The more we learn about the hemp plant, the clearer it becomes that each cannabinoid has its own ideal uses and special benefits. Sometimes, these benefits are discovered through scientific inquiry, but more often, they’re uncovered by accident as users explore new forms of hemp.
In the case of CBN and sleep, it’s a little bit of both. While there’s some research backing up the idea that CBN might be useful for sleep, the general consensus that’s been reached on this subject has been brought about by anecdotal evidence provided by countless users.
Is it a good idea to use CBN for sleep? If so, which brands are best to turn to when you’re in need of a solid CBN sleep product? Find the answers in this guide.
What is CBN?
Cannabinol (CBN) is a natural metabolite of THC that appears due to oxidative stress, usually generated by age or UV light. In THC-rich cannabis, CBN concentrations increase over time as the plant material ages or is exposed to other oxidative stressors.
Like CBD, CBN is considered to be non-intoxicating, but the cannabinoid can’t entirely get away from its roots in THC. While CBN won’t make you feel high, users generally indicate that it’s profoundly relaxing in a way that even CBD is not.
Effects of CBN
When THC-rich cannabis is high in CBN, it is often described as being very relaxing or sleep-inducing. This effect profile appears to carry over when CBN is isolated or otherwise separated from THC — CBN is usually described as the most relaxing cannabinoid users have ever tried, and it’s commonly reported to have sleep-inducing effects.
Is CBN intoxicating?
No, CBN does not cause the type of intoxication associated with THC. While this cannabinoid can be so profoundly relaxing that it causes you to nod off, you won’t become paranoid, hallucinate, or feel any other significant head changes when using CBN.
CBN vs. CBD
Though they’re each unique compounds, CBN and CBD are more similar than they are dissimilar. Neither cannabinoid provides intoxication, for instance, and both are found naturally in the hemp plant.
One area in which CBN and CBD are quite different, though, is in the amount of research that has been conducted into each. While CBN received some attention early in the days of cannabis science, it has mainly been overlooked since even as CBN has surged to the center of attention.
While it’s pretty easy to make educated guesses regarding the potential benefits of CBD, therefore, it’s harder to know if CBN is useful for sleep based on the results of studies alone. For assistance in substantiating the massive amount of anecdotal evidence suggesting CBN is useful for sleep, therefore, we turn to the hard scientific research that has been conducted into CBD. The two compounds are, after all, often used together.
Is CBN good for sleep?
Based on both anecdotal evidence and limited scientific studies, it certainly seems there’s some merit to studying CBN further as a potential sleep aid. Initial studies are inconclusive, but enough evidence has been accumulated to justify further research into CBD and sleep. Many users now prefer CBN to CBD for sleep, a shift in the market that speaks to this cannabinoid’s unique benefits.
CBN sleep studies
Over the last few decades, a handful of studies have been published regarding the potential benefits of CBN for sleep. We’ll start with an exhaustive review of evidence¹ related to the subject published in the journal Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research in October of 2021.
In this scientific review, author Jamie Corroon begins by admitting that claims regarding CBN’s sleep-promoting effects may be “rooted in cannabis lore” that suggests old cannabis makes you sleepy. After raising the question of whether CBN’s reputation as a sleep aid is justified, Corroon goes into the evidence accumulated in favor of the cannabinoid’s sleep-inducing properties over the years.
Effects of CBN remain inconclusive
Most studies found that CBN had no noticeable effect on users, though there was some indication that CBN might make some users feel more sleepy. In the discussion section of his review, Corroon finds that “clinical research investigating the effects of CBN is dated and limited” and that “[s]tudies specifically assessing subjective effects associated with sleep… are rare.”
The final conclusion is that “there is insufficient published evidence to support a health claim related to sleep,” but that’s more positive than it might initially sound. If there were evidence that we shouldn’t pursue CBN as a sleep aid, we’d have uncovered it by now.
Is it dangerous to use CBN for sleep?
