The Best For Rest: CBD, Melatonin & Valerian 

TLDR: Melatonin, CBD, and Valerian are definitely your friends once nighttime rolls around. Winged’s Sleepy CBD Gummies combine these ingredients seamlessly, drifting you into a brag-worthy sleep! 

Cranky, grumpy, and irritable is precisely how we feel after getting zero sleep. We’ve all been there - you wouldn’t be human if you haven’t experienced a restless night every now and then. Unfortunately for some of us, sleepless nights happen pretty often, making you run on a low battery the morning after. 

Lack of sleep keeps us from performing at our best, and recharging is not as easy as it sounds. From stressful days to body pain, there is a lot that can prevent you from hitting the pillow effortlessly.

And that’s not all. Winged Advisor Dr. Aimée reminds us: “Poor sleep increases our risk for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It also decreases our ability to concentrate and focus, increases hunger, and negatively impacts metabolism. No surprise that it’s also associated with anxiety and depression.” No bueno! “No matter what my patients present in the office for, if they’re not sleeping well, we have to address that first.”

Don’t despair! We are here to save the day (or should we say night)! Keep reading for the ultimate breakdown of your nighttime BFFs.

CBD

CBD has become incredibly popular in the past couple of years, and for good reason. CBD (or cannabidiol) is one of the most prevalent cannabinoids in the Cannabis sativa plant. Hemp extract is characterized as having less than 0.3% THC. This gives you all the great benefits of cannabis without the high. Unlike high THC cannabis ( which some know as marijuana), you don’t have to worry about feeling altered before hitting the pillow. 

Will CBD Help Me Sleep?

It just might! Dr. Aimée says CBD has been a gamechanger for improving her patients’ zzzs. “THC, the cannabinoid most known for its psychoactive effects, can help some people fall asleep faster, but it can also worsen sleep quality long-term. On the other hand, CBD, which has no psychoactive effect, shows promise for supporting sleep quality including REM sleep. In a large retrospective case series, hemp-derived CBD improved sleep in 67% of participants after 4 weeks.”

CBD helps to balance the endocannabinoid system which is the system that keeps us balanced by regulating the fight or flight response, modulating the endocrine system, and supporting immune function, including a healthy inflammatory response.   

Melatonin

You probably know that melatonin is associated with sleep, but do you know how and why? Let’s give you a proper introduction to melatonin.

Melatonin is often referred to as the sleep hormone. Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. Its main duty is to oversee your circadian rhythms (your handy-dandy 24-hr internal clock). Its production increases with evening darkness to promote sleep and keep your internal clock on track

Melatonin’s sensitivity to light is why checking your phone in the middle of the night is a big no-no. It can block your melatonin production and make falling back to sleep a lot harder. Your sleep is heavily dependent on melatonin, so a lack of melatonin can be detrimental. If you need to do a midnight scroll, invest in a pair of blue light glasses to mitigate the effects

It’s pretty difficult to have a perfect internal clock. With a schedule full of morning yoga classes, early Zoom calls, or weekend birthday parties, many of us don’t wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day. 

How Can You Get Melatonin Naturally?

You can take steps to increase your body’s natural production of melatonin. This can include cutting your screen time an hour before bed or having a nightly cup of tea. A nighttime routine is a perfect way to wind down and let your body know it is time for bed. Make sure to fill the hours before bed doing what uniquely relaxes you.

How to increase your melatonin levels isn’t just a question for the night time. You can increase melatonin by literally walking outside! Natural sunlight aids in our production of serotonin (the precursor of melatonin). Exposing yourself to the sunlight in the morning is an amazing way to feel energized for the day ahead and it carries over to help you fall asleep at night. It’s as easy as taking your morning cup of joe to the balcony. 

Melatonin can be a great choice after getting off your schedule - changing time zones/jet lag, night shifts at work, or your festival of choice, but it can also be excellent for regular use. Dr. AImée says “1-5mg is the usual dose for sleep support, although I will sometimes dose as high as 20mg as an anti-inflammatory and to support a healthy immune response. Good to check in with your doctor before going high”.

Nervine Herbs: Valerian

Valerian is part of a class of mildly sedating herbs, called nervines (also includes skullcap, catnip, chamomile, and California poppy), that have been used traditionally for centuries by herbalists for sleep disturbance, anxiety, and nervous restlessness. The German Commission E and the World Health Organization (WHO) endorse the use of valerian for sleep.

In fact, the WHO lists valerian as a milder alternative or possible substitute for stronger sedatives like benzodiazepine drugs. Studies have shown valerian to improve sleep onset, reduce night waking, and improve sleep quality, especially in women. 

Passionflower, Hops, and Lemon Balm have each been shown to have individual sedative effects, but most studies have focused on the use of these herbs in combination, often together and/or with valerian. While lacking rigorous clinical trials, these herbs are considered quite safe for the general population, including children.

“These are the herbs in your Sleepy Time tea,” says Dr. AImée. ‘They are super safe and well-tolerated, so I often start with nervines. Sometimes that’s all you need. Pro tip: If your herbal sleep aid smells like old sneakers, don’t be afraid - it's the valerian!’

We recommend talking to your doctor if you are interested in trying valerian as a sleep aid

Our Takeaway: Although CBD, Melatonin, and Valerian all have different mechanisms of action in regards to sleep quality, they all have shown efficacy for helping with sleepless nights. 

Time to Recharge

Are you in your PJ’s yet? We’ll show you how to use CBD oil and melatonin together. We give you the best of both worlds in our formulated Sleepy CBD Gummies. Uniquely created for women, our gummies combine full-spectrum CBD extract and melatonin along with other all-natural herbal sedatives. 

CBD and melatonin work to guide you into ultimate relaxation, calming a racing mind and easing any physical discomfort to drift you right to sleep! CBD and melatonin work synergistically together, combating all that’s keeping you lying awake at night, whether that be an imbalance in your circadian rhythm, physical discomfort, or stress, or overwhelm.  

Don’t forget about your day. We combined our dynamic duo into the Day & Night CBD Gummies Bundle. Non-Drowsy Relaxation CBD Gummies are the perfect way to make it through your most stressful days. Helping ease those overwhelming feelings through relaxation both physically and mentally. Then take a Sleep CBD Gummy to recharge and drift peacefully into a night of sleep to brag about. Sweet dreams.

 

About Dr. Aimee:

Brilliant Women’s Health Expert and Winged Woman, Dr. Aimée Shunney

Aimée Gould Shunney, a naturopathic physician, has been in private practice since 2001, currently at Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine in Santa Cruz, CA. She blends conventional medical diagnosis and treatment with the use of natural therapeutics like dietary and lifestyle counseling, nutritional supplements, and herbal medicine.

Dr. Aimée specializes in women’s health, bio-identical hormone balancing, sexual medicine, and functional digestive issues. In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Aimée has been an educator and medical advisor to various companies in the natural products industry since 2011.

FB @drshunney
IG @doctoraimeezing

www.drshunney.com