CBD Benefits for Mental Health
The UK’s CBD market is rapidly expanding as more people discover the benefits of cannabis. Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t have psychoactive effects and is legal for sale and personal use. Due to its safety and effectiveness, CBD has become one of the most popular treatments for mental health and nervous system issues. This guide will cover the proven mental health benefits of CBD.
What Is CBD Used For?
Before we dive into discussing CBD’s mental health effects, we should provide a broad answer to the common question of “what is CBD used for?”. This chemical extract from a cannabis plant is favoured by millions of people worldwide due to its calming effect. CBD has a positive impact on the human nervous system and is often prescribed to relieve the symptoms of insomnia, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and substance abuse treatment.
However, CBD benefits don’t end with mental health. CBD also helps to relieve headaches, period cramps, and pain caused by cancer and arthritis. Numerous studies suggest that CBD is effective in preventing epilepsy seizures and treating other neurological disorders. In other words, CBD has versatile applications and therefore can be useful for just about anyone.
CBD Sleep Effects
Now that you’re familiar with CBD benefits, let’s focus on some CBD sleep effects. To determine whether CBD can improve one’s sleep, we should first understand what causes poor sleep quality and insomnia. Some of the most common causes of sleep issues are mental health disorders, adverse medication effects, physical pain, high caffeine intake, and environmental factors.
Due to its calming effect, CBD is proven to relieve anxiety and PTSD. If insomnia is caused by a mental disorder, CBD is certainly something to consider as part of the treatment. However, depending on the case severity, CBD may not be sufficient. Patients with mental disorders should discuss it as part of their treatment with a doctor instead of replacing standard medication with CBD entirely.
CBD can also improve poor sleep quality caused by physical pain and environmental factors such as loud noises. Numerous reputable studies have proven that CBD soothes chronic pain. Furthermore, CBD affects sleep cycles and can therefore help people with REM sleep behaviour disorder and nightmares.
CBD may or may not help in the case of poor sleep quality caused by adverse medication effects. The effectiveness of treatment largely depends on the medication type. If you think that your medication is the root cause of your sleep issues, discuss the potential benefits of CBD with your doctor.
Product to Help Sleep
If you’re looking for a product to help sleep, CBD is an excellent choice. The chemical is available in different forms, including edibles like gummies and chocolate, pills, oils, topicals, and vape concentrates.
There’s no definite best CBD product to help sleep, as each CBD form has its benefits. Oils are the most versatile CBD type and have the broadest benefit spectrum. They’re available in various concentrations, and the dosage is easy to control. Furthermore, oils can be taken either orally or applied to the skin.
Edibles are great for people who’ve never tried CBD before due to the easy dosage control and relatively slow effect. On the other hand, CBD from vape liquids instantly reaches the bloodstream. Topicals can only improve your sleep quality if physical pain is keeping you up at night, as they must be applied directly to the skin and work locally.
The type of product, dosage, and time you take it will depend on your preferences and the nature of your sleeping disorder. People take anywhere from 25 to over 1,500 milligrams of CBD a day. You should always start with the lowest dosage and increase it gradually as needed.
Sleeping Drops
CBD oils are like magical sleeping drops helping you to bring your sleep cycles under control and wake up without grogginess. However, to pick the right oil, you should know the differences.
CBD sleeping drops are available in different concentrations, typically from 3% to 20% CBD. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils contain up to 0.2% THC, while the purest oil, known as isolate, doesn’t contain any traces of THC.
Studies suggest that full-spectrum and broad-spectrum sleeping drops have a more significant impact on sleep. However, every case is different, and you may try out both types to find your favourite. If you’ve never tried CBD before, start with a 3% CBD oil and experiment with dosage before moving forward to higher concentrations.
CBD for Anxiety
Millions of people worldwide use CBD for anxiety treatment. Research shows that CBD affects serotonin levels in our brain. This chemical is responsible for our mood, sleep, digestion, and behaviour. Anxiety is closely linked with a serotonin deficiency, which explains the effectiveness of CBD for anxiety treatment. Some studies even suggest that CBD can replace anxiety medications. However, we would suggest patients with severe anxiety disorders talk to a doctor first.
Does CBD Help With Depression?
You may be wondering, “if CBD helps with anxiety and insomnia, does CBD help with depression?” This question is the subject of an ongoing debate in scientific communities.
Since CBD increases serotonin levels, it can help to treat depression in mild cases. However, the degree to which CBD increases serotonin may be insufficient to make CBD the only treatment in the case of severe chronic depression.
Furthermore, depression can be caused by different factors, including genetics, abuse, loss of a loved one, substance misuse, ageing, and adverse medication effects. CBD can have a major positive impact in some cases and little to no impact in others, depending on the cause of depression.
Take Care of Yourself
CBD’s mental health benefits have been proven by scientists and real users worldwide. It’s one of the safest treatments for insomnia, anxiety, and depression, with rare and minor side effects. Unlike prescription antidepressants, CBD oil won’t worsen your mental state.
Therefore, although each case is unique and CBD may be insufficient as a single treatment option, there’s no harm in trying it out. Advance Biotech is one of the UK’s most reputable CBD manufacturers. With a long history and thousands of happy customers, you can rest assured that your mental health is safe in our hands.