How Does CBD Make You Feel Calm?

by Kat Austin June 16, 2021 7 min read

How Does CBD Make You Feel Calm? - VO Inc

Everyone deals with daily stress, and sometimes it becomes overwhelming. This can lead to anxiety, sleeplessness, poor eating habits, or even panic attacks. But does CBD relax you? Many people turn to CBD for its calming effects, and research suggests it could be a helpful solution.

Does CBD make you feel relaxed? Yes, CBD may help ease anxiety and promote relaxation by interacting with the Endocannabinoid System, which helps regulate stress and maintain balance in the body.

How does CBD make you feel calm? It works by supporting your body’s natural stress response, potentially reducing feelings of overwhelm and promoting calmness.

While CBD’s calming effects can vary from person to person, it may be strong enough to help manage anxiety and improve overall well-being. Want to know more about CBD's relaxing effects? Let's dig into the science:

Table of Contents

What is CBD and How Does it Work?
Does CBD Make You Feel Calm?
Conclusion: How Does CBD Make You Feel Calm?
Does CBD Help with Anxiety?
Which CBD Products Help You Feel Relaxed?
Resources

 

Key Takeaways

  • CBD interacts with the Endocannabinoid System to regulate stress and anxiety, providing an immediate calming effect and potentially improving stress management over time.
  • Some studies suggest CBD may have anti-anxiety properties, but further research is needed to confirm these effects.
  • The effectiveness of CBD products varies, so choosing a product that suits your needs and usage timing can enhance its calming benefits.
  • CBD may help support overall balance in bodily functions like sleep and immune response, contributing to a more relaxed state.

What is CBD and How Does it Work?

CBD is a cannabis-derived cannabinoid, the most abundant one found in federally legal hemp material. It may interact directly with the body to offer a slew of therapeutic benefits, which is why it’s been popularized as a daily supplement for self-care and general wellness, and especially for aiding stress and maintaining a sense of calm.

An anatomic model of the human endocannabinoid system, the bodily system responsible for CBD's calming effect.

Let’s talk about how it actually works:

CBD interacts with the body through the Endocannabinoid System, a complex cell-signaling system made of neurotransmitters (called endocannabinoids), neuroreceptors, and enzymes that functions within the brain and immune system.

We still have a lot to learn about the endocannabinoid system, but research suggests that it may help regulate mood, temperature, appetite and digestion, immune functions, reproduction and fertility, cardiovascular system functions, and more. In fact, it’s primary role is thought to be maintaining homeostasis, or an overall balance in the body and mind.

Sometimes certain stimuli can interrupt homeostasis, and especially our sense of calm, such as an injury or stressful event. In these cases, the body releases natural endocannabinoids to help return the body to a healthy state.

Sometimes, however, there is an endocannabinoid imbalance that prevents the body from maintaining its natural, relaxed state. This is where CBD may come in.

CBD is similar in structure to these endocannabinoids and can bind with both major receptor sites, though it’s most commonly known to act indirectly on endocannabinoid receptors to help balance the endocannabinoid system. Some evidence even suggests that it may help regrow damaged endocannabinoid receptors over time, but more evidence is needed to understand how it may work.

So, how does all of this endocannabinoid balancing affect stress? And how does CBD make you feel calm?

Does CBD Make You Feel Calm?

Yes! Anecdotal reports frequently suggest that users experience a sense of calm and relaxation after using CBD, especially when they use CBD regularly.

Research hasn’t exactly targeted CBD’s ability to “make you feel calm,” rather it usually focuses on specific ailments and health conditions. Still, we can get a sense of how CBD achieves this calming effect that’s so heavily purported in anecdotal reports by looking at the evidence available:

First, research suggests that CBD could boost natural endocannabinoid levels.

Endocannabinoids are broken down by special enzymes within the endocannabinoid system. Studies suggest that CBD may reduce these enzyme levels, reducing the rate at which endocannabinoids are deleted from the body. This increases natural endocannabinoid levels, including levels of anandamide, commonly known as “the bliss molecule.”

It’s actually thought that increasing endocannabinoid levels will actually stimulate the growth of new endocannabinoid receptors, leading to a more active and naturally balanced endocannabinoid system over time.

CBD may activate serotonin receptors, boosting joy and creating balance.

One study suggests that CBD may bind with 5-HT1A receptors, a receptor that’s usually known for binding with serotonin. The receptor is known to influence things like anxiety, sleep, addiction, and perception. That’s why low serotonin levels may throw these things out of whack.

CBD is stored in body fat for when you need it.

CBD that isn’t used by the body may be stored in the body’s fat, which means taking CBD today could benefit your mood tomorrow. Sometimes the endocannabinoid system needs extra cannabinoids to promote balance, especially when it’s interrupted by something like stress or pain.

It’s even more effective when CBD is used daily, since the endocannabinoid system thrives on balance and regularity.

Conclusion: How Does CBD Make You Feel Calm?

A dropper full of CBD oil, a popular dosing option for reaping CBD's calming benefits.

