It’s too early to say whether cannabidiol (CBD) can improve sleep. Several studies in this area have indicated that CBD 

, a network of chemical signals that helps control many different processes, including sleep.

 show that CBD and similar molecules may:

Additional clinical trials are needed in order to better understand how CBD affects sleep.

Curious about whether cannabidiol (CBD) helps with sleep? Learn about how CBD could potentially affect your sleep from early studies.

Does CBD help with sleep? | CBD for sleep | Dawn Health

Melatonin is regulated by light. When your outside environment gets darker, your brain makes melatonin — a hormone that 

 within the body. Melatonin is not produced when it is light outside.

Your brain makes enough melatonin to support healthy sleep cycles. Some people take laboratory-made melatonin as a supplement, although there is little evidence that this is an effective treatment for insomnia. Expert groups like the American College of Physicians 

 treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) rather than melatonin for chronic insomnia.

Melatonin is a natural hormone in your body and is also produced as a supplement for people who struggle to get to sleep. Learn more about how melatonin works.

How does melatonin work? 

Sleep is essential for many brain and body processes that 

. Without enough high-quality sleep, you are more at risk for a variety of illnesses.

Rest important organs and tissues, such as your heart

Boost your immune system and protect against illness

When you sleep too little, or your sleep isn’t restorative, you have a higher chance of 

 like hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, obesity, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.

Sleep is incredibly important for the development of both mental and physical processes. Learn more about why we need sleep and the benefits of sleep.

Why do we need sleep? | Benefits of sleep | Dawn Health

 is a chemical molecule that is involved in sleep. When adenosine is produced, it causes the sensation of sleepiness. Adenosine can also help widen blood vessels and 

The longer you are awake during the day, the higher adenosine levels rise. When a lot of adenosine builds up, this molecule slows down brain and body processes and makes you 

. It can also lead to deeper, more restorative sleep.

Consistent intake of caffeine can interfere with sleep because it blocks the receptors for adenosine.

Ever wondered about the chemical molecule behind sleepiness? Learn about what adenosine is and how it is involved in sleep processes.

What is adenosine? | Adenosine and sleep | Dawn Health

 and brain chemicals are involved in both sleep and headaches. When there is a problem with this specific part of the brain, it can affect both processes. Although the exact cause of both insomnia and headaches is often unclear, the link between the two is significant.

Sleep problems that can lead to headaches

Researchers have linked certain sleep disorders with headaches:

Snoring may be a sign of breathing problems during sleep, and people who snore often 

 people with sleep apnea suffer from morning headaches, although it’s not entirely clear whether this is due to snoring or another factor.

Have a headache from lack of sleep? Learn about the link between headaches and lack of sleep and specific sleep problems that could be causing them. 

Headache from Lack of Sleep 

 each night. However, the exact amount varies from person to person.

Older adults tend to sleep for fewer hours and to spend less time in the deepest stages of sleep. However, older adults should still aim to get the recommended amount of sleep each night.

Learn about the recommended amount of sleep for most adults and how much sleep you may need by age groups, according to research.

How much sleep do I need? | How much sleep do you need by age? | Dawn Health

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the sleep stage in which 

occur. One of the indicators of REM sleep is that your eyes move quickly back and forth behind the eyelids.

 happen during REM sleep that is different than other stages of sleep, including:

Your brain becomes more active, leading to dreams

Most of your muscles are locked in place so that movement doesn’t occur while dreaming

Your eye muscles become active, causing eye movements

Wondering what REM sleep is and what actually happens during REM sleep? Read all about REM sleep here.

What is REM sleep? | What happens during REM sleep? | Dawn Health

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes 

. Your breathing may slow down more than it should, become too shallow, or stop altogether. Sleep apnea is a serious but treatable medical condition; consult your doctor if you have concerns.

Medical conditions that affect your hormones

Disorders that affect your brain or nerves, such as a stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Chiari malformations

What exactly is sleep apnea, and what causes sleep apnea? Learn about how sleep apnea affects your breathing and whether to consult a doctor.

