CBD and better sleep - overview of the current research situation

Everyone is talking about cannabidiol (CBD) and its effect on sleep in particular! Initial studies are already very promising and show that CBD can actually contribute to better sleep. In this blog post, we want to give you an overview of the current state of research on CBD and better sleep. We will also show you how we are actively researching this ourselves!

1. factors influencing sleep

Why can't you be active 24 hours a day - every day - and not waste precious time sleeping? Sleep is important for your body because it helps it to recover and carry out vital metabolic processes. During REM sleep, memories from short-term memory are also transferred to long-term memory. It is therefore not surprising that you develop health problems if you sleep too little. This can lead to systemic inflammatory reactions and your concentration and fat loss can also be impaired. High-quality sleep is therefore a health necessity for you - so that you are mentally, physically and sexually more efficient and therefore happier.

Before we go into what can improve your sleep, it's important to be aware of factors that negatively affect your sleep. You should avoid bright and especially blue light at least two hours before going to bed. So put your cell phone away in good time or put on blue light glasses if necessary. Alcohol is also not an effective way to protect your sleep. Although it does not prevent you from falling asleep, it does significantly impair the quality of your sleep. A warm bedroom can also delay the process of falling asleep and reduce the quality of your sleep. In a pleasantly cool room, you can fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. But what has a positive effect on sleep? Physical activity and exercise in the fresh air, for example. Physical activity can improve the quality of your sleep, especially in times of stress. It can also be useful to go to bed at roughly the same time every evening. A calming routine before going to bed can prepare your body for sleep.

2. the current state of research on cannabidiol (CBD)

But what if you're already doing all this, but sleep still isn't quite working for you? You may have heard of CBD. CBD is currently on everyone's lips, as it is said to have a positive effect on a variety of ailments.

2.1 What exactly is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is extracted from the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant has been cultivated and used for its medicinal and industrial purposes since ancient times. Cannabidiol is the second most abundant of the more than 80 different chemical compounds (cannabinoids) found in the cannabis plant. The leader is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is known for its psychoactive properties.

However, as different strains of the plant are cultivated, it is possible to extract the non-psychoactive CBD oil from so-called industrial hemp, which legally contains less than 0.2 % THC.

2.2 What symptoms can CBD help with?

Many different cultures have used the cannabis plant to treat a wide range of ailments. Practitioners in ancient China used it to treat malaria, menstrual cramps, gout and constipation. In the Middle Ages, cannabis was used to treat pain, epilepsy, nausea and vomiting, and in Western medicine it was commonly used as an analgesic.

In particular, CBD appears to have benefits for a variety of neurological conditions, including the reduction of severe neurological seizures. A recent large, well-controlled study on pediatric epilepsy documented a positive effect of CBD in reducing seizure frequency by more than 50%[1]. CBD is already approved as a medication in the USA for the treatment of certain forms of epilepsy[2].

2.3 Endogenous cannabinoids - the body's own cannabinoid system

Furthermore, it has been shown that the so-called "runner's high experience" - a kind of euphoric sensation during and after exercise - is not only caused by the release of endorphins, but is also partly induced by anandamide, which acts on CB1 receptors and triggers anxiolytic effects in the body[3]. Anandamide is also said to play a major role in the regulation of pain and appetite.

As was discovered a few years ago, the human body has an endocannabinoid system, which includes cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). These are located in the body and interact with the cannabinoids produced by the body itself as well as with those supplied from outside. The cannabinoid receptors are practically the action points of the endocannabinoid system in the human body. These receptors are located in the brain and in the nerve cells and stimulate various messenger substances, which can then have an effect on sleep, pain, the brain and general well-being. As the body usually produces endocannabinoids itself, the receptors interact with the endocannabinoids.

2.4 Exogenous cannabinoids - externally supplied cannabinoids

However, it can happen that the body becomes unbalanced and fewer endocannabinoids are produced. This means that cannabinoids must then be supplied externally so that the receptors are supplied with sufficient cannabinoids and processes in the body can be regulated or harmonized. Exogenous cannabinoids can be supplied using CBD - when ingested, they stimulate the CB1 and CB2 receptors and have a psychological and physical effect on the body. The activity of CBD at these receptors may be responsible for its neuroprotective, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. However, the mechanism of action by which CBD reduces anxiety is still unclear[4]. CBD has been shown in several studies to help subjects in a simulated public speaking test and to reduce anxiety in single doses between 300 mg to 600 mg[5][6][7].

