What’s Better For Sleep: CBD or THC?

CBD’s popularity has EXPLODED Over the past decade! Demand for this all-natural “wonder drug” is soaring primarily due to its many therapeutic successes.

Meanwhile, CBD exploration continues, with researchers investigating new applications and refining current uses. And one area of particular interest in CBD research is insomnia.

It goes without saying that sleep is one of your most vital bodily processes. Lack of sleep saps your energy, clouds your mind, and stains your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness and disease.

Unfortunately, 70 million Americans suffer from some type of chronic sleep problem. And nearly a third of all Americans struggle, at least intermittently, with insomnia.

Given the pervasiveness of sleep struggles, medical cannabis’s success as a sleep aid has proven a Godsend for millions of folks who regularly struggle to get good sleep.

There is, however, a debate about which is a more effective sleep aid: CBD or THC? And this led the team here at Cannawayz.com to wonder if one option really is better than the other?

Pros + Cons of THC as a Sleep Aid

THC has long been heralded as an effective sedative. The fact that THC is such a potent sedative is no surprise, considering popular culture has burned the image of the “blissed-out stoner” into our collective psyches.

But stereotypes aside, THC’s sedative property does make it easier to fall asleep. THC can also improve your breathing while sleeping, which combats sleep apnea. A condition that causes intermittent breathing disruptions during the sleep cycle, sleep apnea is a significant cause of sleep problems.

At the same time, THC impacts the quality of your sleep. THC shortens the length of REM sleep, which is the dream portion of the sleep cycle. And this shortening your REM cycle can result in problems with cognitive and social processing, difficulty concentrating, and cause memory issues.

Additionally, a fair bit of research shows that habitual THC users (those who partake daily or even multiple times per day) are actually MORE likely to suffer from insomnia.

Pros + Cons of CBD as a Sleep Aid

CBD is not intoxicating and doesn’t have any of the psychoactive effects associated with THC. In other words, CBD does not “get you high.”

CBD’s lack of psychoactive properties in some ways makes it the opposite of a sedative. Which begs the question: How does CBD help with sleep?

It all boils down to how CBD interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system. In short, CBD promotes balance and homeostasis in the endocannabinoid system.

And in promoting this balance, CBD can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and stay awake the following day.

CBD does this by helping you feel calmer and more relaxed and generally “mellowing you out.” And by promoting more restful REM sleep.

The Final Assessment

Ultimately, the question of whether CBD or THC is better really depends on the circumstances.

THC is likely better for those looking to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Its sedative effects are stronger and more immediate than CBD. And quality Indica strain will generally put you “out like a light.”

But if you have a chronic sleep problem, CBD is a much better option. CBD will help you stay asleep longer, especially if you struggle with disruptive dreams. And unlike with THC, long-term use of CBD won’t cause future sleep issues.