CBD Dreams: Does CBD Make Your Dreams More Intense?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is just one of the active compounds found in cannabis products. Unlike its cousin, THC, CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it does not produce a “high”. These days, CBD is widely used for a number of wellness purposes including pain management, anxiety-relief, anti-inflammation, and the reason we are writing this article – to help with sleep. While CBD does not make you “high” it does interact with bodily systems and processes including your endocannabinoid system (ECS), serotonin pathways, and even stress hormones.
Those who use CBD, especially those who use it to help with sleep, report changes in how they dream. It is not uncommon to hear people claim their CBD dreams become more realistic, more vivid, and more memorable. So, how does CBD change how you dream? Does it make your dreams extra weird? Does it make it easier for you to remember your dreams? We are going to explore this and more in our article.
How Do Dreams Work: The Biology of Dreaming
Before we dig into the details of CBD dreams, let’s first take a look at how dreams usually work during sleep. Sleep occurs in several cycles that occur over a 90 or so minute stretch.
- Light Sleep
Your body and mind transition from being awake to being asleep during this phase. Your brain waves slow down, your muscles begin to relax, your heart rate drops, your body cools down, and you can be woken up pretty easily. Dreams during this stage are usually fragmented scenes rather than full dreams. More often than not, dreams during this phase relate to things you experienced during the day.
- Deep Sleep
This is where your body really restores itself. Your brain has slowed activity to a point where waking up is the most difficult of all the stages. If you are woken up during this stage, you will probably feel groggy and maybe even more tired than before you went to sleep. Dreams during this stage are rare because your body is focused on physical restoration.
- REM Sleep
REM (rapid eye movement) is also known as the dream stage of sleep. This is where you will experience the more vivid, memorable, and full dreams. Dreams during this stage can feel like full storylines playing out. These are also the most memorable dreams.
In the beginning times of the night, you mostly spend time in the light and deep sleep stages. Getting closer to morning, you spend more and more time in the REM stage. If you have ever gotten up from bed close to morning then fallen back asleep, you may have noticed that your dreams are the most vivid and you can recall them after fully waking up.
How Does CBD Affect REM?
So now that we have discussed how dreams occur the most vividly during the REM stage of sleep, it is time to take a look at how CBD use affects REM. Studies have shown that CBD use can preserve REM sleep (source). This means that the stage of sleep during which you dream the most is uninterrupted so your dreams are more in depth.
Speaking of uninterrupted sleep, CBD has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety (source). Less stress usually means you will sleep better and without waking up. This allows your body to fully enter the REM stage and stay there for the full duration; hence more vivid dreams.
Why Does CBD Give Me Weird Dreams?
Let’s now discuss why dreams seem extra vivid and weird when we use CBD for sleep. First off, it goes back to CBD preserving REM sleep. A smooth, uninterrupted REM sleep makes it easier for you to remember your dreams which could be a reason they seem extra weird. You are just better at remembering all the little details.
Additionally, we discussed how CBD can reduce stress and this helps you sleep better. This can mean more detailed dreams that are rich with intense details. Basically, since you are sleeping better and uninterrupted, your brain is able to produce vivid dreams and you are not accustomed to that level of detail.
There is NOT strong evidence that CBD causes nightmares or “lucid dreams”. There are user reports of both, but as of now there are no concrete studies. If you are experiencing more nightmares or lucid dreams, it most likely is due to how CBD affects your levels of stress and your REM cycle.
How to Use CBD For Sleep
- Choose the product best for you
Some CBD products contain only CBD, but others also have trace amounts of THC. Products with both CBD and trace amounts of THC are known as “full-spectrum” CBD products. THC affects your sleep and REM cycle in different ways that CBD. THC has been shown to suppress REM, while CBD preserves it. Users also report they dream less when using THC.
- Find your perfect dose
CBD dosing is pretty subjective. Some people find as little as 5mg helps them. Others take 100mg or more. To find the dose that is best for you, start with a low dose, around 5-10mg for your first night of sleep. The next night, you can take a higher dose, around 10-20mg. Keep slowly building up until you feel you have reached an appropriate dose that helps you sleep best.
- Consider when you are taking CBD
Timing can play an important role in how CBD affects your sleep. You may consider taking CBD earlier in the evening rather than right before bed and this could reduce the intensity of your dreams. Just like with finding the perfect dose, it is going to take a bit of experimenting to find the perfect time for you to take CBD before bed.
- Keep track of your sleep patterns
The best way to find your perfect dose of CBD and when is ideal for you to take that dose is to keep track of your sleep patterns. Create a log that you can document your sleep in every day. This will help you to discover the best routine for you. You can mark down how often you woke up, how intense your dreams were, and anything else that relates to a good night’s sleep.
- CBD is NOT a fix-all
It is important to remember that CBD is not a magical substance that will make your sleep perfect regardless of what else you do during the day. Caffeine, exercise, electronics-use, and stress all play important roles in how well you sleep.
