You may be wondering: Can CBD help with sleep apnea? The good news is yes!

CBD oil and other forms of CBD can be extremely helpful for sleep disorders such as chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea; it can also reduce chronic pain and help your REM sleep, improving the overall sleep cycle.

CBD oil , or cannabidiol,  is a derivative of cannabis or hemp called a “cannabinoid.” While it is best known for its ability to alleviate pain, CBD is also an excellent sleep aid, and it won’t get you high or impair your thinking like THC-filled cannabis can. CBD is safe and easy to use, and science backs it up!

Can CBD be used to treat sleep apnea?

There is evidence that CBD or CBD oil can be used to treat sleep apnea.   The good news is studies suggest CBD may help in relaxing your airways so it can work in concert with your existing sleep apnea treatment such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine.

What health conditions can CBD help?

CBD may help with the two main types of sleep apnea. One is obstructive sleep apnea, where the upper airway closes or collapses temporarily while sleeping. Central sleep apnea is when someone stops breathing temporarily due to a nervous system dysfunction. 

Central sleep apnea may occur due to health problems, including stroke, heart disease, and Parkinson’s, but it can also be caused by pain medications and other prescription drugs. Some people develop central sleep apnea as a consequence of using a positive airway pressure treatment like a CPAP machine for obstructive sleep apnea.

What are the warning signs of sleep apnea?

Apnea can really get in the way of a good night’s sleep. If you are experiencing poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, or insomnia, you may have a sleeping disorder. One clue that this sleeping disorder might be apnea is waking up in the middle of the night feeling out of breath. At its extreme, obstructive sleep apnea may cause you to feel like you are choking while you sleep. Your doctor can run studies and questionnaires to determine a proper sleep apnea diagnosis. 

Why are people turning to CBD for sleep apnea?

While sleep medicine is constantly evolving and improving, the average apnea patient may feel frustrated with their apnea treatment. Common treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include CPAP machines and other wearable devices that may cause discomfort while sleeping. In some cases, the patient with central sleep apnea may have the condition due to pain-killing medication, so CBD can potentially replace that medicine entirely. 

Cannabis includes THC, which gives a high that is unwanted for many apnea patients. CBD does not make you high. It’s safe and highly effective in reducing anxiety, lowering pain, and helping improve the sleep cycle.

How CBD helps with sleep apnea

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is whether CBD helps with sleep. Yes, it does. CBD also helps with sleep apnea. (Be sure to get real CBD, not synthetic medical cannabis, which is designed to mimic THC and can have serious side effects.)

How can CBD help manage sleep apnea?

Apnea can be a frustrating sleep disorder that can result in chronic insomnia. For starters, CBD can help apnea patients get back to sleep more quickly. More sleep in general may mean better REM sleep, which can help improve overall mood as well as sense of well-being.

People with obstructive sleep apnea may wake up abruptly during the night with a sensation of choking. This can be quite anxiety-causing! Even though a CPAP machine may stop this problem, the machine itself may be uncomfortable and contribute to anxiety. For those with an obstructive sleep disorder, CBD may be particularly helpful due to its ability to lower anxiety levels.

How can CBD improve your sleep apnea symptoms?

The type of sleep apnea symptoms you experience may depend on the type of apnea you have. But generally, uncontrolled sleep apnea can cause a lot of unexpected and seemingly unrelated symptoms beyond sleep disturbances, including fatigue, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. CBD improves overall sleep and mood by helping to calm and relax the body.

What is the evidence on CBD for sleep apnea?

Many scientific studies have been conducted on cannabinoid components such as CBD. CBD oil benefits include reduction of anxiety as well as chronic pain, both of which can cause poor sleep. Some research suggests CBD may positively impact the sleep-wake cycle, which can be helpful to the sleep apnea patient.

Research has also shown that CBD can improve REM sleep behavior disorder in Parkinson’s patients.

What you need to know about CBD for insomnia

As if sleep apnea weren’t bad enough, it puts you at increased risk of insomnia. If you have a hard time falling back asleep after an apnea episode, you may also have insomnia.

Why should insomnia sufferers consider using CBD?

Sleep deprivation has a terrible impact on your overall health and well-being. It can lower your immune response and cause or aggravate anxiety and depression. Your body may take longer to heal with ongoing sleep disturbance.

Some insomnia sufferers self-medicate by smoking the cannabis plant (marijuana), but cannabis may be problematic for some due to the THC content, the part of the plant that makes you high. 

THC can actually reduce REM sleep. While this might be helpful for some people dealing with nightmares and PTSD, CBD (with no THC) may be more appropriate for most cases of insomnia caused by sleep apnea.

How can CBD help with insomnia?

The right CBD oil or CBD tincture can help you get on a normal sleep cycle for a good night’s sleep. CBD relaxes the mind, curtails anxiety, and lessens pain, making sleep easier.

When should you expect to see results from CBD for sleep?

Each sleep disorder is different, and everyone is individual. However, you can expect your sleep to improve within a few weeks to a month of taking CBD consistently.

If CBD is not working as a sleep aid after a month, you may need to adjust your dosage. Of course, you’ll get better results if you take a high-quality CBD product. 

How to find the correct CBD dosage if you have sleep apnea

The ability of CBD to alleviate sleep apnea symptoms depends on the correct CBD dosage. To determine the correct CBD dosage for sleep apnea, read on.

What dose of CBD should you take for sleep?

Whether you are using CBD oil (tincture) or another form of CBD, the dosage guidelines are the same. First, calculate a range based on your weight. A general starting place with CBD dosage is one to six milligrams (mg) for every ten pounds of body weight. Start taking the lowest CBD dosage and slowly increase if you feel you need more. The cannabinoid dosage that works the best may depend on if you are using it to reduce anxiety or alleviate pain.

How does CBD interact with other prescriptions?

Central sleep apnea can actually be caused by pain medications, so by taking CBD, you may be able to get off the medications causing the apnea in the first place.

Obstructive sleep apnea is not cured with medicine, but your doctor may prescribe some medications to help you deal with daytime drowsiness. Unfortunately, products designed to enhance your wakefulness, such as Provigil or Modafinil, won’t do much to help you sleep better. CBD can pick up the slack here, but work with your doctor to be sure such a combination will be safe. (Ideally, if you get better sleep with CBD, you won’t need wakefulness drugs at all.)

More study may be needed on taking sleep disorder drugs with CBD, so take the advice of the Harvard Health Blog and “proceed with caution” when taking CBD as a sleep aid with other medications. (Check out this list of medications that need to be closely monitored with CBD from the PennState College of Medicine.)

As with all diagnoses and medications, please be sure to speak with your doctor before starting or stopping any treatment plans.

How will you know when CBD is working?

While CBD won’t work on your obstructive sleep apnea directly, it will help your overall sleep. You should feel more rested and less stressed out due to your apnea. In the case of central sleep apnea caused by medication, try to work with your doctor to get off the problematic pain medicine and replace it with CBD. You should see a reduction in sleep disturbance in a few weeks.

Buy high-quality CBD for the best sleep

Being a sleep apnea patient is no fun. Sleep apnea is a chronic sleep disorder that can ruin your sleep and make daily life more difficult. While a standard sleep aid may not help much with your apnea, CBD can help. For the highest quality CBD, try our Wisdom Essentials DREAM tincture for a natural way to improve your sleep. 

Check out our store for high-quality CBD products to promote optimal sleep.