The extraction and sale of CBD was legalized in 2018, and since then, CBD products have become all the rage. People are ingesting CBD for diverse reasons.
Even though most CBD consumers say that they experience no side effects when they take CBD, a small portion of users seem to complain that CBD gives them weird dreams.
The research on precisely how CBD influences dreams isn’t conclusive, but according to anecdotal evidence, CBD oil has been shown to mitigate REM sleep behavior disorder [1].
For most people, when they awaken from a dream, it’s a bit hard to remember the dream. But some CBD users claim that CBD oil helps them to remember their dreams much better.
Introduction to Dreams
I mean, you know what a dream is, right? Even though dreams play out while you sleep, the nature of the dream can be reflected through your facial expressions.
Nightmares might have your face shaking, your lips stiff, and your temple sweaty. But a nice romantic dream might have you wearing a smile in your sleep.
The thing about dreams is that they can influence how your day is going to be like. For instance, if you have a nightmare, you might end up experiencing anxiety throughout the day.
The kind of dreams you experience can be determined by different factors.
Psychological needs: say, you’re at a point where you need a romantic partner, your dreams may be about having a romantic time with someone you like.
Events processing: say, you witnessed an interesting thing during the day, maybe it got stored in your subconscious and you may try to decode it through a dream.
Media interests: the kind of media we consume has a major effect on our subconscious. And so, whether it be movies or music, they can shape our dreams.
CBD on Sleep-Wake Cycle
Every human being has 24 hours in a day. We spend roughly 8 hours in sleep and 16 hours engaging in productive activities. This is what we call the sleep-wake cycle.
Ingesting certain substances can affect the sleep-wake cycle. For instance, if you ingest cocaine, you might go for days without needing sleep.
Scientists have sought whether CBD can interfere with the sleep-wake cycle, and the outcome is that cannabidiol doesn’t have any inhibiting effects on the sleep-wake cycle [2].
On the contrary, CBD has a positive contribution in enhancing sleep quality. It causes you to fall asleep faster, experience deep sleep, and minimize your susceptibility to anxiety-induced sleep disturbance.
Consistent CBD consumption aids your wellbeing. But is it true that CBD can increase your susceptibility to weird dreams?
Does CBD Cause Weird Dreams and Nightmares?
When you climb to your bed and fall asleep, you generally experience different stages of sleep throughout the night.
Stage 1: the sleep is light, as you’re still moving over from wakefulness to sleep. If somebody tapped your shoulder, you may stir awake and deny that you were asleep. This stage can last for up to 10 minutes.
Stage 2: the awareness of your surroundings fades away. The temperature of your body starts to fall. The movement of your eyes diminishes. And your breathing and heartbeat grow stable.
Stage 3: your muscles typically become fully relaxed. Your breathing slows down as you fall into a deep sleep.
Stage 4: the previous stages are characterized by non-rapid eye movement sleep, but this stage is characterized by rapid eye movement sleep. Your muscles go limp, your body relaxes, your breathing pattern speeds up, and your eyes move fast.
It’s during the fourth sleep stage that you experience dreams.
CBD doesn’t trigger vivid dreams in a direct sense. Your dreams are mainly shaped by your circumstances, specifically your thoughts, experiences, and psychological health.
But then CBD can heighten your senses, so that your experiences, whether they be real-life events or imagination, you reckon them more potently than you previously would have.
And so, with heightened sensitivity, you’re in a position to experience vivid dreams. In that sense, CBD does indirectly stimulate vivid dreams.
But we also need to point out that the research on precisely how CBD affects dreams isn’t conclusive.
Is It Okay to Ingest CBD Oil Before Sleeping?
If you saw a CBD user complaining that CBD oil made them experience nightmares, you might hesitate to ingest CBD oil before bed.
But CBD oil has vast therapeutic benefits, which is why millions of Americans consume it every day. The best time to ingest CBD depends on your health goals.
If you work a physically demanding job, it’s ideal to take CBD in the morning, so that you have greater energy to face the day.
In the same breath, if you struggle with insomnia, you may take CBD oil before bed, so that you fall asleep faster and enjoy rejuvenating sleep through the night.
Also, it can depend on your dosage recommendation. For instance, if you’re taking CBD capsules twice a day, you may take them after breakfast and after supper.
And so, there’s nothing wrong with taking CBD oil before sleeping, because when it comes to dreaming, it’s mainly influenced by the circumstances and experiences you go through.
CBD Aids the Ability to Remember Dreams
All humans experience dreams, even those that claim that they never dream. The thing is, when you awaken from sleep, you tend to forget what you had been dreaming about.
It has been suggested that CBD might help with dream recall. Thus, if you’re looking to record the kind of dreams you have, start taking CBD oil.
One of the things that researchers are curious about is how varying CBD products influence your ability to dream and recall dreams.
The Takeaway: CBD for Dreams
Dreams stem from our thoughts and experiences. CBD oil is excellent at heightening one’s senses. And so, indirectly, CBD oil promotes vivid dreams. It also promotes one’s ability to recall dreams. Many people take CBD oil before sleep and it helps them enjoy deep and quality sleep.
Sources
- de Almeida, C. M., Brito, M. M., Bosaipo, N. B., Pimentel, A. V., Tumas, V., Zuardi, A. W., … & Eckeli, A. L. (2021). Cannabidiol for Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder. Movement Disorders.
- Linares, I. M., Guimaraes, F. S., Eckeli, A., Crippa, A., Zuardi, A. W., Souza, J. D., … & Crippa, J. A. (2018). No acute effects of cannabidiol on the sleep-wake cycle of healthy subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Frontiers in pharmacology, 9, 315.
