Can CBD Help You Sleep Better?

Since effectively becoming legal in 2018 in the U.S., cannabidiol (CBD) is all over the place, from food and edibles to oils, creams, and even pet products. It’s reported to have many benefits, like lowered anxiety, reduced pain, and better sleep.

And if you’re one of the millions of U.S. adults who have trouble getting enough sleep at night, you may be curious about whether CBD could work for you.

So, does CBD help you sleep better? Unfortunately, we just don’t know for sure yet.

What is CBD?

CBD is a substance that comes from cannabis plants. Unlike its well-known counterpart tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is another chemical in cannabis, CBD doesn’t have any intoxicating effects. In other words, CBD won’t make you high.

There’s a lot of interest in the possible health benefits of CBD. CBD products claim to be able to help with many different symptoms. There does exist prescription CBD that’s FDA approved for seizure disorders. However, when it comes to other things — including sleep — it’s not clear how well CBD works. 

What does the science say about CBD and sleep?

When it comes to CBD and sleep, the science isn’t entirely clear. That’s because some studies use CBD mixed with THC instead of CBD alone. And only a few studies focus on people with sleep problems as their only concern. 

Cannabinoids seem to help improve sleep in studies of people with other health conditions, such as chronic pain and multiple sclerosis. But CBD might affect your sleep differently if you have other health concerns as well.

So, let’s break it down.

What about CBD alone?

Here’s where things get tricky. Some clinical studies show that CBD does help improve sleep. Cannabinoids seem to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep through the night. But many of the people in these studies also had other health problems, like multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or chronic pain. So it’s not clear if CBD helped their sleep directly — or if it helped because it eased symptoms from their other health conditions, like anxiety or pain.

When researchers focus on CBD alone in healthy people without other health conditions, the results are mixed. Healthy college students without sleep problems who took CBD daily reported that their sleep quality improved. But for people with moderate to severe insomnia — and no other health conditions — taking CBD daily didn’t help them sleep better. Taking CBD didn’t help them fall asleep faster, sleep longer, or improve sleep quality. It’s not totally clear why these studies showed different results. 

The takeaway? More research is needed to understand how CBD impacts sleep quality. But at this time, there’s no evidence to show that CBD alone improves sleep in people with insomnia without a clear underlying cause.

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How might CBD work for sleep?

CBD might affect your sleep through something called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). 

The ECS is a network in your body that has many jobs, including helping to control pain, emotions, and sleep patterns. It also involves a part of your brain called the hypothalamus, which helps you fall asleep and wake up.

In the ECS, there are receptors that can interact with CBD. When CBD connects with these receptors, it might affect your sleep pattern. This could potentially help your body stick to a more regular sleep cycle — and make it easier for you to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning.

What is the best form of CBD for sleep, and when should you take it?

It’s hard to say which CBD products are best for sleep. A healthcare professional may be able to make some suggestions for you. Otherwise, some trial and error may be required to help you figure out which product, and what dose, works best for you.

The general recommendation is to start with a low dose and slowly increase it to find what works best. But keep in mind: With CBD, low doses can sometimes be stimulating, making you feel more awake.

CBD comes in many different forms. Options include:

• Products for smoking or vaping

• Oils or tinctures

• Edibles, gummies, and capsules

• Beverages and teas

• Creams and ointments

Are there risks to using CBD for sleep?

For many people, using CBD for sleep seems to be safe — especially when used for a short period of time. But the CDC cautions that, so far, we don’t really know that much about CBD safety. 

Here are a few potential risks to keep in mind:

• Medication interactions: CBD can cause problems with other medications, especially ones that are processed in your liver. These include statins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), some blood pressure medications and blood thinners, and more. CBD can affect how your liver handles medications, or how well the medications work in your body.

• Unreliable dosing: Because CBD isn’t regulated by the FDA, it can be hard to know how much CBD you’re actually getting from a product. In other words, you might be getting more or less CBD than you intend. In a 2017 study of 84 different products, fewer than 1 in 4 were accurately labeled for CBD content.

• THC exposure: Some CBD products contain THC, another chemical that comes from the cannabis plant — even though they’re technically not supposed to. THC can have unwanted effects, like making you feel high. It can also potentially disrupt your sleep.

• Liver damage and problems with the male reproductive system: There’s some evidence that CBD use may be associated with liver damage. This can potentially happen after just a few weeks, even at low doses. Damage to the male reproductive system has also been reported in some animal studies.

Remember: If you’re thinking about trying CBD — or any new medication or supplement — it’s always a good idea to check in with a healthcare professional. They can help you understand whether CBD is safe for you to try. And they can help you find a brand with a good reputation.

Are there other natural remedies for sleep?

Absolutely! There are many things you can do to sleep better at night.

Here are some ideas to try:

• Practice good sleep hygiene. This means making changes to your daily routine and home environment that can help you sleep well at night.

• Try meditation. Meditation can have many mental and physical health benefits, including helping you to sleep better at night.

• Explore cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I is a proven treatment for insomnia. It’s a type of therapy that teaches you to think about sleep in a more positive way. And it gives you tools to manage your sleep problems directly.

• Try melatonin. Melatonin is a chemical that your body releases at bedtime. Melatonin supplements may be able to help you sleep better, especially if your insomnia is caused by jet lag or working a night shift.

In some cases, over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids or prescription medication can also help. Talk with a healthcare professional about whether these options are right for you.

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Written by:

Sarah Gupta, MD

Sarah Gupta, MD, is a licensed physician with a special interest in mental health, sex and gender, eating disorders, and the human microbiome. She is currently board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

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