According to the CDC, adults require at least seven hours of sleep per night for better health and wellbeing. However, data from the Sleep Association shows that 50-70 million American adults have a sleep disorder. At least 30% of people have insomnia, while almost 40% have reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day.

Apart from increasing the risk of heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other medical issues, a lack of sleep contributes to over 1,500 road deaths per year in the United States alone.

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland. It regulates night and day sleep cycles and is often used as a sleep aid. CBD is also linked with managing healthier sleep cycles. Many companies combine the two products, which are then used to help improve sleep issues.

This article looks into the CBD and melatonin trend to determine whether such products are safe and effective. It analyses the available research and provides an overview of the best CBD with melatonin products.

Why Melatonin in CBD Oil Could Help Sleep Disorders

Melatonin and CBD oil could improve sleep patterns due to how both substances work and are accepted by the body.

Melatonin is endogenous, unlike many supplements and vitamins that we absorb – often ineffectively – solely through the digestive process. This means it appears to be made inside the body as part of normal physiological processes, and therefore, the body mobilizes it as such.

The body does not secrete CBD, but it does impact an innate physiological network known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS influences our appetite, immune system, mood, sleep cycles, and more.

Supplements and vitamins are like food; the digestive system breaks them down and eventually converts them into a usable form.

Conversely, melatonin and CBD interact with body systems that take them in and use them as if the body had made them itself.

How Does Melatonin Work?

Melatonin is the sleep hormone that the brain produces in response to the dark. When the sun starts to go down, the body clock tells the brain that it is time to produce melatonin.

Melatonin helps us relax, makes us feel drowsy, and gets us to sleep. It is obstructed by bright lights and triggered by darkness, and this is why experts say that sleeping in a dark room is the most beneficial for sleep.

One of the reasons that melatonin supplements have become so popular is due to a paucity of side effects.

Imbalances in melatonin production are often responsible for sleep disorders. If evading bright lights doesn’t work, then a melatonin supplement is a possible remedy. One of the reasons that melatonin supplements have become so popular is due to a paucity of side effects. It simply replicates the natural melatonin the brain produces.

Melatonin supplements help fix any imbalances and help the hormone function normally, bringing about healthy sleep. Since the body already produces the hormone, supplements aim to correct any imbalance or shortage of the hormone.

How CBD Regulates the Body

CBD is not a hormone, but a unique, non-intoxicating extract of the cannabis/hemp/ plant, referred to as a phytocannabinoid. Every mammal, including humans, has an ECS in its body that produces endogenous cannabinoids.

The ECS is responsible for fine-tuning many of the systems in the body. The ECS regulates and controls:

The nervous and digestive system
The brain and neuroplasticity
Protection and setting of cardiovascular tone
The sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm
Body-wide inflammatory processes

The ECS accepts CBD as it would an endogenous cannabinoid, which works to fine-tune the other systems. Insomnia can sometimes occur due to a deficient ECS, and this is when CBD oil becomes so important. CBD can also help calm anxiety, racing thoughts, and tension in the body that could lead to trouble falling asleep.

Can You Take CBD With Melatonin?

Yes, it is a potentially complementary combination. However, CBD and melatonin act differently with regards to improved sleep.

CBD helps alert the brain to ensure it uses the correct neurotransmitters to help you remain asleep. This is useful if you’re used to waking up in the middle of the night.

Melatonin lets your brain and body know that it is bedtime. It gets you ready for sleep, whereas CBD can help you remain asleep. Melatonin is useful when you have jet lag or another situation where your body’s sleep-wake cycle is disrupted.

However, it is unhelpful if you wake up in the middle of the night. It can take the hormone 90 minutes to tell your brain to get sleepy. Melatonin also has a half-life of around six hours. Therefore, if you take it at 2 am and get up at 8 am, the hormone is still in your system, making you drowsy and will perhaps leave you feeling hungover.

The combination of CBD and melatonin could work together to help reduce sleep latency (the length of time it takes to fall asleep) and promote a healthier circadian rhythm. This process can lead to an improved quality of sleep.

CBD and Melatonin: What Does the Research Say?

There is little data on the efficacy of combining cannabidiol and melatonin. However, a CBD brand called New Phase Blends conducted a trial on its CBD with melatonin tincture. It claimed that almost 80% of users reported an increase in the level of deep sleep they got each night.

