Cannabeginners: CBD for Sleep

One of the most common reasons people use cannabis and hemp products is to help them sleep. People looking for sleep support but want to avoid getting high commonly think that CBD will help them sleep without getting inebriated, but in reality, the amount of CBD they ingest can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Discovery and history of CBD

Cannabinol (CBN) has the honor of being the first cannabinoid ever discovered, while CBD was a close second. In 1940, Roger Adams and his colleagues at the University of Illinois first isolated CBN, and then later that year. CBD isolated. At that time, little was known about its effects or chemical structure.

It took until 1963, when Raphael Mechoulam elucidated The chemical structure of CBD was discovered a year before THC was discovered. As soon as the intoxicating effects of THC were discovered by Raphael Mechoulam in 1964, CBD was largely ignored even by the research community. Then, in 2008, with the advent of the world’s first cannabis testing laboratory, CBD was “rediscovered” and has been the subject of considerable research ever since.

CBD for sleep

1981, one of the earliest studies to investigate the relationship between CBD and sleep Indicated “Subjects who received 160 mg of cannabidiol reported getting significantly more sleep than those who received a placebo.” Some volunteers in this study used doses less than 160 mg. However, it has been reported that lower doses did not have as strong a sedative effect. 2012 literature review summarized Considering the scope of research on CBD and sedation over the past 30 years, “clinical trials have shown that high doses of oral CBD (150-600 mg/day) may have therapeutic effects on social anxiety disorder, insomnia, and epilepsy. But at the same time, it can cause mental sedation.” These sedative effects were discovered the following year in a study conducted on rats. applied to rodents Similar to humans, rodents also show an increase in “in addition to increased sleep latency, total sleep time.”

Most recently, 2019 survey Studies in humans rather than rodents showed sleep benefits in some patients, but data were limited because doses were inconsistent. Still, the researchers observed that “sleep scores improved within the first month in 48 patients (66.7%) but fluctuated over time,” with the variation primarily due to patient This happened once she started receiving outpatient treatment, making consistent medication even more difficult. Researchers have not been able to report exactly which dose of CBD has any effect on sleep, but past studies have found that higher doses of CBD lead to longer sleep duration. It was pointed out that

CBD to increase alertness

Astute readers may be wondering, if studies are fairly consistent that high doses of CBD (generally over 160 mg of CBD) cause a feeling of sedation, what about lower doses? I don’t know. That’s where the science of CBD and sleep gets very complex, perfectly illustrating the biphasic nature of many cannabinoids (low doses produce one effect, high doses produce a fundamentally different response). .

In 1977, four years before Carlini and Cunha published a study showing that high doses of CBD could improve sleep, Monti said. proven CBD may reduce sleep in rats. In 2006, Eric Rodriguez led a team of researchers, including Rafael Mechoulam, to study The study expanded on Monti’s research, showing that low doses of CBD “induced wakefulness” and suggested that it “may have therapeutic value for sleep disorders such as excessive somnolence.” Rodriguez continued his studies two years later. Indicated At low doses, CBD was a “stimulant-inducing compound.” In 2014, Rodriguez literature review Going back to the early days of CBD research, it noted “contradictory results regarding CBD’s effects on sleep.” Rodriguez’s literature review paradoxically points to differences in “route of administration, vehicle of use, dose, subjects, etc.” as contributing to CBD’s disparate effects on sleep and wakefulness.in 2019 survey Regarding narcolepsy, Rodriguez and his team suggested that “CBD may prevent drowsiness in narcolepsy.”

What do consumers actually want?

Now that we’ve delved into the research on CBD’s effects on sleep, let’s talk about what consumers are actually looking for when they’re looking for CBD products to help them sleep. It’s important to ask yourself, “What’s disrupting my sleep?” Is their core problem a lack of sedation, meaning they can’t get tired, or is it brain racing, pain, or something else that’s preventing them from sleeping? Budtender’s Guide is a great handbook for both aspiring investors and consumers to better understand various cannabis products and the medical effects of cannabis.

If a person’s main problem is not getting sleepy, meaning not feeling tired, a much higher dose of CBD may be needed to achieve the desired results. If your main problem is pain, mental alertness, or one of the myriad other things CBD can help with, you may be able to use a lower dose to achieve the desired results for your sleep, but CBD It must be taken several hours before going to bed, so the warning effect will take some time to wear off.