We’d like to say that there’s some straightforward explanation to CBD’s calming effects that have been repeatedly reported by regular users, but it’s not that simple.

To sum it up as much as possible—CBD helps balance the endocannabinoid disruptions that make you feel upset or restless. It also helps to fortify your body so that it can better handle stressful stimuli in the future.

Does CBD Help with Anxiety?

So CBD can help you feel calm when you’re upset. It can help smooth rough waters when you get stressed out. But what about more serious ailments? Can it help with anxiety?

Possibly.

Some evidence suggests that CBD could have anxiolytic properties, meaning it could help to quell anxiety, although research is limited. One 2019 study titled “Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series” delves into the issue, specifically targeting CBD’s benefits for anxiety that causes sleep loss (or perhaps sleep loss that worsens anxiety).

The study followed 72 adult patients with primary concerns of either anxiety or poor sleep. 57 patients (79.2%) experienced decreased anxiety within the first month that remained at the decreased level for the duration of the study. 48 patients (66.7%) reported improved sleep during the first month, although the results fluctuated over time.

The study suggests that while CBD may have some potential as a sleep-enhancing supplement, its primary potential may lie in anxiety relief. Specifically, the study concludes that “Cannabidiol may hold benefit for anxiety-related disorders. Controlled clinical studies are needed.”

Another study investigated how CBD may impose these effects, and concluded “that CBD reduces anxiety in SAD (social anxiety disorder) and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas.”

Various studies have investigated this mechanism of CBD with similar benefits, and CBD is widely reported as an “anxiolytic” substance, but more research is needed before CBD can be confirmed as a treatment for anxiety.

Still, there’s no question that CBD helps many people remain calm and collected, even in stressful situations. It may also help you relax and unwind at the end of a stressful day, but which CBD products work the best?

Which CBD Products Help You Relax?

Technically, all high-quality CBD works the same inside the body, but different products are absorbed differently and can provide a different onset time, duration, and intensity of effects. Some products also have other ingredients added to help offer more targeted benefits to users.

If you’re looking for soothing, calming CBD products to add to your de-stressing routine, here’s what we recommend:

  • CBD Tinctures offer an oral dose that is both potent and fast acting since it immediately enters the bloodstream through the mouth’s mucous membranes. Our  Vitality Tincture also includes a dose of immune-enhancing vitamins that make it a one-stop dose for wellness support.
  • CBD Gummies are delicious, pre-measured, and simple to use. They taste great, but they could take over an hour to take full effect because they need to be digested. Still, edibles are thought to aid CBD’s storage in the body, meaning regular gummy doses may help fortify the endocannabinoid system as we mentioned above. Our  Vitality Gummies have the same dose of essential vitamins, but there’s no measuring and no mess.
  • Some CBD Edibles dissolve slowly in the mouth, which means they take effect quickly like tinctures. If you want a crossover that works fast but tastes great, our immune supporting  CBD Chews or  CBD Lollipops may do the trick.
  • Cannabinoid blends may contain CBD and other added cannabinoids or terpenes to better target specific issues, like mood disruptions. Our  CBD + CBG Mood Tincture does just that.
Vida Optima Vitality CBD Tincture

No matter what type of CBD product you choose, you definitely should be careful to choose a brand that uses clean, high-quality hemp material and cGMP manufacturing practices. You may want to look for third-party lab tests that prove label accuracy and showcase the brand’s transparency since not all CBD is made the same.

Order any of our products today and get a fantastic 20% off your purchase. Click this link to purchase.

Want to learn more about Vida Optima’s manufacturing process and wellness-supporting mission? Check out our  About Us page.

FAQ - Does CBD Make You Feel Relaxed?

Does CBD actually make you relaxed?

Yes, many people report feeling relaxed after taking CBD. It interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in regulating mood, stress, and anxiety.

How long does it take for CBD to relax you?

It typically takes 15-45 minutes to start feeling the relaxing effects of CBD, depending on the method of consumption and your individual metabolism.

Does CBD work to calm you down?

Yes, CBD is known to have calming properties, helping to reduce anxiety and promote a sense of calmness in many users.

How much CBD does it take to feel calm?

The dosage needed varies by individual, but a typical dose ranges from 10-30 mg. It’s best to start with a low dose and gradually increase until you feel calm.

Does CBD have any negative side effects?

CBD is generally well-tolerated, but some people may experience mild side effects such as dry mouth, drowsiness, or changes in appetite.

Do you feel CBD the first time you take it?

Some people feel the effects of CBD the first time they take it, while others may need to use it regularly for a few days to notice a significant impact.

Resources

  1. “Determination and characterization of a cannabinoid receptor in rat brain” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2848184/
  2. “The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877694/
  3. “Brain activity of anandamide: a rewarding bliss?” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6460372/
  4. “Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System, Dr. Dustin Sulak” https://norml.org/marijuana/library/recent-medical-marijuana-research/introduction-to-the-endocannabinoid-system/
  5. “Antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol: a chemical compound of Cannabis sativa” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24923339/
  6. “Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/
  7. “Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20829306/

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