The recent advances in Cannabidiol (CBD) research are focused on adding CBD to everyday products like tea, coffee, water, cookies, cakes, and gummies. CBD oil and tinctures have also been incorporated into a number of diets for improved activity. Since CBD has a wide range of activity and interaction, scientists are also considering combining it with hormones like melatonin for improved sleep and relaxation. In this article, we shall discuss the role of CBD and melatonin combination in sleep-related conditions.
What is melatonin?
Melatonin is a natural hormone secreted by the pineal gland. The pineal is a pea-sized gland located above the middle brain and is responsible for controlling the sleep-wake cycle. The pineal activates or deactivates the activities of melatonin in the body. The activity of the pineal is turned on and off based on the level of light available hence the reason why we fall asleep easily in a dark room. The highest concentration of melatonin is released around 9 pm and remains active in the bloodstream for up to 12 hours. Once melatonin is released by the pineal gland, sleep becomes more inviting.
How is CBD and melatonin combination possible?
The role of CBD in interacting with the endocannabinoid system is instrumental in maintaining hormonal and internal balance. Research has shown how small doses of CBD administered in rats could increase the total sleeping time observed. This activity was more pronounced when the CBD dose was administered at night or during the dark portion of the day. It is important to note the melatonin concentration is highest between 9 pm to 9 am, after which the concentration is barely detectable.
To determine the effect of CBD on sleep and melatonin production, the scientist administered intraperitoneal injections containing 2.5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 40 mg/kg of CBD on Adult male Wistar rats. The researchers then observed the effect of CBD on the sleep recording of the rats during the light and dark periods for four days. At the end of the experiment, the researchers discovered that the sleep percentage of rats increased in groups treated with 10 and 40mg/Kg of CBD thus concluding that the acute administration of CBD may increase the total sleep time of rats in relation to increasing sleep latency during the light period of the day. The conclusions of the study suggest that CBD can interact with serotonin, GABA, and hormonal receptors in the brain to promote sleep.
Apart from triggering the production of hormones, the activities of CBD on neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA receptors can also serve to modulate the activity of these relaxations and focus neurotransmitters.
Benefits of CBD & Melatonin Together
While CBD has numerous benefits on its own, but for those particularly struggling with insomnia or other sleep-related issues, here is how CBD combined with melatonin can help:
- a. Enhancing melatonin production
The primary aim of combining CBD and melatonin is to promote sleep. Researchers have discovered the role of the ECS in triggering the release of melatonin, thus helping you to sleep better. The fact that the research was focused on the CBD’s interaction with THC and the CB1 receptors explains why full-spectrum CBD oils are the best for inducing sleep. Note that CBD does not bind directly to the ECS receptors but can also affect or modulate their activities.
- b. It eliminates the side effects of melatonin
Melatonin is secreted naturally by the body and can be administered as supplements. The administration of melatonin supplements may lead to feelings of anxiety, dizziness, nausea, headache, and daytime grogginess. Since CBD plays modulatory roles in the activity of this hormone, an active CBD and melatonin combination can serve to wipe out the common side effects associated with using melatonin. CBD can keep the users active during the day while promoting sleep at night. The secret to achieving this lies in the CBC-to-THC ratio of the products While CBD is quite different from THC, the entourage effect that happens when you combine them may help with general sleep, and the CBD and melatonin combination can help knockout people who deal with sleep-related disorders.
- c. Eliminating the potential causes of sleep-related disorders
Sleep-related disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia are triggered by the presence of an underlying medical condition like stress, arthritis, hormonal imbalance, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
Information from research has shown how CBD can produce a vast array of therapeutic benefits, including those relating to antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. These activities serve to take care of the underlying disease conditions while promoting sleep. CBD administration can also trigger the release of feel-good hormones and can improve alertness during the day. This activity of CBD has been investigated by several researchers.
In 2016, a research study published in the Journal of Medicines revealed how CBD could act to assist people with insomnia. The research work involved 490 people with insomnia & their data was collected from June 2016 to May 2018. The participants rated their symptoms of insomnia on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the least severe. The participants experienced a general improvement in symptoms, which indicates the ability of cannabis to promote sleep. Even though this experiment was successful, the researchers used a cannabis flower that contains a varied concentration of Cannabinoids, including THC, CBD, CBG, and CBN, thus pinpointing the activity to the presence of CBD will be hard.
Is the CBD – Melatonin Combination Safe?
Although CBD is known to inhibit the metabolism of drugs like aspirin, theophylline, clobazam, and alcohol, there is little to no side reaction when combined with melatonin. While melatonin is secreted by the body to control sleep, CBD tends to serve as a modulator of cognitive activities. Apart from this, melatonin and CBD are metabolized by different enzymes, thus making them safe for concomitant consumption. While CBD relies on the activity of CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, melatonin is metabolized by CYP1A2 enzymes, all secreted by the liver. CBD is safe even at high dosages (usually above 1200mg per day), CBD has been found to trigger the release of feel-good hormones, including melatonin.
Please consult with your physician before purchasing CBD products combined with melatonin or any hormone. If you’re looking to try CBD for sleep for the first time without the melatonin, try our CBD Oil Sleep Drops from FeelCBD or other CBD products. This will serve to give you insight into how the combination may work for you.