Your body secrets melatonin at night, a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle. According to Marktl, Herold et al. (1995), low secretion of Melatonin in the body will result in an abnormal sleep-wake cycle. The sleep-wake cycle is also affected by pain, stress, depression, anxiety, or insomnia. Lack of quality sleep can lead to health issues like weak immune, low sex drive, memory loss, and impaired judgment that can cause accidents and injury. Taking CBD for sleep or Melatonin can help avoid such conditions by improving sleep. Choosing between CBD for sleep and Melatonin can be difficult because they aid sleep with little to no side effects like addiction.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain’s center by the pine gland. The pine gland receives information about the light-dark cycle and secretes the melatonin hormone. Melatonin is highest in the body at night. It can be used as therapy for circadian rhythm abnormalities. According to Aulinas, A. (2019) Melatonin can also be a prescription drug in tablets and liquid and chewable for sleep disorders and alleviation of jet lag.
Unlike seductive drugs, Melatonin does not make you sleepy. However, it signals the body that it’s time for sleep through the MT1 and MT 2 receptors. Once taken, it takes at least 90 minutes to signal the brain that it’s time to sleep and can last in the body for 6 hours. It is important to take Melatonin at the right time to avoid feeling groggy in the morning. The body’s production of Melatonin is heavily influenced by daily light exposure, the body’s internal clock, and natural predisposition.
CBD For Sleep
Unlike Melatonin, a hormone, CBD is a natural compound extracted from a cannabis plant. On its own, CBD cannot aid sleep; it can only aid sleep when mixed with Melatonin.According to research, CBD can alleviate most sleep quality factors, like pain, stress, anxiety, and depression. CBD binds with the ECS receptors in the body, preventing the breaking of neurotransmitters in the body, thus alleviating any of these factors. Insomnia is a major cause of sleeplessness; when it’s caused by external factors like pain CBD can alleviate the pain and increase sleep quality.
Taking CBD and Melatonin Together
One can take CBD and Melatonin together because of the helping factor. Separately CBD has benefits like soothing anxiety and alleviating stress, while Melatonin protects cells and neuroprotection. You can take both CBD and Melatonin together for these benefits. These days you can find CBD and Melatonin infused together. You should take these products separately before trying the infused ones because individuals respond differently to each product. This way, you will understand how your body will respond to the infused ones. When taking the infused one, you can start with a lower dose than recommended to find the right dosage.
Which One to Choose
Choosing between CBD for sleep and Melatonin is a matter of personal prevalence. After much testing, which one will work best for you. These supplements are naturally occurring and interact with their prospective receptors like the bodily-produced ones. The downside of Melatonin is that it is mainly manufactured for people above 55 years and can only be prescribed to young people with doctors’ advice. On the other hand, anyone can take CBD for sleep as long as they are not on any prescribed drugs.
How is Melatonin taken?
Melatonin is available in tablets, liquid, and chewable. These forms of Melatonin all go through the metabolism process. It explains the 90-minute wait before the brain, and the body is signaled that it is time to sleep by the MT1 and MT2 receptors. Melatonin is taken after eating and an hour or 2 before bed 2 to 3 times a week. Sometimes it can be prescribed for a longer period, like 13 weeks. You are only allowed to take one dose of Melatonin, that is, 1 tablet, 1 gummy, or 1 drop of liquid at a time. It can increase grogginess and drowsiness during the day.
Side Effects of Melatonin
According to Rosenberg, Gögenur et al. (2011), the side effects of Melatonin include feeling sleepy or tired in the daytime, feeling irritable, cottonmouth, headache, nausea, itchy skin, and joint pains. These side effects rarely occur and are not fatal. If these side effects bother you, you can check with your doctor. Some fatal side effects you can experience are blurry vision, feeling low, or passing out. On rare occasions, you may have a serious allergic reaction to Melatonin characterized by itchy skin, wheezing, tightness in the chest, trouble breathing or talking, and swelling in the face, lips, and tongue.
You can easily alleviate these side effects by doing simple hacks like resting in case of drowsiness and tiredness, hydrating for cottonmouth and headache, stopping what you are doing lying down when feeling dizzy, and asking a pharmacist for painkillers for joint pains. If these hacks don’t help, stop taking the Melatonin and see a doctor. Melatonin should not be taken by pregnant women trying to get pregnant and breastfeeding without the doctor’s knowledge.
Conclusion
CBD and Melatonin are both good boosters for better sleep. Individuals should try these out to find one that suits them based on personal tastes and prevalence. You can also try the infused ones if you want to benefit from CBD and Melatonin. You should always buy high-quality products from reputable manufacturers or sellers.
References
Brugger, P., Marktl, W., & Herold, M. (1995). Impaired nocturnal secretion of melatonin in coronary heart disease. The Lancet, 345(8962), 1408.
Tan DX, Xu B, Zhou X, Reiter RJ. Pineal Calcification, Melatonin Production, Aging, Associated Health Consequences and Rejuvenation of the Pineal Gland. Molecules. 2018;23(2) [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Serpell, M., Ratcliffe, S., Hovorka, J., Schofield, M., Taylor, L., Lauder, H., & Ehler, E. (2014). A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, parallel-group study of THC/CBD spray in peripheral neuropathic pain treatment. European journal of pain, 18(7), 999-1012.
Wilhelmsen, M., Amirian, I., Reiter, R. J., Rosenberg, J., & Gögenur, I. (2011). Analgesic effects of melatonin: a review of current evidence from experimental and clinical studies. Journal of pineal research, 51(3), 270-277.
I believe that nutrition science is a wonderful helper both for the preventive improvement of health and adjunctive therapy in treatment. My goal is to help people improve their health and well-being without torturing themselves with unnecessary dietary restrictions. I am a supporter of a healthy lifestyle – I play sports, cycle, and swim in the lake all year round. With my work, I have been featured in Vice, Country Living, Harrods magazine, Daily Telegraph, Grazia, Women's Health, and other media outlets.
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