We may not know enough about CBN yet to conclude whether or not it’s useful for sleep, but there’s significantly more evidence regarding CBN’s overall safety. Most of the clinical studies that included CBN in the late 20th century, for instance, closely examined this cannabinoid’s safety, generally finding that it had a favorable side effect profile compared to THC.
Using CBN for sleep will not cause psychoactive effects, and it won’t make you feel paranoid and anxious, either. Like CBD, in fact, it appears that the side effects of CBN are usually limited to sleepiness and, in some cases, nausea and other forms of mild gastrointestinal distress.
As a result, there shouldn’t be any particular added danger if you’d like to try CBN for sleep. You might find it helpful to start by trying CBN and CBD at the same time: Helpfully, most CBN products also include CBD already.
Is CBD good for sleep?
While the task of researching CBN’s usefulness for sleep has hardly yet begun, the same cannot be said for CBD. It’s not as if CBD has been definitively proven to be sleep-promoting, but there’s a reasonable amount of evidence now suggesting that CBD’s effectiveness against insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep-related conditions should be investigated in more detail.
CBD sleep studies
To date, enough studies have been conducted into the effectiveness of CBD for sleep to result in hundreds of endnotes attached to popular studies on the subject. One of the most-cited CBD sleep studies circulating on the internet is entitled “Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series²” and was featured in the January publication of The Permanente Journal.
As the first major clinical study into the effects of CBD on sleep, it’s understandable that this piece of research received a lot of attention. Consisting of a sample of 72 adults with anxiety and poor sleep, the study found that CBD reduced anxiety in 79.2% of patients and improved sleep scores in 66.7% with fluctuations over time. The study also yielded some results on CBD’s safety: All but three patients tolerated the cannabinoid with no major side effects.
In 2021, this clinical research was followed up with an exhaustive review of available evidence on CBD and sleep³ published in Neurotherapeutics. Starting with the assessment that “the results indicate a potential therapeutic role for cannabinoids in the management of some sleep disorders,” the review goes on to note that “CBD use has been shown to increase total sleep percentage [… and] had a positive effect on anxiety-related REM sleep suppression.” Furthermore, the review relates how a “case series evaluating CBD for treatment of insomnia in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) showed decreased sleep disturbances.”
Overall, it’s clear that the evidence surrounding CBD and sleep is mounting from multiple directions. It wouldn’t be surprising if CBD received increased recognition as a promising sleep-promoting substance over the coming years.
Is it dangerous to use CBD for sleep?
CBD has been the subject of a great deal of safety-related studies over the last decade or so as products containing the cannabinoid have flooded the market. One of the latest of said studies, published in 2020, summarizes all previous research on the subject. Titled “Dosage, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol Administration in Adults: A Systematic Review of Human Trials⁴,” the review was published in the Journal of Clinical Medical Research and began by admitting that “the administration [of CBD] was well tolerated with mild side effects.”
In reaching this conclusion, the authors reviewed over 350 studies including 22 controlled clinical trials. They separated their analysis into the use of CBD for specific conditions and found that serious adverse effects (AE) were hardly ever reported. While using CBD may pose some risks in certain situations, it appears quite difficult to make this cannabinoid dangerous.
5 brands to buy CBN products from
Hemp brands are encouraged by CBD and are jumping into CBN — They’ve gone ahead and started incorporating this unique, non-intoxicating cannabinoid into their products. Usually in combination with CBD, CBN is gradually making its way into the world of online hemp, making it important for potential users to be able to determine which CBN brands are worth buying from.
As you search the CBN market for the best deals on the best products, consider these five brands before any others:
#1 Calmy Wellness
Calmy is taking an unusual approach to the CBD industry by offering a line of hemp drink mixes. Called Mornin’, Anytime, and Sleep-Aid, these powdered drink mix packets contain a variety of different cannabinoids: In the case of Sleep-Aid, both CBD and CBN.
