Does CBD oil help you sleep better?
There is currently too little good research to say that CBD oil genuinely helps with sleep problems; if you suffer from them, there are better-supported options to discuss with your doctor.
CBD oil is widely used as a sleep aid, but the available research does not yet justify that confidence. In a small, uncontrolled case series of 25 poor-sleeping adults, just over two-thirds reported improvement in the first month. After that, however, scores fluctuated up and down, and because there was no control group, you cannot conclude from this that CBD was the cause.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study tested what happens when you add CBD to another cannabinoid (cannabinol). Conclusion: the addition of CBD produced no extra improvement. CBD was not tested as a standalone sleep treatment in that study, so you cannot draw firm conclusions from it, but it is not a positive signal either. A Cochrane review also found that CBD oil offered no added benefit for people with advanced cancer, including for sleep.
The only sleep study involving cannabinoids that showed a modest positive effect concerned nabiximols: a combination of THC and CBD together, not CBD alone. The average difference from placebo was small. That finding therefore says little about pure CBD oil.
Two recent review studies reach the same conclusion: the scientific evidence for cannabinoids in sleep problems is not proportionate to how frequently they are used. Large-scale, well-conducted studies are largely absent. Added to this, CBD products sometimes also contain THC. THC may shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, but over the longer term it can actually worsen sleep quality, which makes it difficult to assess brands and products at face value.
Sources: two narrative reviews (PMID 28349316, 39612156), one retrospective case series (PMID 30624194), one RCT with CBD+CBN (PMID 37796540), one Cochrane review on palliative care (PMID 37283486), one meta-analysis on nabiximols/THC+CBD (PMID 35982439). No large-scale RCT with CBD as a standalone intervention for sleep is available.
What can I do to sleep better?
CBT-I is the most powerful approach for persistent sleep problems; if you do not have access to it, ask your general practitioner about a shorter behavioural treatment of four sessions. Fixed sleep times, less caffeine and alcohol in the evening, and regular exercise are the best-supported self-help steps.
Does apigenin help you sleep better?
There are preliminary indications that apigenin has some connection to sleep, but clinical evidence in humans is entirely lacking. If you want to sleep better, there are supplements with a stronger evidence base than apigenin; discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist if sleep problems persist.
Does valerian really help you fall asleep faster?
Valerian may help people with mild sleep problems fall asleep faster, but its effect has not been demonstrated in clinical insomnia. Feel free to try it, but do not expect a guaranteed result.
What are the best ways to fall asleep more easily?
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia works best and lasts longest; sleeping pills are a short-term solution and are even dangerous in older adults. A digital version of the therapy is a good, accessible first step.
Does mouth taping help you sleep better?
For healthy sleepers there is too little evidence to recommend mouth taping; for people with mild sleep apnea there are cautious indications that it may help, but never use it if you have a blocked nose at night.
Does magnesium glycinate help you sleep better?
Magnesium may contribute something to sleep in certain people with a deficiency or a medical condition, but this has not yet been demonstrated for healthy people without a deficiency. If you have had poor sleep for years, first discuss with your doctor whether other causes may be involved.