Will CBD help treat insomnia and promote sleep hygiene?

Sleep disorders are conditions that disturb your normal sleep patterns. There are more than 80 different sleep disorders. Difficulty falling or staying asleep is the most common. About 40 million people in the US suffer from chronic long-term sleep disorders each year, and an additional 20 million people experience occasional sleep problems.

CBD has the ability to reduce anxiety, which can be helpful in reducing sleep difficulties and improving sleep quality. CBD may increase overall sleep amounts, and improve insomnia, according to research. CBD has been shown to reduce insomnia in people who suffer from chronic pain.

In smaller doses, CBD stimulates alertness and reduces daytime sleepiness, which is important for daytime performance and for the strength and consistency of the sleep-wake cycle.

An insomnia study indicated that the administration of 160 mgs of CBD decreased nighttime sleep interruptions and increased total sleep time, suggesting that high-dose CBD therapy can improve the quality and duration of sleep.

In addition to showing promise as a safe and effective alternative to conventional psychiatric treatments for insomnia, cannabidiol can reduce symptoms of REM behavior disorder (RBD), which is characterized by the acting out of vivid, intense, and sometimes violent dreams. A preliminary study examined the efficacy of CBDin patients with both Parkinson’s disease and RBD and the results were encouraging.

CBD may help reduces REM behavior disorder in people with Parkinson’s disease. REM behavior disorder is a condition that causes people to act out physically during dreaming and REM sleep.

Typically, during REM, the body is largely paralyzed, a state known as REM atonia. This immobilization keeps sleepers from reacting physically to their dreams. In REM behavior disorder, this paralysis doesn’t occur, leaving people free to move—which can lead to disruptive sleep and to injuring themselves or their sleeping partners.

Cannabis may also work to reduce pain and improve sleep quality in people with Parkinson’s disease.

CBD may help improve REM sleep abnormalities in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).