Trouble sleeping is one of the great equalizers. I bet you’ve asked yourself, “Why can’t I sleep?” at least once in the past couple of months. We’re all sleep deprived for one reason or another. Personally, I struggle with anxiety and have trouble both falling asleep and staying asleep. In light of recent worldwide events, my good night’s rest track record has never been worse.
Now most people know that to be fully functional we all need a healthy night’s sleep of at least 8 hours, but I doubt you’d be surprised that most people get less. Here are some stats about sleep in the US that you may not know:
- 35.2% of all adults in the U.S. report sleeping on average for less than seven hours per night.
- Almost half of all Americans say they feel sleepy during the day between three and seven days per week.
- Women have a lifetime risk of insomnia that is as much as 40% higher than that of men.
- As many as 15-30% of males and 10-30% of females meet a broad definition of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- 42.6% of single parents sleep less than seven hours per night compared to 32.7% of parents in two-parent homes and 31% of adults with no children.
- More than 44% of workers in production-focused industries, such as factory workers and plant operators, report getting seven hours of sleep or less per night.
Since sleep is vital to our mental and physical health, you’d think our brains would’ve evolved to make it easier for us to sleep. I wish there were a simple switch I could hit in my brain that would allow me to sleep peacefully for 8-10 hours. But to help us out a bit, we have a mighty minor cannabinoid called cannabinol (CBN).
What is Cannabinol (CBN)?
Obviously, we’ve all heard of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the “major” cannabinoids in the hemp and marijuana plants respectively. But many of us don’t think about the other approximately 120 “minor” cannabinoids that are also doing great work for our minds and bodies. Here’s a fun fact about your new friend CBN: it was the first cannabinoid to be isolated from the plant in the early 1930s. It was done so from a red oil extract of cannabis, and in 1940, its chemical synthesis was achieved in the lab of R. Adams right here in the US! CBN is one of more than 120 active cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, but that doesn’t make it any less special. In fact, when exposed to oxygen, THC breaks down into CBN over time. This is why CBN concentrations are very small in raw cannabis but can reach significant levels in older, dried plants. Like our friend CBD, CBN is also non-intoxicating, so it won’t get you high.
Will CBN help me sleep?
So, you’ve learned what CBN is and now you’re wondering if it’ll really help you sleep. The honest answer is, everyone’s body is unique. We all metabolize things differently, so consuming CBN before bedtime may have more of an effect on your friend’s sleep habits than yours. CBN boasts several health benefits – from minor relief of discomfort to reducing inflammation which can aid in better sleep – but it is not guaranteed to provide a good night’s sleep every single night.
The Benefits of SummaRest
SummaRest is made up of curated ingredients so you can get the sleep you deserve. Unlike many sleep supplements, SummaRest does not contain any melatonin, and we did that on purpose! When we were thinking about what we wanted to put in our sleep aid, one of our SummaForte advisors, Dr. Andrea Holmes gave us a science lesson.
She explained to us that melatonin is a hormone that our body produces naturally and that it’s responsible for controlling our wake-sleep cycle. All the commercially-available melatonin supplements are produced synthetically and can interfere with the body’s normal melatonin production over time. Based on that, we decided we wouldn’t use melatonin, and instead, we utilize valerian root and hemp-derived CBN and CBD to create SummaRest.
We love valerian root as an alternative to melatonin because it interacts with neurotransmitters and other receptors involved with mood and sleep to promote a calm mind and body. No melatonin, just plant-based ingredients. Unlike many sleep supplements that play a singular role in helping you fall asleep or stay asleep, SummaRest’s root-based ingredients offer the best of both worlds. They’ll help you fall asleep fast and wake up free of grogginess, and be ready to tackle the day. We love the benefits of SummaRest, but also want to mention the importance of sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene, much like your everyday hygiene routines like showering and brushing your teeth, is a healthy ritual that gets your body and mind ready to power down for the day. Important ones to note are limiting screen time before bed – no phone, computer, or TV time 30 minutes before you want your head to hit the pillow. An obvious but important one: stay away from caffeine and alcohol late in the day and try not to go to bed too full or too hungry. Developing a relaxing pre-sleep ritual will help alert your mind and body that it is ready for rest. My favorite bedtime routine is a warm bath or shower followed by cozy socks and a good book.
If you couple SummaRest with a calming nighttime routine, we think your sleep habits will improve exponentially. As always, if you ever have any questions about SummaRest or any of our other products in the SummaForte family, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Sleep well, friends!
