Snoring

Can CBD Help Stop Snoring? About CBD for Snoring Relief

Can CBD oil be used to effectively stop snoring? There is some evidence that suggests that CBD might at least help to reduce snoring. In this post, we’ll talk a little bit about what causes snoring and how CBD might help.

Cannabidiol - CBD

Cannabidiol, aka CBD, is an active compound produced in the resinous flowers of the cannabis plant. A wide range of medicinal benefits has been attributed to CBD oil from reducing pain and anxiety to reducing seizures, and many more. What about snoring? Can CBD reduce snoring or eliminate it altogether?

Nearly half of all adults snore. And half of those suffer from chronic snoring. Even dogs and cats snore. And snorers are not the only ones suffering. Snoring also disturbs the slumber of bed partners.

You’re more likely to snore if you’re overweight, are a middle-aged or older man, or are a postmenopausal woman. Snoring tends to worsen with age.

Multiple sleep studies have shown that snoring and sleep apnea are two of the biggest culprits behind chronic sleep-disorders and insomnia.

The thunderous racket produced in the back of the throat when sleeping doesn’t even seem humanly possible. Everyone at some point in their life has been rudely jolted awake by what sounds like a chainsaw coming at their head only to wake and find out to their relief that their bedmate or housemate is in the throes of a power snoring session.

There are often two victims of this exhausting condition — snorers themselves and their sleep mates. Worst affected are the partners who are constantly having to nudge their bedmate back to consciousness: Honey! You’re snoring AGAIN!! But we can even lose sleep if the snorer is down the hall. And, sadly, some snorers are near impossible to wake from their cacophonic symphony.

What Is That Noise?

So what exactly is snoring? What’s all the noise about? 

Sometimes during sleep, the mouth can fall open allowing air to flow through the throat rather than the nasal passages (also called mouth breathing). If the airflow is obstructed at all, the tissue in the throat vibrates inducing a long snorting sound.

Some of the mitigating factors that may cause snoring include alcohol consumption, being overweight, allergies, and nasal congestion.

This sleep-stealing racket is sometimes attributed to a condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)One of the main characterizations of OSA is extremely loud snoring alternating with periods of silence when breathing almost comes to a halt or stops entirely. This sudden start and stop breathing may shock the snorer into consciousness with a gasping or snorting sound. Frustratingly, individuals suffering from OSA will generally experience this phenomenon every ten to fifteen minutes. 

Traditional treatments for occasional snoring rarely prove to be effective. CPAP machines are commonly used to treat a condition known as sleep apnea, one of the causes of excessive snoring. These contraptions can be exceedingly uncomfortable, awkward, and largely ineffective. 

Can CBD Help Stop Or Reduce Snoring?

Thankfully, some snorers have found a measure of relief with CBD oil. Cannabidiol is non-intoxicating, non-habit forming, and non-toxic and might be a safe and effective way to reduce snoring if not stop it altogether.  

CBD has been researched and explored in recent years for its potential to reduce REM sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement which takes place while dreaming. During periods of REM sleep, people tend to experience heavier snoring. CBD and other cannabinoids tend to disrupt the REM cycle, thereby lessening the incidence of snoring. 

An excerpt from a study by Pubmed. guv states:

“In order to determine the effects of CBD on sleep, it was administered intracerebroventricular (icv) in a dose of 10 microg/5 microl at the beginning of either the lights-on or the lights-off period. We found that CBD administered during the lights-on period increased wakefulness (W) and decreased rapid eye movement sleep (REMS).”

Although a lack of REM sleep can be detrimental to health in some measure, chronic snoring might be causing even worse issues. 

Even if CBD oil doesn’t reduce snoring it can help to mitigate some of the potential damage that snoring can cause. Research indicates that in some individuals, REM and the resulting bouts of chronic snoring might increase the likelihood of dangerous conditions such as cardiovascular conditions, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and memory problems. Furthermore, exhaustion due to sleep-deprivation and the resulting anxiety/depression is directly related to the debilitating effects of chronic snoring. 

CBD Tincture

How To Use CBD To Treat Snoring

One of the best methods of treating any sleep condition is to take a dose of CBD about one-half hour before bedtime. This could be a CBD oil tincture or gelcap, or perhaps CBD-infused edibles such as CBD gummies. 

A typical dosage would be in the range of 10 to 50 milligrams. Start at the low-end and work up to a minimum effective dosage over the course of a few days.

CBD Dosing Guide – MedCard

Inhalation is another delivery method. CBD can be inhaled by smoking CBD-rich hemp flower or using a vape pen to vaporize CBD oil. However, neither of these methods is recommended for patients suffering from heart and lung conditions or high blood pressure. 

The effects of CBD oil generally tend to wear off in about four hours, give or take, but people generally sleep for eight hours. For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep a vape pen, tincture dropper, or edibles handy in order to reduce snoring in the middle of the night. 

We’ll close by saying that snoring is nothing to be taken lightly. It can result in serious more health conditions. If snoring is more than occasional the snorer should discuss the problem with their healthcare provider — preferably one that is experienced in the use of medical cannabis.

Sources & Links:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16844117

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