Does CBD Make You Sleepy: CBD Related Fatigue

People use CBD oil for a variety of reasons. Some are trying to alleviate pain or inflammation, others want help in dealing with anxiety, while some take it to sleep better. Knowing that some people take it for sleep, you might start questioning, does CBD make you sleepy?

The question isn’t at all illogical. Many fear that taking CBD might cause them to feel tired when they desire the opposite effect. So, let’s talk about this possible side effect and find out can CBD make you tired. 

What is CBD and How Does It Work?

First things first, before we get to the part of talking about does CBD make you sleepy, we must discuss what CBD is and how it works. CBD is one of the more than a hundred cannabinoids found in cannabis or hemp plants. It is often confused with THC, a cannabinoid that’s psychoactive and results in feeling high after its consumption. 

CBD isn’t like that at all. CBD is not psychoactive and doesn’t come with the impairment of feeling high. But it still has an effect on you. It might not be as strong, but many people claim that CBD calms them down, providing a somewhat sedative effect. 

The human body has a biological system called the endocannabinoid system. It is full of endocannabinoid receptors, to which cannabinoids can bind. The system is of vital importance when it comes to various processes in your body.

The endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating processes such as pain and inflammation, sleep, coordination, movement, and stress. CBD works not by binding to CB1 and CB2 receptors but by stimulating their activity.

By doing that, CBD you consume produces the often sought after therapeutical effects. CBD’s effectiveness in treating various illnesses is still examined and researched, but studies show some promising effects.

Also, people who use CBD claim that it helps them with various ailments, ranging from mild stress to side effects of cancer treatment, or mental disorders. 

How Does CBD Make You Sleepy?

Let’s now get to answering the question “How does CBD make you sleepy?”. When it comes to CBD and sleep, claims such as “CBD makes me sleepy.” can often be heard. But can CBD make you tired, especially if you don’t want to feel tired after taking it? Let’s see what studies suggest.

CBD and Insomnia

One of the statements about CBD is that it helps with insomnia, making you fall asleep more easily and quickly. Also, studies show that CBD promotes the REM stage of sleep. The reason why it’s important is that this phase of sleep is important for cognitive functions.

When you go to sleep, you experience five sleep stages, REM, or rapid eye movement stage being the last one. During REM your body is paralyzed and as the name suggests, your eyes move rapidly. Most of the dreams occur during the REM sleep stage. 

All sleep stages are important for you to get a decent quality of sleep. Some people struggle with having functional sleep cycles, so this cannabinoid is extremely beneficial for those who struggle with that. 

Also, CBD makes you more relaxed, making falling asleep easier. People claim that using CBD before sleep reduced the time it took them to fall asleep drastically. It could be attributed to taking the edge off their stress, or the relaxing properties it has. 

Not only do CBD users make claims about CBD helping them with sleep, but so do scientists. Recent studies show that CBD could help with easing insomnia and falling asleep more quickly. ^[1]

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CBD and Anxiety

One more thing a Does CBD Make You Sleepy guide couldn’t be written without is anxiety. Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders. In fact, it’s so common that it is said that as many as 1 out of 5 Americans deal with anxiety. 

The statistics are worrisome, so scientists are constantly looking for the best treatment options to help people with their anxiety. Lots of different types of medications are prescribed to those who suffer from anxiety.

Most often prescribed drugs include sedatives, tranquilizers, or SSRIs, that are used for treating various mental health disorders.

These drugs are often effective but it might take some time to find the one that works for you. Also,  what might be slightly concerning are the severe side effects people experience when taking these medications.

For example, some of the quite commonly experienced side effects of SSRIs include headaches, dizziness, lack of concentration, sleepiness, insomnia, suicidal tendencies, and lowered libido. While living with anxiety is hard, the fear of these side effects often prevents people from seeking treatment.

While some try to cope with it psychologically, others still seek treatment. One of the options many come across is CBD oil. Studies suggest that CBD might be very effective when it comes to treating anxiety. ^[2]

If you’re wondering what anxiety has to do with the question of “does CBD make you sleepy?”, the answer is that anxiety is one of the leading causes of insomnia. Usually, people who can’t fall asleep are overthinking and are nervous about something.

By easing anxiety, it’s easier to fall asleep faster. So if you’re looking for something to help you with sleep, you must understand that the answer to “does CBD oil make you tired?” is yes, it could make you feel more tired, leading to falling asleep more easily. 

CBD and Drowsiness

Another thing we should mention in this Does CBD Make You Sleepy guide is drowsiness. Some people who are wondering about CBD and sleep are doing so because the ydo NOT want to be sleepy. Still, the answer to the question “can CBD make you sleepy?” is yes, and some of them see it as a side effect. 

One of the commonly-mentioned side effects is drowsiness or fatigue. While very few people feel any side effects of CBD, it’s still worth mentioning. Drowsiness can be really unpleasant and might lead to issues with completing tasks at work, relationships, or overall wellbeing. 