What is sleep apnea? | What causes sleep apnea? | Dawn Health

, each of which is characterized by changes in the brain and body. Going through each of these stages consists of one sleep cycle.

Stage 1 — Your body begins to transition into sleep. Your breath, heart rate, and brain waves slow down, and your muscles start to relax.

Stage 2 — Different processes in your brain and body continue to slow, and your body temperature drops, in this light sleep stage.

Stage 3 — Your breath rate, heart rate, and brain activity drop to low levels. This is the deepest sleep stage.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep — Your eyes move quickly, brain and body processes become quicker, and dreaming occurs.

How often do we cycle through the sleep stages?

In one night, your brain typically goes through each sleep stage 

. Each sleep cycle lasts an average of 75-90 minutes.

As we sleep, we cycle through sleep stages. Understand what the stages of sleep are and learn how many stages of sleep there are.

What are the stages of sleep? | How many stages of sleep are there? | Dawn Health

During pregnancy, insomnia can be caused by a variety of different 

 during pregnancy also make it difficult to get quality rest.

Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can all 

 during pregnancy. Feelings of worry or stress about upcoming life changes can also cause sleep disruptions.

The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy, leading to nighttime awakenings in 

Increased pressure on the bladder, making you need to urinate more often at night

Back and leg pain, which may make it difficult to get comfortable

Heartburn and chest pain that often gets worse before bedtime

Changes to normal body processes — such as shortness of breath or a faster heart rate — which can make it harder to fall asleep

Your body is going through many changes during pregnancy, which can cause insomnia. Learn more about physical and mental changes causing insomnia in pregnancy.

Insomnia during pregnancy

 what exactly causes sleep paralysis — a phenomenon in which you can’t move as you wake up or fall asleep. During sleep paralysis, your muscles are frozen in place, which usually only happens when you reach rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

 can increase the chances that you experience sleep paralysis. These include:

Having a frequently changing sleep schedule

Stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other mental health conditions

Having family members who experience sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a bizarre phenomenon that causes you to be immobile as you awaken or fall asleep. Learn about what might cause sleep paralysis today.

What causes sleep paralysis? | Why does sleep paralysis happen? | Dawn Health 

If it consistently takes a long time (more than 15-20 minutes) to fall asleep, you spend a lot of time awake during the night, or feel tired during your waking hours, you may have 

. This sleep disorder will worsen over time if you continue to experience these sleep challenges over the course of weeks and months.

Staying awake for more than 15 -20 minutes after laying down to go to bed

Spending a lot of time awake at night, or feeling like you barely slept

Waking up before the alarm and being unable to fall back asleep

Feeling tired, unfocused, anxious, or irritable during the day

Insomnia is more common than you might think. Learn how to know if you have insomnia by understanding the symptoms of insomnia.

How do I know if I have insomnia? | Symptoms of insomnia | Dawn Health

 is an over-activated nervous system. Though it is a classic symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anyone can experience hypervigiliance. When this is happening you are constantly looking for threats within your surroundings. Hypervigilance can make it hard to focus on important things and cause you to feel more irritable.

Studies have found that people experiencing hypervigilance have a 

. This may be one of the reasons why people with PTSD often 

Disrupted rapid eye movement (REM) sleep — the sleep stage in which you typically experience dreams

If you feel overly alert when you try to sleep at night, you may have hypervigilance. Learn about what hypervigilance is and how it may affect your sleep.

What is hypervigilance? | Hypervigilance and sleep | Dawn Health

Your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) is most heavily influenced by 

, but can also be affected by temperature, physical activity, and social interactions. When your body’s internal clock isn’t synchronized with these external cues, you may feel sleepy but still have trouble sleeping.

There are many parts of your brain that pick up on these external cues like sunlight, which then initiate signals to be sent to a brain structure called the 

. The SCN uses this information to control many different processes in your body, such as digestion, hormone regulation, body temperature, and sleep.

Curious about what controls circadian rhythm and how it affect your internal clock? Learn about why you might be having trouble sleeping due to external cues. 

What controls circadian rhythm? 

