Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that causes a lot of sleep problems. Sufferers of this condition find it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep. This can greatly affect your daily lifestyle due to insufficient sleep. Proper sleep must be 7-8 hours anything less will lead to difficulties. Many adults usually experience short term insomnia due to high stress or a traumatic event. However, while short term insomnia is not severe, long term insomnia known as chronic insomnia leads to severe effects. Traditional treatments for insomnia include relaxation techniques and cognitive behavior therapy.
Medical cannabis for Insomnia
Medicinal Cannabis has long been used by humans for therapeutic purposes. According to a recent review of the current scientific findings shows that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for treating insomnia.
The primary cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is thought to reduce sleep latency (the time required to fall asleep), but it could impair sleep quality in the long run. There are more than 80 cannabis compounds that can help with insomnia and THC is just one of them.
Other cannabis compounds like cannabidiol (CBD) can highly help with sleep behavior disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness. Moreover, synthetic cannabinoids, may lessen nightmares associated with post-traumatic stress syndrome and cease sleep in chronic pain sufferers.
How does Cannabis Help Insomnia?
Research notes that cannabis is a popular remedy for insomnia and sleep issues. Over the last couple of years, scientific studies have shown the significance of cannabis on insomnia patients. Cannabis can also help with pain, anxiety and depression that cause sleep issues. One study published in 2019 notes that among cannabis users who used cannabis for sleep, 84% said it was “very” or “extremely” helpful. And 83% of people using pharmaceutical pills in the past were able to replace these drugs with cannabis. That’s important because several pharmaceutical pills may lead to several side effects including Alzheimer’s disease.
Research on Cannabis and Insomnia
Research into the effect of cannabis on insomnia began decades ago. Studies from the 1970s, show cannabis as a great sleep aid which can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. Difficulty falling asleep is a primary symptom of insomnia.
Nowadays we see rising clinical trials being conducted into the efficacy of cannabis for insomnia. One important study consisting of Researchers from the University of Western Australia Centre for Sleep Science was very hopeful. In this study, 23 chronic insomnia patients were tested with a cannabis-based extract. They received either the cannabis formulation or a placebo over 2 weeks.
The researchers discovered that the cannabis-based formulation led to improved sleep patterns for insomnia than the placebo. The patients also woke up more rested and displayed less fatigue, stress and improved social functioning.
Bottom line
Cannabis is a well-known remedy for insomnia. Current research studies already show its huge impact on sleep quality. However, if you want to use medical cannabis for sleep ensure to dose properly. We also recommend getting guidance from a physician before using cannabis as a n effective sleep aid.