Cannabinol, or CBN, has become one of the most popular newcomers in the cannabinoid space due to its similarity to its sibling compound, CBD.
While both have been found with similar properties, like how they bind to our system, CBD has scientific research that suggests that it may support better sleep and reduced anxiety.
There’s even evidence about how CBD works to enhance your sleep, like how melatonin works alongside CBD or other research like how effective CBD is when used topically.
CBN, on the other hand, has mostly anecdotal evidence that it could help with sleep-based problems. And thanks to being relatively new to the product scene, it might be confusing to understand the differences between the compounds and effects while making a purchase.
In the following article, we’ll explore what both cannabinoids are, how they work, some research about their wellness benefits, and which one could be better for some sleep-related problems, like anxiety or stress.
What is CBD
You might have heard about cannabidiol, one of the 100 natural chemical compounds found in the hemp plant. This family of compounds, known as cannabinoids, is responsible for several nature functions.
While there are cannabinoids that have psychoactive properties, like THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD does not have any intoxicating properties that might be referred to commonly as “getting high.”
Cannabidiol interacts with several proteins within our nervous system, creating several wellness effects that have been found due to the compound binding to our neuroreceptors.
Some of the reported wellness effects include anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving aid, relaxation, and helping with insomnia and sleep-based problems.
Sleep effects of CBD
As stated before, cannabinoids interact with your nervous systems and bind with different neuroreceptors in your brain. According to research published in 2019, CBD could improve sleep and reduce anxiety in other cases.
This research investigated the response of 72 individuals that experienced anxiety and poor sleep, resulting in over 79.2% of patients with lower anxiety levels and 66.7% having a better night’s rest compared to the other individuals.
While there is still a lot to understand about this cannabinoid, there’s evidence that some of the symptoms caused by sleep problems can be significantly diminished by including CBD treatment for certain symptoms.
Side effects of CBD
The study of how cannabinoids interact in our bodies is something important the industry values, as we understand more about the effects and side effects of CBD.
Although there have not been alarming side effects on the use of cannabidiol, a 2017 research demonstrated some minor effects for potential liver damage through certain hormone use.
Other possible side effects included in this study also included fatigue, diarrhea, and changes related to hormones in appetite spikes and even weight. This, however, was a minor side effect reported in the review.
Why does CBD put me to sleep
Sleep-based problems might have different origins, including mental health disorders, anxiety, medication, or even physical conditions. However, when these sleep problems or insomnia are caused by external factors, cannabidiol might be helpful to help you get down to bed a little easier.
This is due to how it binds to our nervous system, helping with muscle relaxation, mind-clearing, and even help with pain-relieving factors. A 2018 review noted that there’s enough evidence to claim that CBD can soothe pain and help with pain-related symptoms that might keep you awake.
Other reviews like this one in 2014 have provided evidence that CBD may improve REM sleep behavior disorder, which usually makes the patient act out their dreams and has poor sleep quality.
How much CBD for sleep
Getting the correct dosage for CBD might be a little of a trial and error at first, as most clinical trials have provided patients with anything within the ranges of 25mg to 1,500mg of CBD per day.
However, we always recommend starting with low quantities and gradually increasing as you find your ails diminish with time. This will also depend on how you will consume cannabidiol and other factors, including weight, body chemistry, and what kind of product you want to consume.
If you want to start to help with some of that insomnia, you might be better off with products that contain CBD in lower doses that can be measured, like oil distillates, pills, edibles like gummies, and similar products.
How much CBD oil should I take for sleep
CBD oil can be measured in milliliters per bottle but also in potency. That means the full bottle will contain the cannabidiol quantity referred, which normally starts at 500mg per bottle.
If you are starting to experiment with CBD, we recommend starting with a lower dosage oil and using half a dropper. We recommend changing the dosage after a few days to a full dropper until you find yourself comfortable with the dosage.
