The benefits of CBD have been well circulated in recent years, crediting the substance with the ability to solve issues ranging from anxiety to appetite control, and poor sleep to chronic pain. However, several concerns have been raised about CBD, mainly considering the dry herb vaporizer health risks, the risk of a CBD overdose and misunderstandings surrounding the nature of CBD and the addictive nature of cannabis.
What Is CBD?
Cannabinoid oil, or CBD oil, is a natural substance derived from the cannabis plant. In many cases, CBD is confused with tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC is the part of the cannabis plant responsible for the psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties that many cannabis users seek for its “high”.
On the other hand, CBD is derived from a separate section of the plant and works by interacting with the Endocannabinoid system in the body. This major system plays a crucial role in maintaining balance across the nervous system, major organs, and digestive system. CBD can gently help move things back into balance if something falls out of sync, offering a resolution for a range of issues.
Cortisol levels are one thing that CBD can improve. If your endocannabinoid system tells the brain that your cortisol levels are out of whack, CBD can help regulate them, resulting in higher quality and more restful sleep.
Will CBD Make Me Tired?
One of the major benefits associated with CBD is the chance to enjoy a more restful and refreshing sleep. But some people fear that this will cause them to be tired and unproductive during the day, as well as at night.
When it acts alone, CBD does not create a sedative effect and cannot physically make you more tired. What it does do, however, is work with the endocannabinoid system of the body to reduce many symptoms of both physical and mental health conditions, which may be negatively impacting your sleep.
Many studies have shown that in small doses, CBD helps to stimulate alertness in the body during the day, boosting your performance during your waking hours and helping you to establish a solid, regular sleeping schedule.
Essentially, CBD can play a crucial role in helping to eliminate sleep difficulties and anxiety by resetting sleep patterns. It helps boost your energy during the day so you can enjoy a restorative sleep at night.
One of the main misconceptions about CBD comes from its close relative, THC. Fatigue is a well-known side effect of smoking marijuana, so, understandably, many people will associate this with CBD.
In practice, however, the opposite tends to be the case, and smart CBD use can actually improve your sleeping cycle and quality.
What If I Take Too Much?
It should be noted, of course, that as with any substance, consuming too much CBD in whatever form could have adverse side effects - and for some users, this may include feelings of drowsiness or fatigue.
Vaping can be particularly problematic in this sense, as it can be harder to establish the dose and keep track of how much you have taken.
There’s no risk of you actually overdosing from CBD, even if you consume a large amount at once. This is because of the lack of cannabinoid receptors in the part of the brain which controls integral functions such as breathing, temperature, heart rate, and digestion. Other substances such as opioids can severely impair this area of the brain, resulting in severe overdoses from taking too much.
While this is not the case with CBD, you may nonetheless suffer from negative results if you consume too much at once - and many users report that sleepiness is a common side effect here.
If you’re worried that you’ve overdone it, don’t panic and try to flush CBD from your system. Instead, simply reduce your dosage, or stop taking your CBD product for the next few days, allowing your body to reset itself and the adverse effects to pass.
It should be noted that if you are taking any prescribed medication, you should consult your medical practitioner before taking CBD, as there can be unexpected interactions with some medications.