Does CBD affect circadian rhythms?
What is circadian rhythm
A lot of people have no idea what circadian rhythm is. It can be thought of as an "internal clock" that controls mental and physical changes. During a twenty-four-hour cycle (one day), a person goes through different biorhythms and reacts to them.
What circadian rhythm affects:
- Body temperature
- Blood pressure
- Coordination
- Circulatory system
- Bowel function
- Emotions
- Hormone production (melatonin and cortisol)
Of course, everyone's daily rhythm is different and to some extent influenced by working hours, pace of life or stress, but you can't fool the internal clock. If you don't at least observe the body's needs, individual processes can become disrupted, which can bring with it a myriad of problems such as digestive problems, emotional instability, anxiety, tingling, muscle and joint pain and hormones that don't perform their function.
The running of the circadian rhythm from morning to night:
6:45 - sharp rise in blood pressure
7:30 - end of melatonin secretion (sleep hormone)
8:30 - bowel movements
9:00 - testosterone secretion
10:00 - alertness
14:30 - peak coordination
15:30 - fastest reflexes
17:00 - greatest strength and best heart function
18:30 - blood pressure at peak
19:00 - highest body temperature
21:00 - start of melatonin secretion (ends at 7:30am)
22:30 - end of bowel movements
02:00 - deepest sleep
4:30 - lowest body temperature
It is impossible for a person to exactly copy the needs of the circadian rhythm. When working in shifts, when sick, when under excessive stress or even when getting up regularly to see a small child, the regime is understandably disturbed. If it is a shock, the body will cope with the fluctuations on its own, but in the long term such an imbalance can have a negative impact on human health, aggravate or even cause illness, reduce the body's defences against external influences and parasitize the psyche.
You can also support circadian rhythm by choosing the right activities and timing them appropriately.
- Exposure to sun and fresh air
- Regularity (falling asleep and getting up at the same time, sleep hygiene)
- Daily exercise
- Sleep at night, activity during the day
- Balanced diet
As soon as the circadian rhythm stops working, you will notice it in your body almost immediately. Fatigue and irritability or indigestion will set in within a few days. But health complications can be more serious, such as sleep deprivation, a tendency to obesity and depression, or even Alzheimer's disease.
Just look at human life in prehistoric times. They were governed entirely by light and dark, they sensed their bodies, they acted largely intuitively. They didn't let outside pressures influence them and did everything for their own interest and comfort. Of course, this is an exaggeration and they had to deal with many other obstacles in life, but their relationship with their bodies, feelings and needs was closer.
Equally interesting is that pregnant women can influence the circadian rhythm of their unborn babies. The fetus perceives the individual cycles - how they relate to each other, how the woman observes them, what she influences thanks to them. The more consistent the expectant mother is, the higher the likelihood that the baby will be calmer and much easier to accept the new regime.
The circadian rhythm responds to light and darkness and sends a signal to the brain at nightfall that it should start producing melatonin (the sleep hormone). At dawn, on the other hand, the body prepares to raise body temperature and blood pressure and to send out cortisol. This is a big problem, especially in shift work, where one works in a constantly changing regime.
CBD as a crutch
Cannabidiol has an ever-expanding list of possible effects, but the most talked about is undoubtedly its positive effect on sleep. The suppression of insomnia, which officially affects around twenty percent of the population and unofficially up to three times as much, has been pointed out in many research studies and user reviews, with the first changes for the better being seen after just a few weeks of CBD use.
Cannabidiol has a more "mediated" effect on sleep. By being able to influence numerous processes in the body and adjust the balance in them, it relieves the whole organism and improves the quality of rest during the night.
Ways CBD indirectly helps sleep:
- Improves mood (no gloomy thoughts to prevent you from sleeping, CBD also promotes the production of serotonin and dopamine)
- Prevents the development of anxiety and stress (easier to let go of worries)
- Dampens chronic pain (pain keeps you awake at night and does not prevent you from sleeping smoothly)
- Increases libido (sex affects both physical and mental aspects)
- Relieves skin problems (comfort in your own body without tingling, burning, etc.)
Research into the effects of CBD is ongoing, but a direct link to sleep has not yet been proven.
As early as the 1980s, in tests on 15 volunteers, scientists showed that 160 mg of CBD a day provided longer and more restful sleep. However, the number of participants was too small to draw a firm conclusion about the effects of cannabidiol.
In 2017, experts focused only on patients with REM sleep disorders, where people talk or sleepwalk at night. A year later, they examined the effects of CBD after consuming whole flowers. Insomnia subsided in most cases, but because of the content of other cannabinoids, the successes cannot be attributed to CBD alone, but also to other cannabinoid ingredients.
On the contrary, some studies suggest that CBD promotes alertness. Lower doses are thought to have a stimulant effect and higher doses a sedative effect. However, CBD affects everyone differently and its effects cannot be predicted in advance.
Summary
Circadian rhythm works in everyone's body. It tells itself what it needs. Unfortunately, stress, the presence of blue light, sleepless nights, lack of exercise, and many other ills of our time hinder its natural functioning. Sleep support is absolutely crucial for partially setting the balance in the body. And CBD, despite the fact that research has not reached a definite conclusion, can suppress insomnia and improve the functioning of various processes in the body.
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