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  • Writer's pictureHinton Magazine

Over A Third Of Brits Feel Permanently Tired

Experts share their sleep hacks and the safe, natural remedy to help us sleep soundly


It’s the glue that holds us all together, so without sleep, we will suffer. Unfortunately, new data commissioned for Dragonfly Biosciences[1], makers of DragonflyCBD®, has revealed how 38% of Brits admit to feeling tired all the time, with respondents getting an average of just six hours of sleep a night. This has worsened since the pandemic with almost half of those questioned saying they experience less sleep now than before COVID-19 struck.


Sleep has become such an issue that a staggering 61% of people would try a safe, natural therapy to improve their slumber, particularly as day time napping has become a regular habit for over half of Brits.

Luckily, help is at hand with Dragonfly CBD, a 100% seed to shelf organic, natural, science backed solution for everyday health challenges such as sleep. Taken an hour before bed, Dragonfly CBD could promote a restful night.

“It’s essential that we get our shut eye sorted, for rejuvenation, muscle growth, tissue repair, hormone re-balance and overall health,” says Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist Specialist Denise Iordache who specialises in sleep challenges. She adds that six hours of sleep is at the ‘very bottom end of the NHS recommendation of 6-9 hours for optimal night-time recovery.”

SLEEP AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Sleep is a crucial part of everyday life as it’s vital for:

  • Fighting the effects of ageing

  • Muscle growth

  • Tissue repair

  • Hormone re-balance

  • An effective, functioning immune system

And for many, sleep can become interrupted and impact the body’s ability to rest and rejuvenate. If you’ve spent a night tossing and turning, you’ll know how grumpy, tired, and out of sorts you feel the next day. According to the Dragonfly CBD poll, 73% of respondents think rightly that lack of sleep can affect physical health. Indeed, missing out on the recommended seven to nine hours sleep on a regular basis can have a significant impact on health, increasing risk of weight gain, poor immune function, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, low sex drive and poor balance and co-ordination.


Denise Iordache adds: “A lack of sleep can make you forgetful and feel moody and emotional. Concentration, creativity, and the ability to problem solve can also be impaired. Chronic sleep loss is a risk factor for anxiety or depression – mental health conditions which may then escalate.”

THREE NIGHTS RUINED BY POOR SLEEP EACH WEEK

According to the Dragonfly CBD real world survey, on average, respondents get six hours of sleep a night, and they have trouble sleeping three times a week on average. Almost one in five (18%) take a nap most days, while 44% sometimes have a nap. Remarkably, it’s younger adults that are more likely to favour daytime shut eye with a third of 18- to 29-year-olds admitting to a nap most days. In contrast, just 13% of those aged sixty plus say they have a nap. Worryingly, almost four in ten (38%) admit they feel tired all the time, while 32% get stressed out too easily.

Again, living with the pandemic has not helped. One in five respondents (20%) are getting a lot less sleep than before the pandemic began, while more than a quarter (26%) are experiencing a little less sleep.

So, why can’t we sleep?1

  • 33% simply can’t turn off

  • Financial worry causes lack of sleep for almost a third (31%)

  • A quarter (25%) are worried about COVID-19

  • 24% are worried about work.

What Do We Do About Lack Of Sleep?

The Dragonfly CBD poll found that to improve sleep:

  • Well over half (58%) take prescription meds

  • 42% take a herbal remedy

  • 26% take CBD

  • More than six in 10 (61%) of those surveyed said they would try a safe, natural therapy to improve sleep if they knew about one that could help.

WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR CBD HELPING WITH SLEEP?

The World Health Organisation has recognised that CBD products, such as Dragonfly CBD, may have the potential to help health issues like insomnia, as well as anxiety which can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.[2]

Nature health expert, Dr Tim Bond notes: “The evidence shows that CBD can help with sleep. In a 2019 clinical trial involving 103 adults, sleep scores improved in two thirds of people taking CBD in the first month.[3] A 6-week randomised clinical trial in healthy adults taking a CBD-rich extract also found significant improvements in sleep.[4] And a critical review found that cannabinoids could improve sleep quality, decrease night time waking and help people get to sleep faster[5].