Continuing answering the question “Does CBD make you sleepy?” we should note that people have different claims when it comes to whether CBD makes them feel energized or drowsy. Some people state that CBD helps them with their energy levels. CBD might make you feel more lively for various reasons. 

One of them could be that CBD is said to improve your sleep quality. Getting better sleep can definitely help you feel more energized. It’s especially probable for those who use CBD to deal with insomnia. Constantly not getting enough sleep or having interrupted sleep could definitely lead to grogginess and feeling tired.

CBD can help you ease that. On the other hand, some say that when it comes to does CBD oil make you tired, the answer is yes, it does. Some can only use it before sleep, as they say, that otherwise, they feel too tired to continue on with their day. 

This statement has some grounding. Studies show that CBD could lower your blood pressure.^[3]  For those who have a higher blood pressure it might be beneficial, but those who have a normal one, or around the lower side, might experience some unpleasant symptoms of having low blood pressure. 

While it’s usually not dangerous, it comes with some irksome effects. Lowered blood pressure can come with feeling fatigued, dizzy, unable to concentrate and overall drowsy. This might answer the question “does CBD make you sleepy?”, because one of its effects might induce sleepiness. 

What’s important to mention in this Does CBD Make You Sleepy guide, is that a lot depends on the dose of CBD that you take. Studies show that higher doses often come with the side effects of feeling drowsy, while lower doses provide the feeling of being energized.

A lot depends on the person, as the reaction to CBD can be rather individual. However, if you’re wondering why does CBD make you sleepy, it might be because of the dose you’re taking. Consider trying out lowering the dose, and you might notice a difference. 

THC and Sleep

Not only is it important to talk about CBD and sleep, but also about THC and sleep relationship, as CBD oils often contain some THC. THC is a rather different cannabinoid. While CBD is not psychoactive and doesn’t bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, THC is quite an opposite in these cases.

THC, just like CBD works by affecting your endocannabinoid system. Since sleep is among the many processes in your body that the system is responsible for, THC affects your sleep too. 

Studies show that THC induces sleep.^[4] However, it is also said that THC reduces the REM sleep stage. That means that the person becomes less prone to dreaming.

 

It might be helpful for those who have issues like PTSD and deal with nightmares since it can let them sleep uninterrupted. Also, if you spend less time in the REM sleep stage, you’ll get more deep sleep. It can likely result in you feeling less tired throughout the day, as you get more restorative functions. 

Despite that, people shouldn’t abuse using THC for sleep, because of the reduced REM sleep. All sleep stages exist for a reason and getting REM sleep is vital for you. It helps with maintaining healthy cognitive functions and a functioning immune system. 

So while CBD and sleep go well together, we shouldn’t dismiss the other cannabinoids. THC also has a huge impact on your sleep, and just like some people say “CBD makes me sleepy”, the same goes for THC. It might be even more effective in inducing sleepiness. 

Can CBD Make You Tired?

So, now it’s important to answer the question “Does CBD oil make you tired?”. Judging by the results of studies it might be tempting to speculate that CBD makes you feel tired and some people state “CBD makes me sleepy”. But the reality is quite different. CBD doesn’t usually make you tired.

Sure, it might make you feel more tired if you’re struggling with insomnia or anxiety and are unable to sleep, but it won’t likely cause you to feel tired during the day. CBD is said to improve your sleep quality, so it will more likely result in you feeling more rested throughout the day.

Additionally, some people claim that CBD makes them feel more energized after consuming it. That’s why adding some CBD oil or CBD tinctures to the morning coffee is a common practice. It’s especially probable if you’re using lower doses.

However, the answer to “Does CBD make you sleepy?” might differ when it comes to higher doses of CBD. Studies suggest that CBD in higher doses might make you sleepy rather than energized. So, if you’re looking for the opposite effect, adjust the dose accordingly. 

Conclusions 

For some CBD is still a mysterious substance, so naturally, lots of questions about it arise. Some people wonder, why does CBD make you sleepy, others want to know if it makes you tired. The answer is that CBD can make you more sleepy if you’re lacking sleep. 

It does so by easing insomnia, anxiety and lowering your blood pressure, which results in you feeling more tired than usual. It will most likely not impair you or make you feel drowsy, especially if you use lower doses.

However, THC could, as it’s psychoactive and it will make you feel high. Also, it induces sleep, so you could expect to doze off quicker. 

If having learned that the answer to the question of “Does CBD make you sleepy?” is usually no, you might be more tempted to try out CBD. If you’re looking for CBD oil, it might be a little tricky to navigate between the array of CBD products. We’re here to help. Check out our guide on the best CBD oils, to choose the oil that won’t disappoint you. 

Scientific References

Contributed by Nikola Djordjevic, MD, Co-Founder of LoudCloudHealth

1. Babson K., Sottile J., Morabito D. 'Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature'

2. Blessing E., Steenkamp M., Marmar C. et al. 'Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders'

3. Jadoon K., Tan G., O'Sullivan S. 'A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study.'

4. Nicholson A., Turner C., Stone B. 'Effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on nocturnal sleep and early-morning behavior in young adults'