A refreshing, full-night’s sleep is a luxury for far too many of us. After powering through a demanding day, our bodies can resist relaxation – even though we feel exhausted.

But for some, hemp oil is changing that problem.

Brooke Alexander has rarely slept well – at least as an adult. She’s had trouble falling asleep, has woken easily during the night, and had difficulty going back to sleep.

While she’s tried various sleep aids, the side effects have been less than desirable. And now that she’s a mom, she’s even less inclined to use them.

“I don’t want to be zonked out and not know if my daughter wakes up, or feel groggy the next day,” she says.

Without an acceptable option, she’s suffered through with less than a full night’s sleep. But taking hemp oil for sleep, she says, finally helped her rest easier.

“It’s really been a game-changer for me,” she says. “It just takes the edge off, helps me wind down and turn my brain off. And if I’m woken at night, I can get back to sleep a lot easier and don’t have grogginess in the morning.”

And she experiences no psychoactive effect, or high, typical of marijuana use.

The 411 on Hemp Oil vs. CBD Oil

You’ve probably seen and heard a lot about hemp oil and CBD oil lately. But what’s the difference between them?

In short, CBD is a property of hemp oil, which is made from the Cannabis Sativa plant.

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is just ONE of the 113 known cannabinoids found in hemp oil, explains Adam Skapple, owner of Colorado-based Kaya Vida. He and his wife started Kaya Vida to offer a line of organic, non-GMO hemp oil products, with no sugars or emulsifiers.

The better-known cannabinoid found in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is another of those 113 cannabinoids of the Cannabis Sativa plant.

Both CBD and THC activate the endocannabinoid system in our bodies, which is a signaling system that regulates sensations such as pain, appetite, mood and more.

But while THC can produce a high, CBD never will. In fact, CBD inhibits the uptake of THC.

However, Skapple points out that full-spectrum hemp oil contains trace amounts of THC. While not enough to cause a high, THC could potentially show up on drug screenings.

Hemp – Not Just for Sleep

With wider availability of hemp oil, people are finding it useful for a broad range of health issues, from pain to inflammation to seizures.

Brooke, who works long days as a business owner and aesthetician, first tried hemp oil on the advice of her husband, who had found it eased his anxiety.

She also turned to hemp oil to relieve work-related shoulder pain. For that, she relies on a pain roller from Kaya Vida that administers essential oil mixed with CBD directly on the skin where she experiences pain.

For sleep, she takes a 25mg capsule of hemp oil before bed and a dropper-full of a hemp extract tincture. She also keeps the tincture handy in her purse for stress management.

After Brooke and her husband saw results, they began using hemp oil with one of the family dogs. Charlie, a black lab mix, gets a few drops of the tincture in his food – and is no longer such a nervous pacer.

Personally, I’ve found it remarkably effective for nerve pain. When I take a dropper of hemp oil daily, I no longer experience regular pain related to nerve entrapment in my abdomen. In fact, the benefit seems to build up. With ongoing use, I remain pain-free for a few days even if I forget to take it.

But is hemp oil legal?

You can buy hemp oil throughout the United States. I can even buy it at my grocery store in Colorado, along with my produce – no ID required. In nearly any state, you can buy it online.

However, technically CBD/hemp oil is on the federal government’s list of Schedule 1 drugs, which also includes mega-drugs such as heroin. But I’ve yet to hear any anecdotes about enforcement against hemp oil users.

Skapple says that Kaya Vida can sell to all 50 states, but South Dakota and a few southern states fall into a gray area. Buyers there could have their goods confiscated.

Air travel with hemp oil is likewise murky territory because of federal law. TSA agents don’t directly search for such substances, but, unfortunately, could confiscate them if found.

Weigh the risk and decide for yourself. But personally, I find the payoff of hemp oil far outweighs the risk.

 

Do you have a hemp oil success story? Or another natural health success story? Let us know via our Share Your Story page.

What works for one person may not work for another. Consult your health practitioner for professional health advice.