Is CBD effective for sleep? Current research

Is CBD effective for sleep?

Many people repeatedly suffer from difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, insomnia or daytime tiredness. The causes can be very different. Inner restlessness, stress or psychological problems, even physical illnesses can be the causes.

CBD is considered an insider tip when it comes to sleep problems. It is believed that cannabidiol (CBD) can interact with the body's own endocannabinoid system using CBD receptors in the brain. This means that CBD is able to exert a direct influence on the central nervous system. CBD is said to have calming and anti-anxiety properties. CBD can improve sleep behavior

 

 

Cannabis oil and sleep

The endocannabinoid system influences various functions in the human body, such as the perception of pain and it is involved in sleep regulation. Cannabinoid receptors are distributed throughout the body. These are located in the nervous system and on the cells of the immune system. When the body's own cannabinoids or the cannabinoids from medications dock there, they can have different effects.

 

 

Cannabidiol against insomnia

Every person's body is unique and therefore the effects of CBD are not the same for everyone. Sulak explained that he would be open to using CBD in his own practice if a patient does not respond well to THC, as some patients are extremely sensitive to THC and may still feel impaired the next day, for example.

He also explained that cannabidiol could offer benefits to people who suffer from sleep disorders or insomnia, but it would be important to conduct pragmatically designed clinical trials. This means that not every patient receives the same exact treatment. Instead, an algorithm would be used that starts with one treatment and moves on to another if the previous ones are unsuccessful.

However, researchers in scientific studies currently conclude that there is only moderate evidence for cannabinoids to improve short-term sleep quality.

 

CBD oil for sleep disorders

CBD oil is freely available for purchase and is not a prescription drug. Unfortunately, there are no clinical studies with CBD oil. In the studies listed above, patients received either CBD-rich cannabis flowers for inhalation, medical isolate or a CBD medication. For this reason, the positive results cannot be transferred one-to-one to CBD oil.

However, there are numerous reports in which people who suffer from sleep disorders or insomnia report positively about CBD oil. According to them, the body and mind seem to calm down after taking the CBD drops, which makes restful sleep possible.

In addition, many people also use CBD oil to combat anxiety, depression, reduce stress, and treat physical pain.

 

What the studies say

Several studies and reviews, as well as current research, suggest that CBD can at least partially alleviate sleep problems — but with significant limitations.

1. Systematic reviews / meta-analyses

   • A meta-analysis of six randomized trials with a total of 1.077 participants found that cannabinoids can improve overall sleep quality compared to placebo, especially in people with sleep disorders. However, no significant effectif only CBD (without THC or other cannabinoids) was used. PubMed

   • Another review (“Use of Cannabidiol in the Management of Insomnia”) found that some studies with CBD or CBD/THC combinations reported improvements in insomnia, but many studies were small and used subjective measurements. Validated objective sleep measures are often lacking. PubMed

2. Individual randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

   • CBD + terpenesIn a recent crossover RCT, 125 people with insomnia received an oral formulation containing 300 mg of CBD + various terpenes for 4 weeks. Results: There was a small but statistically significant increase in the proportion of Slow-wave sleep (SWS) + REM sleep compared to placebo by ~1,3%, in some cases up to about 48 minutes per night. PubMed+1

   • 150 mg CBD for moderate to severe insomnia: In a pilot study, 150 mg of CBD was administered before bedtime for 2 weeks. The results: There were no big differences compared to placebo regarding many sleep parameters—e.g., time to fall asleep and frequency of waking. However, it was reported that participants in the CBD group had better subjective well-being and objective sleep efficiency was partially improved. PubMed+1

3. Mechanisms & Biology
   A review of the underlying biological mechanisms suggests that the body's endocannabinoid system plays a role in regulating sleep, wakefulness, stress, and anxiety responses. CBD could have a calming effect by influencing these systems and thus indirectly improve sleep. MDPI

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What to consider / open questions

• The Dosage varies greatly between studies – some effects are only seen at higher doses (e.g. 150–300 mg), other studies with lower doses find little difference.

• Many studies are based on subjective reports (sleep diaries, questionnaires), less with objective measurement methods such as polysomnography or EEG.

• The composition of the products is important: Whether pure CBD, CBD plus terpenes, or CBD + other cannabinoids (e.g. THC), it can make a big difference.

• Possible side effects have mostly been described as mild, but long-term studies are still lacking.

• There are differences in the effect depending on the initial condition: people with severe insomnia or poor sleep conditions are likely to benefit more than people with, let's say, moderate sleep problems.

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CONCLUSION

Sleep disorders can have a variety of causes. Stress, psychological problems and pain in different parts of the body are probably the most common causes. Poor sleep can have a serious impact on your health, especially when sleep disorders become chronic. For this reason, chronic sleep disorders should always be treated by a doctor.

Various studies suggest that the phytocannabinoids from the cannabis plant, such as cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, can have a sleep-inducing effect. However, dosing is difficult, as each person reacts differently to low or high doses of CBD.

CBD oil can be an alternative to cannabis-based medicines and medical cannabis flowers. Although there are no studies on this (yet), according to reports, CBD oil seems to have sleep-inducing, calming and pain-relieving effects.

 

Note: In this article we report on prescription CBD or cannabidiol. This article makes no suggestion as to its possible intended purpose. Promises of benefit are left to the pharmacists.