I Took CBN For a Month to Try to Improve My Sleep - Here's What Happened

Get the Full Story4:45 a.m. wake up calls never get easier. Most days, I'm up before the sun to train clients, work out, and then head to work. You'd think that I'd be in bed by eight at the latest, but that's definitely not the case. If I'm extremely exhausted, I'll be in bed by 10 p.m., but on most days I don't end up falling asleep until around 11 p.m. the earliest.

Because I know how important sleep is for things like recovery, muscle growth, and my sanity, I've been trying to implement techniques that will help me get a quality night's rest into my routine. That means no online shopping and scrolling through Instagram in bed or watching Netflix late at night, and avoiding sugary foods in the evenings.

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Aside from following those simple practices, I recently began taking CBN cannabinol , one of the greater than 60 active compounds found in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, CBN is nonpsychoactive, meaning it won't get you high.

During the past month, I took 24 milligrams of Robyn For Sleep by Mineral Health 30 minutes before going to bed this allows your body to absorb the product, according to the Mineral Health website . I didn't take it every single day like on the weekends , but I did use it when I knew I was going to be up for 17 hours; when I felt stressed; and during times when I had a lot going on with with training, work, and other passion projects about three to four days a week .

Because I've used CBD before, I already knew not to expect to feel any drastic changes. I didn't suddenly feel drowsy or ready to fall asleep exactly 30 minutes after taking the CBN. Some nights I felt more relaxed, which for me is key to falling and staying asleep, and other days I didn't feel anything except for well rested when I woke up.

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I know that there are a lot of claims when it comes to the benefits of CBD and CBN products, which is why I reached out to Robert Carson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology pediatrics at Vanderbilt University. "The reported benefits of CBN are similar to those reported for CBD and for medical cannabis," Dr. Carson told POPSUGAR. He also explained research is lacking and, "The potential benefits are extrapolated from basic science lab-based studies, but not verified in human trials."

This doesn't mean that CBN won't work for you. Dr. Carson said that the benefits of CBN have been touted as an effective sleep aid and sedative, "with effects rivaling that of benzodiazepine diazepam Valium ." Although research is still in the infancy stage, Dr. Carson said, "I suspect that some individuals will find a benefit from taking CBN for sleep, and that others will not. Similar to sleep supplements such as melatonin, where many patients report a great benefit from it with respect to sleep induction, whereas others report effects analogous to crack."

Before supplementing with CBN, Dr. Carson advised speaking with a physician about the supplements you're currently taking and the ones you would like to begin to take because of the potential for drug-to-drug interactions.

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