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is sometimes thought of as a paradox because 

During earlier stages of non-REM sleep, your brain’s activity becomes increasingly slower. Upon entering REM sleep, brain activity 

, becoming similar to the activity seen during your waking hours. This can lead to complex, vivid dreams.

As your body falls into REM sleep, many of your muscles become 

. This is important for keeping you in place as you sleep — for example, it prevents your legs from kicking out as you dream about running.

Certain muscles continue to move, however. The muscles that help you breathe remain active, and the muscles in your eyes cause your eyes to quickly dart from side to side.

REM sleep is also known as paradoxical sleep. Learn why REM sleep is considered paradoxical and how the brain and body fall into REM sleep.

Why is REM sleep called paradoxical sleep? | The brain and body during REM sleep | Dawn Health

 that is defined by difficulties getting to sleep, staying asleep, or both. People with insomnia often have low-quality sleep and feel tired when they are awake.

Often, the exact cause of insomnia is hard to pinpoint, though we know certain factors can 

 of having a poor night’s sleep, such as:

Sleeping in an environment that is too bright, noisy, hot, or cold

Having your normal circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) disrupted by working night shifts or traveling to other time zones

Napping or not being active enough throughout the day

Drinking beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol

Taking certain medications or supplements

These risk factors alone do not cause insomnia. However, when they are combined with pre-existing factors (e.g., chronic pain, anxiety disorders) they interact and begin the insomnia cycle. When weeks turn into months and you continue to struggle to sleep, the insomnia sleep cycle becomes your new norm.

Curious what insomnia is and whether you might be struggling with insomnia? Learn all about what may cause insomnia and how they interact with other factors.

What is insomnia? | What causes insomnia? | Dawn Health

High levels of stress lead to a poor night’s sleep. Stress 

 the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a system of tissues and organs that helps your body respond to stress by increasing energy and decreasing tiredness.

Digestive changes like indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation

Stress causes your body to increase energy and decrease tiredness. Learn more about signs of stress and how stress affects your sleep.

How does stress affect sleep? | Stress and sleep | Dawn Health

 what leads to night terrors (waking up with intense feelings of fear), but they have found that these episodes become more common in those who don’t get enough sleep, are feeling very stressed, or have a fever.

 between the ages of three and seven. Most children stop having night terrors when they reach the age of 10. As many as three out of 10 children have night terrors at some point in their life.

Most adults do not get night terrors. When they occur in this population, night terrors may be a sign of a nervous system disorder.

Night terrors are surprisingly common amongst children, but they may occur every once in awhile in adults. Learn more about what may cause night terrors.

What causes night terrors? | Night terrors in adults and children | Dawn Health

 that experts typically recommend for insomnia, even when it is due to anxiety, is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Learning how to form better sleep habits may also help. Some people choose to take medications for insomnia, but these can lead to side effects and be habit-forming.

, and lack of sleep can trigger or worsen anxiety. Treating your anxiety can also help you have a better quality of life during your sleeping and waking hours. Things to try 

Trouble falling asleep? Anxiety has been cited as a cause of insomnia and can lead to worsening anxiety. Learn about the best treatment for anxiety. 

Insomnia and anxiety

CBT-I is a type of therapy that can help improve your sleep duration and quality. Many experts recommend that people with insomnia use CBT-I before trying other treatments like medication. It addresses our thoughts and behaviors by focusing on how we think, our habits and our emotions are all linked and influence one another.

There are a few different components to a CBT-I program. These can include:

Cognitive therapy  — Treatment that helps you develop more healthy thinking patterns surrounding sleep

Sleep education — Using sleeping science to help you develop habits that lead to a better night’s sleep

Sleep restriction therapy — Deciding on a set amount of time to stay in bed, which over time means spending less time trying to sleep

Stimulus control — Breaking the association between negative feelings and trying to sleep.

Relaxation therapy — Techniques such as meditation that can help you fall asleep more easily

Dawn's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia program has treated hundreds of patients with insomnia. Learn about what CBTi involves and start today!

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