Waking Up at Night: Could CBD Help Put an End to Nightmares?

In the middle of the night, we sometimes wake up, paralyzed by fear. We’ve all had similar experiences—moments of intense terror. Night terrors are more common than you might think and very often occur in people who suffer from what are known as sleep disorders. These symptoms include, for example, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, sleepwalking, sleep apnea… and nightmares. As if life weren’t stressful enough, these problems follow us even into our dreams. But don’t worry—there’s good news! Some studies on CBD have demonstrated the compound’s effectiveness in treating bad dreams. Let’s take a closer look at all of this together!

In recent years, sleep disorders have been more prevalent than ever. In fact, they affect millions of people around the world. This is a global phenomenon and a worldwide concern. Because, as we all know, sleep is vital for us! Getting a good night’s sleep helps us stay healthy. Sleep ensures the restoration of our essential bodily functions. For example, memory consolidation occurs during the various phases of the circadian cycle. The regeneration of damaged cells and homeostasis are largely completed during sleep. To give you an idea of the scale of this problem, in France, nearly 20% of the population is affected by sleep disorders. Nightmares disrupt the body’s recovery phase. Repeated awakenings impair sleep quality and lead to harmful consequences.

Did you know that, on average, a person can spend more than 20 years of their life sleeping? When you look at it this way, you clearly realize how important sleep is to your health. Common sleep disorders, such as nightmares, therefore have a significant impact on your health and well-being. For example, they directly affect your ability to stay focused during the day. Imagine yourself in the middle of an important meeting, daydreaming, with your mind wandering and a blank stare. You can no longer focus properly on a specific task. A lack of attention may seem harmless, but it’s a very alarming factor contributing to impaired performance.

The symptoms don’t stop there. Gradually, you lose your mental faculties—or rather, your cognitive abilities diminish. In other words, you have a very hard time learning and processing information. And at this point, it clearly becomes a hindrance in every aspect of life and daily activities. Eventually, your memory is affected as well. Memorizing things—which seem simple and trivial—becomes, so to speak, a real headache.

Your emotions are gradually starting to get the better of you. You’re becoming easily irritable. Even the slightest, most trivial thing bothers you and throws you into a frenzy. In fact, it’s important to know that sleep is essential for regulating mood-related functions. And when you’re regularly plagued by nightmares, it causes psychological disturbances.

Sleep disorders such as nightmares should not be ignored. In particular, they can affect your motor skills and thus potentially lead to accidents—on the road, at work, on the street, and so on. Over time, the combination of these unwanted symptoms can lead to apathy, a loss of motivation, and psychological vulnerability.

At present, it is still difficult to pinpoint the exact causes of nightmares. However, previous studies and research point us toward the likely causes of nightmares. Today, we can already identify one major cause: the ubiquity of screens! Yes, this is likely an alarming and obvious observation that anyone can see. We’re constantly glued to our phone, computer, TV, or tablet screens. And often, this is just as true in rural areas as it is in big cities. Because, yes, screens have become essential in many aspects of social life. Lack of sleep—and especially disruption of the circadian rhythm—triggers nightmares. Subsequently, these recurring nightmares fuel stress and anxiety. Over the long term, stress can develop into depression. Nightmares become more frequent, leading to insomnia at night and hypersomnia during the day. All in all, these factors compound one another and undermine your overall health. Nightmares can then give rise to serious conditions such as fibromyalgia or psychiatric disorders.

Let’s start by noting that CBD is not a medication. Therefore, it should not be considered a sleeping pill or a therapeutic sedative. CBD (cannabidiol) is a wellness solution that is believed to address the main causes of nightmares. Night terrors are, in fact, associated with biological disruptions of the circadian rhythm. Nightmares occur during the REM sleep phase.

To better understand the effects of CBD on nightmares, let’s first look at the existing scientific studies in this field. As we’ve seen previously, one of the causes of stress is chronic stress. When CBD (cannabidiol) is ingested, the molecule interacts with the endocannabinoid system. It also binds to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are closely linked to the regulation of internal and hormonal functions. A study conducted four years ago sought to measure the impact of cannabidiol consumption on cortisol and serotonin production. For the study, more than 70 volunteers agreed to participate in the experiment. The first half of the participants suffered from sleep disorders such as insomnia and nightmares. The second half struggled with chronic anxiety disorders.

The researchers therefore administered a daily dose of 25 mgof CBD oil. At the end of the study, 80% of participants suffering from stress reported a marked improvement in their daily mental well-being. And 70% of volunteers struggling with sleep disorders reported sleeping much better. The researchers confirmed these findings through EEG tests. The results of the experiment conducted by the research teams are positive. CBD is a cannabinoid with powerful anxiolytic properties. These properties are believed to stimulate hormones associated with both sleep and well-being. As a result, you are less prone to stress and sleep better. Sleep disruptions decrease, and you enjoy more restful sleep.

Dreams—and nightmares in particular—have intrigued people since the dawn of time. To this day, the scientific community has yet to determine the meanings of dreams and their true causes. Although the mystery surrounding nightmares remains unsolved, some studies have succeeded in counteracting their effects. This was notably the case in a study conducted about ten years ago. Canadian scientists studied the effectiveness of CBD on sleep disorders, particularly nightmares. About fifty participants volunteered for the experiment. All of the patients struggled daily with anxiety disorders, stress, and terrifying nightmares. The participants experienced night terrors almost every night. Most of them explained that their symptoms were caused by a particularly traumatic event. They subsequently followed a strict protocol and received regular monitoring of their symptom progression. At the end of the study, 80% of the participants reported a significant reduction in the intensity of their nightmares, or even a complete cessation.

In short, CBD is a cannabinoid with extraordinary anxiolytic and calming effects. The molecule appears to indirectly address the causes of nightmares by blocking the effects of stress and regulating the circadian rhythm. Several studies have confirmed the effectiveness of cannabidiol in reducing the intensity of nightmares. CBD is believed to stimulate the production of hormones such as serotonin, which is essential for restful and healthy sleep. The results of these studies are very encouraging for the future. And if you, too, would like to enjoy the exceptional benefits of CBD, discover a wide range of high-quality CBD products in our online store.