CBD for Insomnia : Does CBD Work as a Sleep Aid?

You are not alone if you have difficulty getting a good night’s sleep these days. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 70 million people are affected by sleep disorders. Consumers spend $70 billion yearly on sleep aids, with pharmaceuticals accounting for 65 per cent of the total. And, let’s be honest, the last year hasn’t been great for obtaining a good night’s sleep. In fact, a recent study discovered that during the coronavirus pandemic, a significant number of the population was affected by sleep disturbances, which frequently impacted mental health.

If smoking isn’t your thing, a regulated dispensary will likely have a large assortment of cannabis products to encourage sleep. You can take CBD gummies for sleep as well. 

What is insomnia, exactly?

Let’s start with a quick reminder of what insomnia is because it has a lot of meaning and detail. In its most basic form, insomnia is difficulty falling and/or staying asleep when you have the time and circumstances to get the rest you require. Insomnia appears as a group of symptoms as well as a clinical illness. That is to say, and people can have insomnia symptoms without an insomnia condition. (This isn’t an excuse not to treat the symptoms; even symptoms of insomnia that don’t satisfy the criteria for a clinical sleep disorder can be disruptive and harmful to sleep and health.)

CBD is emerging as a sleep promoter

CBD (cannabidiol), a cannabinoid, has been popular in recent years, and it’s being used for various purposes, including stress and anxiety alleviation, pain treatment, improved concentration/focus, and even sexual enhancement. We still have much to understand about CBD’s effect on insomnia and sleep. According to some recent studies, this cannabinoid may play a role in alleviating insomnia symptoms. I’ve previously discussed CBD and its potential therapeutic benefits for sleep directly and indirectly through treating anxiety, physical pain, and other sleep-disrupting diseases.

 

How may cannabis address comorbid insomnia ?

Another method to consider cannabis’s influence on insomnia is the type of insomnia. There isn’t a single type. We’ve addressed acute and chronic insomnia, and I’ve mentioned how cannabis looks particularly useful in treating onset insomnia—difficulty in sleeping. You can also compare Cbd oil vs gummies. 

Comorbid insomnia (until recently, this was often referred to as “secondary” insomnia) is insomnia that occurs in conjunction with another medical disease. However, not insomnia problems are comorbid. Insomnia is frequently associated with various medical issues and a side effect of medicines and other medical therapies. An increasing number of studies suggest that it may effectively treat comorbid insomnia. As an example:

Physical discomfort is a primary cause of sleeplessness. Substantial research shows that cannabis helps relieve physical discomfort. Pain relief is yet another principal cause of individuals using cannabis initially. According to new studies, cannabis can help with pain and sleeplessness issues. Another condition that disrupts sleep is anxiety, which is a key contributor to insomnia and its side effects.

It’s not only anxiety and depression with insomnia that cannabis may effectively treat.

Other uses of Cannabis:

Cannabis is being researched to determine whether it helps treat the traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of insomnia. Cannabis has the ability to enhance the start of sleep (i.e., make falling asleep easier), diminish nightmares, and suppress some levels of REM sleep, making it a promising treatment for PTSD-related insomnia (when most active, intense dreaming occurs). This is a fascinating and important area of study that needs serious investigation.

These are only a few of the comorbid insomnia issues that cannabis has demonstrated promise for treating. Future sessions will focus on a few of these illnesses and how they relate to cannabis therapy for sleep.

Medical Disclaimer: All the content available on the website is just for informational purposes. It’s not a substitute for any Professional advice. Don’t take it personally. As a medical student, I’m just trying to use my information through my content, and please keep in mind it’s not written by a professional doctor. Use the data just for educational purposes.