3. the effect of CBD on anxiety and sleep

Another study investigated the effects of CBD on anxiety and sleep in clinic patients with anxiety or sleep as a primary concern. 72 adult patients who presented primarily with anxiety (65.3%; n = 47) or poor sleep (34.7%; n = 25) were given CBD 25 mg/d in capsule form. If anxiety symptoms predominated, the dosage was administered every morning after breakfast. If sleep complaints predominated, the dosage was given every evening after dinner. At the first monthly assessment after starting CBD treatment , 79.2% and 66.7% of all patients experienced an improvement in anxiety and sleep respectively. Two months after starting CBD treatment, 78.1% and 56.1% of patients reported an improvement in anxiety and sleep respectively compared to the previous month[8]. 

4. further studies and symptoms

The current literature focuses mainly on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of chronic health conditions such as multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Sleep is often a secondary rather than a primary outcome in many studies. Many of the studies reviewed suggest that cannabinoids may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia, improving sleep quality, reducing sleep disturbances and shortening the latency to fall asleep. CBD could be promising for REM sleep behavior disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness. While many of the studies showed a positive effect on sleep, there are many limiting factors, such as small sample sizes, the study of sleep as a secondary outcome related to another disease, and relatively few studies using validated subjective or objective measures. Research on cannabis and sleep is still in its infancy and requires further controlled and longitudinal research[9].

5 Our contribution to the current research situation

We hope that you have now gained an insight into the current state of research on CBD and sleep. Scientific evidence on the effects of CBD on sleep is still scarce. That is why we have decided to do our bit for research. We are currently conducting a CBD cure with around 50 test subjects, in which the initial status with regard to a number of health parameters - including sleep (time to fall asleep, quality of sleep, quality of sleep through the night) - is first recorded. Over a period of 2 months, the test subjects take an increasing dose of CBD and tell us about their experiences using a weekly questionnaire. So get ready for exciting results, which we will of course also publish anonymously here.

 

6. bibliography

[1] Devinsky O, Cross JH, Laux L, et al. Cannabidiol in Dravet Syndrome Study Group. Trial of cannabidiol for drug-resistant seizures in the Dravet syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 25;376(21):2011-20.

[2] Arzimanoglou A, Brandl U, Cross JH, Gil-Nagel A, Lagae L, Landmark CJ, Specchio N, Nabbout R, Thiele EA, Gubbay O, The Cannabinoids International Experts Panel; Collaborators. Epilepsy and cannabidiol: a guide to treatment. Epileptic Disord. 2020 Feb 1;22(1):1-14.

[3] Fuss J, Steinle J, Bindila L, et al. A runner's high depends on cannabinoid receptors in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Oct 20;112(42):13105-8.

[4] Zanelati TV, Biojone C, Moreira FA, Guimarães FS, Joca SR. Antidepressant-like effects of cannabidiol in mice: Possible involvement of 5-HT1A receptors. Br J Pharmacol. 2010 Jan;159(1):122-8.

[5] Zuardi AW, Rodrigues NP, Silva AL, et al. Inverted U-shaped dose-response curve of the anxiolytic effect of cannabidiol during public speaking in real life. Front Pharmacol. 2017 May 11;8:259.

[6] Bergamaschi MM, Queiroz RH, Chagas MH, et al. Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in treatment-naïve social phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011 May;36(6):1219-26.

[7] Zuardi AW, Cosme RA, Graeff FG, Guimarães FS. Effects of ipsapirone andcannabidiol on human experimental anxiety. J Psychopharmacol. 1993 Jan;7(1 Suppl):82-8.

[8] Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente journal, 23, 18-041.

[9] Kuhathasan N, Dufort A, MacKillop J, Gottschalk R, Minuzzi L, Frey BN. The use of cannabinoids for sleep: A critical review on clinical trials. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2019 Aug;27(4):383-401.

[10] Image source: Unsplash (bruce mars)