By Andy Coffaro

If you’ve ever had insomnia, you know how difficult it is to fall asleep and stay asleep. A poor night’s slumber can make life tricky the following day. Anxiety, difficulty focusing on tasks ranging from mundane to critical, irritability, brain fog, an increase in road accidents and more are common symptoms.

While Google searches provide an endless supply of suggestions and tips, you may be wondering if two popular options to combat insomnia, CBD or melatonin, can offer the deep shut-eye your body so desperately craves.

Let’s examine CBD versus melatonin to discover which is right for you.

Melatonin Pros and Cons

A hormone produced by the pineal gland, melatonin tells your body when it’s time to hit the hay and wake up in the morning. Your body naturally produces more of it at night, and the resulting sleepiness signals it’s time to crawl into bed.

One of the biggest pros of melatonin is preventing jet lag. Your internal clock goes haywire when you travel across time zones, so melatonin can “trick” your body into thinking it’s bedtime.

However, over-the-counter supplements can interact negatively with prescription medications such as anticoagulants and birth control pills. There’s also the myth that a melatonin supplement is akin to prescribed sleeping pills. It’s not. Melatonin tells your body it’s time to sleep, but it doesn’t put you to sleep right then and there. This means you’d need to take it a good two to three hours before your intended bedtime.

That’s not an ideal solution should your plans change and you need to be alert 120 to 180 minutes after ingesting a melatonin supplement.

CBD Pros and Cons

There are many pros when it comes to using CBD to sleep, but here are some of the most important to consider:

  • CBD can help relieve anxiety, which is a common cause of failing to fall asleep quickly.
  • It can alleviate aches and pains that keep you up all night.
  • It’s readily available at popular grocery outlets such as Whole Foods.
  • Because it does not contain the psychoactive agent THC, not only won’t you get “high,” it’s legal to purchase online and have shipped to your doorstep in the United States.
  • You can fly domestically with it.
  • There are numerous ways to take CBD, including tinctures, pills, edible-like gummies, vape concentrates and more.
  • Depending on how you consume it, it can take effect in as little as five to 10 minutes when you’re absolutely sure you’re ready for bed.

While there aren’t nearly as many cons when it comes to CBD-versus-melatonin use, research on CBD is still relatively new, so talk to your doctor or read the latest news to discover if it’s right for you.

If you give CBD a shot at curing your insomnia, but it’s just not doing the trick, don’t feel defeated. You may need something a touch stronger. If that’s the case, you may want to look into THC-focused products explicitly designed for a solid night’s siesta, and you can take comfort in knowing that many of these products include CBD as well.