“CBD also helps with anxiety which can stop you getting a good night’s rest.[6],[7],[8],[9]” Medical research on nearly 400 people prescribed CBD oil found that taking it was linked with improvements in anxiety and depression, better sleep, improvements in pain (where this was an issue) and better quality of life[10].”

HOW DOES CBD HELP WITH SLEEP?

While a range of studies suggest that CBD can help with sleep, the exact mechanism of action requires more research. However, in a laboratory study, CBD blocked the negative effect of anxiety on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.[11] Anxiety is believed to affect sleep quality because it suppresses REM sleep – which is when we dream. REM sleep is closely linked with mental recharge and is essential for feeling mentally and emotionally well, as well as helping us to perform tasks while awake. REM sleep is believed to play an important role in learning, memory, and emotion, helping to regulate mood. Other laboratory trials have found that CBD increases sleep time,[12] and one study has suggested that CBD can reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and have a sedative effect[13].

Natural health expert and chemist, Dr Tim Bond & Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist Specialist, Denise Iordache, advisors to www.dragonflycbd.com share their Slumber Tips

#1. Routine: Try to keep to your normal sleep times. This will help your body know what it should be doing and will help you be ready for sleep at the end of day. It will also help your mental health to know what we are doing day to day, and this will also help us sleep better.

#2. Exercise: If you can, get some daily exercise in. It will help release endorphins, the happy hormones, which makes us feel better and more equipped to handle thing, which will give us a calmer mind when it comes to sleep. Exercise also expends energy, which will help us when it comes to sleep as well.

#3. Beauty sleep: A lack of snooze time is bad news for our skin. That’s why a good night’s sleep is described as getting your beauty sleep for good reason. Research shows that even one bad night doesn’t do wonders for your face and skin. A study in which 40 observers were asked to rate 20 facial photographs for tiredness, facial cues and sadness. The faces they were asked to rate were those who had slept normally or those who had a sleep deprived night following only five hours sleep. The faces of sleep deprived people were perceived as having more hanging eye lids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes, paler skin, more wrinkles/fine lines and more droopy corners to the mouth.[14]

The ever-popular CBD oil (AKA cannabidiol) is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and can help to keep skin youthful, plump, and glowing when applied directly to the skin. Research also shows CBD when applied topically can be a ‘wrinkle fighter’ thanks to its antioxidant properties. As a result, CBD can fight off ageing by helping to protect cells from damage. These antioxidants can also reduce the signs of skin damage from the sun; a huge contributor to ageing. Try New Dragonfly CBD Face cream 300mg (£35 for 30ml) in the morning and before bed to give your face a helping hand. The cannabis sativa L used in the cream is grown organically and is quality controlled, so you get the safest and most consistent CBD.

#4. Note things down: One thing that can keep us awake at night is the thoughts that go through our heads. And sometimes it can be trying to remember them that actually keeps us from switching off properly. Keep a notepad handy and jot down any thoughts that come into your head as you get ready for bed. Also jot down the things you need to do the next day; this will help you ‘release’ them from your memory

#5. Sleep ZEN: There is a natural way that you can help your sleep and ease anxieties. A few drops of Dragonfly CBD as part of your daily routine ticks all the boxes for helping you feel relaxed which also means better quality sleep that we need to fully restore our body and mins. Dragonfly CBD oil has been shown to reduce conditioned fear[15] and anxiety[16],[17],[18],[19]and the World Health Organization has recognised that CBD may have the potential to help health issues such as anxiety and insomnia.[20],[21],[22],[23]

#6. Talk: Keep in contact with friends and family it will help you feel more connected. Talking also helps us to release pent-up thoughts or share problems or worries. Which usually when shared receive good advice or make us feel instantly better. Avoid the draw of retreating into yourself. With lockdown easing we can all understand the worries and anxieties that lie ahead.

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