Each pouch of Calmy Sleep-Aid Drink Mix contains 10mg CBD and 5mg CBN, which is usually considered to be an ideal ratio. Also present are magnesium and theanine, both of which are believed to have calming or sleep-promoting effects.
If you’re looking for an unconventional method of getting CBD and CBN into your system, this drink mix packet is certainly worth a shot. Also worth trying are Calmy’s vitamin D Anytime pouch and their CBG and green tea Mornin’ pouch.
#2 Daytrip CBD
Next on our list is Daytrip CBD, a clean and simple CBD brand that offers a trio of edibles and a line of sparkling waters. In its sparkling water products, Daytrip is notable for using high-bioavailability, fast-acting extracts that deliver the effects of their cannabinoids with greater intensity than usual.
Apart from the cool sunglasses-shape of their gummies, we like how Daytrip’s gummies are boosted with terpenes for flavor-specific effects. Those looking to chill out and sink into deep relaxation are encouraged to try Daytrip’s Blueberry Hibiscus gummies first, and be on the lookout for a new Daytrip CBN sleep gummy product that will become available soon.
#3 Binoid
Binoid is a massive brand that offers a huge array of different cannabinoids. For their core tinctures, however, Binoid has chosen to focus on CBD and CBN with both cannabinoids present in Binoid Good Night CBD Oil. This powerhouse tincture contains not only CBD and CBN but also valerian root, skullcap, and lemon essential oil for a flavorful, all-natural experience.
Some CBN users might like the idea of drink mixes, but others may prefer to take a more conventional route. For those who still rely on tinctures as their preferred method for using cannabinoids, Binoid’s Good Night tincture provides a familiar approach in the form of an unusually high-quality hemp oil.
#4 Moonstruck CBD
The brain naturally uses melatonin to tell itself that it’s time to go to sleep, so it only makes sense to include melatonin in a hemp tincture designed to help you get to sleep. That’s exactly what Moonstruck CBD has done in their Melatonin Sleep Tincture, an oil that combines 1500mg CBD and 90mg melatonin for a combined approach to getting you to sleep at night.
This simple broad-spectrum tincture doesn’t contain any THC, and it’s flavored lightly with lemon and vanilla to cover up any slight underlying hemp taste. One of the most impressive benefits of this tincture is its concentration: With 50mg CBD per milliliter, you don’t have to take much to feel the effects.
#5 Twine CBD
Twine CBD is an up-and-coming hemp company that recently launched a line of hemp gummies. One offering from this lineup features melatonin, combining hemp cannabinoids with this natural hormone in a tasty and convenient format.
Featuring 25mg CBD and 2mg melatonin per gummy, these berry-flavored edibles contain everything necessary to experience the desired effects in just 1-2 gummies. For those who would rather take their nightly dose of hemp in the form of a tasty treat, these delicious CBD isolate gummies are well worth a shot.
The bottom line: Trying CBN for sleep is easy
With new compounds becoming available to try all the time, it’s a fact that the cannabinoid renaissance is now upon us. And, while in the past getting your hands on cannabinoids to try as an individual was next-to impossible, it’s now easy to buy CBD, CBG, and even CBN products online from any number of different sources.
The risks of trying CBN for sleep appear to be minimal, but based on anecdotal evidence and scientific research, there seem to be plenty of reasons to try CBN if your nightly sleep cycle could use some improvement. When you’re ready to give CBN a shot for yourself, choose one of the five brands we listed above, and pick a product.
Sources
- 1. Corroon, J. (2021). Cannabinol and Sleep: Separating Fact from Fiction. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2021.0006
- 2. Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019b). Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente Journal, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.7812/tpp/18-041
- 3. Kaul, M., Zee, P. C., & Sahni, A. S. (2021). Effects of Cannabinoids on Sleep and their Therapeutic Potential for Sleep Disorders. Neurotherapeutics, 18(1), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-021-01013-w
- 4. Larsen, C., & Shahinas, J. (2020). Dosage, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol Administration in Adults: A Systematic Review of Human Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 12(3), 129–141. https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4090