If you do not feel an overall improvement in your well-being after a few weeks, you might want to change to a higher potency or use a different mix of cannabinoids in your oil.
What is CBN
Cannabinol (CBN) is also one of the natural compounds known as cannabinoids. CBN is a newcomer in the hemp space as it has not been as widely studied as other cannabinoids, but it has lately gained an audience thanks to its beneficial properties.
It’s also important to mention that CBN is a weaker version of THC. As THC breaks down, it creates a milder version of the compound with several benefits, including sleep aid, pain-relieving, and other properties.
A review in 2020 found that CBN could help in the potential treatment of several neurogenerative diseases and brain disorders.
Sleep effects of CBN
Some anecdotal cases have reported that CBN has helped them with sleep, mainly mixed with other cannabinoids. There’s a study from 1975 that showed how CBN could potentially help as a sedative.
In the study, the participants experienced stronger sedative effects with a THC and CBN mix than with THC alone.
Side effects of CBN
Cannabinol has no clear side effects up to now, but that only means there’s still much to research on the compound.
As with most cannabinoids, pregnant and breastfeeding people should avoid the consumption until further research has been found.
And regardless of your cannabinoid consumption, we recommend speaking with your healthcare provider or doctor before trying to add any supplement to your diet.
How does CBN help sleep
There is plenty to research about how CBN works, but there has been anecdotal evidence of CBN helping with sleep as it's the decomposed version of THC through time.
That is also why some cannabis consumers feel like old flowers make them feel “sleepy,” but it's purely anecdotal evidence.
However, in the 1975 study stated above, they did find a correlation with stronger sedative effects by using cannabinol with other cannabinoids, specifically delta 9 THC.
While there is much to understand still, CBN has been found to help hand-in-hand with other cannabinoids with wellness effects.
How much CBN to take for sleep
We recommend taking cannabinol with other cannabinoid supplements, but if you do want to start your intake, we recommend going with smaller doses at first as you would with CBD.
With this, we recommend starting with CBD + CBN distillates or products with a small dosage of 500mg drops or edibles and working from there.
CBD vs. CBN for sleep
Is CBD or CBN better for sleep?
While both help in a similar sense as they bind in the same system and receptors in our system, there’s no clear answer to which one is better. CBD has more research done, so our recommendation would be to use products that have cannabidiol first and CBN second.
In the end, we recommend using a product that has both cannabinoids to help you with sleep problems due to the nature of CBN and the wide research on CBD.
What is the best CBD for sleep
The most important thing when looking for CBD is to try products that are easy to use and understand.
FOCL creates plant-powered wellness that is fully certified through third lab party testing. By mixing science and transparency, we seek to create products that anyone can use and trust.
If you want something easy, our Premium CBD Drops are a great way to get your CBD dose. These drops are fully plant-based and third-party tested and come in 3 different potencies: 1000mg, 2000mg, and 3000mg of CBD per bottle.
These drops can help with relaxation and recovery, ease your mind before sleep, or just chill down after a long day. These are available in Mint, Orange Cream, Cherry, Strawberry Lemonade, or Natural for some hemp undertones.
FOCL Night is also a great choice if discreetness and natural ingredients are something important for you. These supplements come in a mix of five botanicals and CBD, including passion flower, valerian, hops cones, ashwagandha, and Simplicifolia, which could help you with a better and deeper night’s rest.
Best CBN products for sleep
Now, if you want to try CBN, the FOCL CBD + CBN Sleep Gummies are a good choice to try this cannabinoid out. Each gummy contains 25mg of CBD and 15mg of CBN, making them great if you want to measure your dosage effectively.
These edibles are formulated to help you doze off easily and contain zero THC, are fully vegan, and are discreet to enjoy and support you with your sleep-based problems.
We also have our Sleep Drops which combine organic CBD and CBN with MCT oil and organic lavender and peppermint to deliver the ultimate, fully organic plant-powered sleep aid.