This is interesting data, but one must be wary of any research conducted by a brand on its own products. We need research from independent sources before taking any claims on the effectiveness of CBD and melatonin at face value.

There is plenty of research into the benefits of CBD for sleep when used separately, however. The evidence relating to melatonin is mixed, despite the assumption that it is an effective sleep aid.

CBD for Sleep Studies

A cross-sectional study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research in 2021 revealed that sleep was the fourth most prevalent reason for using CBD. Certainly, a growing body of research suggests its usefulness for improving the sleep cycle.

A study published in The Permanente Journal in 2019 analyzed the effects of CBD on sleep and anxiety in 103 adults across three months. Seventy-two volunteers completed the study. Almost 67% reported improved sleep scores within the first month, although this percentage fluctuated over time.

Nearly 80% of volunteers reported reduced levels of anxiety, which remained low for the study’s duration. This is a promising finding, given that anxiety is one of the main reasons people cannot fall asleep.

This came after a review of studies published in 2017 looked into research on cannabis, cannabinoids, and sleep up to 2014. The researchers discovered that CBD could hold promise for REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness. However, they noted that research into cannabis and sleep is relatively limited and showed mixed results.

Melatonin for Sleep Studies

A systematic review published in Nutrition Journal in 2014 looked into the effectiveness of melatonin for promoting healthy sleep. It found that the use of melatonin amongst healthy adults had promise with regards to preventing phase shifts from jet lag. There was also some evidence of the hormone leading to improvements in insomnia.

However, the researchers concluded that there wasn’t enough data to confirm a positive benefit.

The mixed results from studies into melatonin’s effectiveness indicate a need for further research.

A review of studies published in 2004 was even less optimistic. The researchers wrote that the evidence pointed towards melatonin NOT being effective in treating most primary sleep disorders in the short term.

One meta-analysis published in PLoS One in 2013 reported more positive findings. The researchers looked at 19 studies featuring almost 1700 volunteers with primary sleep disorders. They found that melatonin showed significant efficacy in reducing sleep latency and increasing total sleep time.

The mixed results from studies into melatonin’s effectiveness for combatting sleep issues indicate a need for further research.

CBD with Melatonin: What Products Are Available?

Combining CBD with melatonin has quickly become popular, and there are dozens of brands selling such products. We have outlined four different CBD with melatonin products and highlighted what we feel is the best brand to choose for each one.

CBD Gummies with Melatonin – Premium Jane

Premium Jane’s Sleep-Aid CBD gummies contain 2.5mg of melatonin and 25mg of high-quality hemp extract per cube. There is also 2.5mg of CBN, GABA, and chamomile in each gummy. This product is specifically designed to help you rest and relax.

CBD Softgels with Melatonin – Joy Organics

Joy Organics capsules have 25mg of CBD, 3mg of melatonin, and 3mg of CBN. They are ideal if you want to experiment with the CBD and melatonin combination but don’t like the taste of CBD oil.

CBD Cream with Melatonin – OSIMagnesium

This is a relatively rare product, and OSIMagnesium is one of the few brands to bring it to the market. There is 100ml of cream in total, containing 300mg of CBD and 60mg of melatonin. According to the brand, this cream offers the most bioavailable form of magnesium with magnesium chloride sourced from the ancient Zechstein seabed. OSIMagnesium recommends applying it daily after a shower.

CBD Sleep Capsules with Melatonin – Medterra

Medterra offers Liposomal CBD+ Good Night Capsules in a 30-count bottle. Each capsule contains 25mg of CBD, 3mg of melatonin, and 52mg of a Proprietary Liposomal Sleep Blend, consisting of GABA, passionflower extract, and chamomile flower extract. Medterra claims the liposomal CBD absorbs ten times faster than regular cannabidiol with 17 times the bioavailability.

Final Thoughts on Melatonin in CBD Oil

There is a debate whether melatonin is as effective for sleep as regularly claimed. Furthermore, there is scant evidence of the efficacy of a combination of CBD and melatonin. However, many people are trying such products to help them combat insomnia and anxiety close to bedtime.

The suggestion is that melatonin gets your mind ready for sleep, whereas CBD helps you remain asleep. Combining the two could ensure you get to sleep faster and enjoy a better quality of sleep. If you like the sound of this, you may want to try one of the five CBD and melatonin products we outlined above. Each one comes from a reputable and highly respected brand.

101