Maintaining good mental health is an important part of your overall health, and anxiety seems to be at an all-time high these days. Therapists report a sharp increase in new patients, as well as more sessions for existing clients. So what can we do to help?
Every human has an endocannabinoid system (ECS). Your body’s ECS supports balance for other systems like homeostasis, the sleep-wake cycle, and your stress levels.
Your body already produces cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, which communicate with your ECS. However, your ECS also communicates with cannabinoids found in cannabis, like CBD and THC. Called ‘phytocannabinoids’ – they mimic our body’s endocannabinoids and bind to the receptors in our ECS.
We still have a lot to learn about the ECS and the systems that it affects, but we do know that ECS may play a role in:
- Sleep
- Mood
- Appetite
- Stress
Full spectrum CBD is thought to support a healthy stress response in a number of ways, and that’s because it contains the entire spectrum of cannabinoids including CBD and THC, instead of just CBD by itself. Here’s how full spectrum CBD can help:
It’s calming.
The tension in your shoulders, those body aches — those are all signs of stress. Studies show that CBD has calming properties. One study specifically investigated the effects of CBD on people stressed by social interaction and found that CBD helped reduce those feelings.1
It helps you sleep.
Anecdotally, CBD users report not only being able to fall asleep faster, but that they sleep more deeply. They also report that they wake up less in the middle of the night. A deep, peaceful night’s sleep does a lot to help eliminate some stressors.2
Conclusion
CBD can support a healthy stress response and a good night’s rest. Through its interactions with the ECS, CBD can ease your mind and help you relax. And in the end, that’s what we all need more of!
REFERENCES
- “Anxiolytic Effects of Repeated Cannabidiol Treatment in Teenagers With Social Anxiety Disorders.” Frontiers in Psychology. November 8, 2019. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02466/full
- “CBD as a Sleep Aid.” Sleep Foundation. May 6, 2021 https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/cbd-and-sleep
