Parenting is tough, especially for working mothers and fathers. While children can bring unquantifiable joy into your life, the endless parade of appointments and extra-curricular activities while trying to manage a consistent routine is super stressful. Plus, it wreaks havoc on your sleep schedule.
It’s essential for new parents and seasoned parenting experts alike to find ways to regulate their stress levels. Not only does it help maintain your own mental health and personal well-being, but it also allows you to be more present in your children’s lives. Many parents in this generation have turned to CBD to help manage parenting stress, but is it safe to use cannabis products with young kids in the house?
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) belongs to a class of psychoactive compounds known as cannabinoids. Like all cannabinoids, CBD does come from the cannabis plant, but using CBD won’t leave parents feeling too high to take care of their kids.
In fact, CBD won’t make users feel high at all. Unlike THC, the main cannabinoid responsible for producing the buzz associated with marijuana use, CBD is non-intoxicating.
Despite not having much recreational use, CBD does still have several therapeutic applications. Many of our key life-sustaining functions like appetite, mood, sleep patterns, and reproduction are partially regulated by a cell signaling system known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). When CBD enters the bloodstream, it can act as a mild antagonist to the cannabinoid receptors in the ECS, affecting how the system will process the neurotransmitters naturally produced by the body.
Should I take CBD For Stress And Anxiety?
With all the stress of raising kids, many parents are looking for any way to help manage their anxiety and relax, and tons are turning to natural CBD.
While the regulations surrounding cannabis have historically hamstrung potential researchers investigating the medicinal effects of CBD, the preliminary studies we do have strongly point to CBD having myriad therapeutic applications. Currently, the FDA has only approved CBD for use as an anti-seizure medication, but millions across the globe are already using CBD as an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals or to supplement these conventional therapies.
One of the most common uses for over-the-counter CBD is stress and anxiety management. According to a study conducted by the National Institute On Drug Abuse, “CBD has shown efficacy in small human laboratory and clinical trials. CBD reduced anxiety in patients with social anxiety subjected to a stressful public speaking task. In a laboratory protocol designed to model post-traumatic stress disorders, CBD improved ‘consolidation of extinction learning,’ in other words, forgetting of traumatic memories.”
These clinical trials are extremely promising and strongly suggest that CBD could effectively treat several different anxiety disorders without the often debilitating side effects associated with current pharmacological options like benzodiazepines. Hopefully, the DEA will soon remove cannabis from the list of schedule 1 substances, allowing scientists more opportunity to corroborate these initial findings.
Is CBD Bad For You If You Are Sleep Deprived?
A healthy sleep schedule is one of the first things to go when you have kids. Is CBD safe for sleep-deprived parents?
Not only is CBD safe for those struggling with sleep disorders, but according to some research, it may actually help treat insomnia. According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), “There is plenty of supporting evidence that shows CBD and cannabinoids can improve sleep.”
Even once a newborn begins to transition into a normal sleep schedule, most parents will tell you that sleep is never the same after having kids. While some parents turn to sleeping pills to combat restless nights, many other parents find that the intrusive side effects outweigh the benefits. CBD offers a more natural sleep aid option, with significantly fewer side effects and potential for abuse than pharmaceuticals.
What To Do If My Child Accidentally Got Into My CBD?
Like with other forms of medications, it’s best to keep CBD in a secure location where your child won’t be able to get into it. However, accidents do happen, and children are often more clever than we give them credit for.
If your child does happen to mistake a CBD gummy for a regular piece of candy, do your best to stay calm. Nobody has ever died from cannabis, but the CBD may interact with other medications your child might be taking.
Monitor their symptoms and figure how much CBD the child actually consumed. The poison control hotline can help you perform a risk assessment. If your child becomes unresponsive, take them to the ER along with any packaging you may have for the CBD products themselves.
