If you’ve ever sprained an ankle, and I have, you’d know how it affects your sleep. I could never get comfortable and it felt like the sheets weighed a hundred pounds. One thing I know for certain, recovery requires rest. Sleep allows the body to recover naturally. And so begins the dreaded recovery cycle, pain ruining your sleep, and the lack of sleep prolonging pain and discomfort.
Sleep for an athlete, or anyone looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle, is a crucial part of recovery. We strongly believe in the science that CBD can help you get a better night’s sleep because the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is directly involved in moderating sleep. CBD (like melatonin) facilitates a night of more restful sleep. Once sleeping, HGH is produced. The HGH then helps your muscles recover.
A 2016 study by researchers from the US National Institute of Health and Northeastern University looked at the effects of the endocannabinoid system on rats’ sleep. It found that endocannabinoid signaling is directly linked to the rats’ sleep stability.
Other scientific studies into this area show that CBD can increase both sleep time and quality. As a result, people suffering from sleep disorders are increasingly looking towards CBD products for relief.
The scientific community is still learning about CBD and all of its benefits, and we expect research will prove additional ways CBD can promote better sleep. For instance, people dealing with anxiety may find that CBD can ease them to sleep as well as reduce the effect of anxiety on REM sleep cycles. Also, people with chronic pain may find CBD helps reduce pain and related sleep interruptions. It is also believed that CBD can help increase total sleep time and potentially increase morning alertness.
How this relates to athletes
What we do know is this: a lack of sleep creates a prolonged recovery period for muscles and soft tissue. If you struggle to get to sleep, wake up groggy, or are prone to frequent sleep interruptions - CBD may be something you may want to try. CannaTape provides a transdermal application of CBD, directly to where it is needed. So it may be a great place for you to first experience CBD’s benefits.
Additionally, from an athlete’s perspective, CBD is proven to ease anxiety. I know that when I have an event, a race, or a game the next day, my mind is often racing the night before. As far back as I can remember, the feeling of butterflies in my stomach, or overthinking about the next day's event, could keep me up all night. Luckily, I have found that the introduction of CBD into my pre-race routine has eased those issues.
So thinking back to those painful ankle injuries, I wish I had CannaTape Sport at the time. For one, the tape would have provided extra support that my injured ankle needed. Two, the tape would have increased blood flow around the sprain which is beneficial to the reduction of swelling and decreased bruising. Three, the CBD would have contributed to inflammation reduction calming everything down!
Future product news
At CannaTape Sport we are excited to say we are currently working on a new Sleep Aid product that we hope to begin testing in 2022. But just like with our CannaTape Sport Kinesiology tape, we understand that the CBD ingredient isn’t a “magic pill,” but rather intended to work in tandem with the tape itself and other ingredients. Likewise, we strongly believe that CBD will work most effectively as a sleep aid in conjunction with other sleep-aiding beneficial ingredients. One hurdle we have worked hard to overcome is the fact that CBD products for sleep generally improve a person’s ability to fall asleep faster, but unless a product has a time-release component - a person can be looking at a mid-night drop off with the CBD sleep benefits “running out.” We understand this and made incredible strides to overcome it with our sleep aid product. We can’t wait to share this and other exciting product advances to help you compete at your best!
If you are currently dealing with sleep issues, remember that CannaTape Sport reduces exercise-induced inflammation, pain, and soreness speeding recovery, and acts as a calming agent for a better night’s sleep.
If you found this newsletter helpful, and think a friend or family member might be suffering from sleep issues, feel free to pass this along to them. CannaTape Sport can help contribute to a great night’s sleep and we think it's worth spreading the news!
