comfortable and relaxed, and melatonin tells your body’s processes that it’s time for them to enter sleep mode.
You can absolutely use CBD and melatonin together without negative interaction.
Neither CBD nor melatonin will cause you to feel groggy or slow when you wake up. They can’t create the “hangover” feeling that most sleep aids leave behind. Instead, you’ll wake refreshed, alert, and ready to take on the day.
How Much CBD and Melatonin Should You Take at Bedtime?
We recommend 34 mg of CBD at bedtime to promote restful sleep. Higher doses of CBD will lead to more pronounced effects, and you’ll benefit from increased relaxation when you’re getting ready for bed.
Melatonin varies from person to person. Your body makes melatonin on its own, so any melatonin you use is supplemental to the melatonin already moving through your body.
For most people, doses of 0.5 mg to 3 mg are beneficial at bedtime. Lower doses of melatonin tend to work better than higher doses of melatonin.
How Long Does It Take CBD and Melatonin To Work?
CBD and melatonin will get to work within an hour. They’ll work best if you use them consistently and keep a regular bedtime. If you go to sleep at 11 PM most nights, using your CBD and melatonin at 10 PM every night will help your body fall into a rhythm.
Over time, you might not even need to use CBD and melatonin anymore. It may work to adjust your internal clock. If you anticipate that there may be some shifts in your sleep-wake cycle like having to wake up earlier, traveling to a different time zone, the effects of daylight savings time, or a vacation that dramatically changes your daily routine, keep using CBD and melatonin to help prevent disruptions.
How To Get Better Sleep
As well as CBD and melatonin work to promote better sleep, nothing can outrun poor sleep hygiene. You’ll see the best results if you set the stage for optimal sleep and allow CBD and melatonin to give you a push in the right direction.
Make Sure You’re Comfortable
Nobody sleeps well when they’re uncomfortable. Switch to clean, soft sheets that keep you appropriately warm or cool for the weather. Don’t wear stifling, itchy, or constricting pajamas. If your mattress isn’t as comfortable as you’d like it to be, get a mattress pad. Choose a pillow designed to support your spine in your usual sleeping position.
Most people get better sleep at cooler temperatures within the range of 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Lowering the thermostat in the summer and raising it in the winter can help to keep your room nice and cool. If it still feels stuffy, try using a fan.
As a bonus, some people find the white noise generated by fans to be soothing.
Don’t Disrupt Your Sleep-Wake Cycle
An after-dinner cup of coffee may not particularly stimulate people who drink a few cups of coffee every day. Those who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine and don’t have much throughout the day may find that coffee after lunchtime leaves lingering effects that might interfere with their sleep-wake cycle.
Exposure to blue light or excessive mental stimulation before bed will both make it harder for your body to enter sleep mode. Put your devices away and turn off the screens an hour or two before bed, around the same time you use your CBD and melatonin.
It also helps to do really boring things before you fall asleep. It would be a great time to fold the towels, sort the mail, or find mates for all the stray socks. These are some of the most boring activities we do, and they aren’t stimulating to complete.
They’ll help you wind down for the night, and the idea of dreaming will seem far more appealing than the chore at hand.
See a Doctor if You Think You Struggle With Quality Sleep
If you have trouble sleeping even when you’re exhausted you should see a doctor. CBD and melatonin may become valuable tools for supporting your body throughout this time, but you need to ensure that nothing serious is jeopardizing your health.
Peels CBD with Melatonin Will Help You Snooze Away
Our orange peel-derived CBD is free from THC and other cannabinoids. We’ve combined it with melatonin to create the perfect solution for your sleep wellness. Just hold a few drops under your tongue for about a minute. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to hit the sheets.
Sources
Circadian Rhythm | Sleep Foundation
Melatonin: How Much Should I Take for a Good Night’s Rest? | Cleveland Clinic
Blue light has a dark side | Harvard Health