Hemp was used to treat sleep disorders in traditional Ayurvedic medicine (Indian medicine). The cannabidiol (CBD) has been of interest to researchers for some fifteen years for its potential anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory propertiesbut also for its potential as a natural, non-psychoactive alternative to opioids, helping to regulate thesleep/wake cycle.

How does cannabidiol (CBD) affect sleep comfort?

Sleep - circadian rhythm & homeostatic debt [1] - [2]

For living beings, sleep is essential to vitality and balance.

It is the result of two major processes:

- The circadian rhythm, more commonly known as the internal clock, is a periodic biological cycle that influences body temperature, vigilance (sleep-wake),hormone levels such as melatonin (sleep hormone), testosterone (sex hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone), blood circulation, metabolism andexcretion.

Figure 1 - Circadian rhythm diagram

-homeostasis, which corresponds to theself-preservation orself-restoration of a state ofequilibrium in the various physiological parameters (heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, etc.), whatever theexternal environment (comfort and hygiene, anxiety and stress, chronic pain, etc.).

Sleep responds to homeostatic regulation: the longer the waking phase, the greater the sleep pressure.
That's why the less sleep you get, the more tired you feel.

This phenomenon is called the homeostatic debt, and to compensate for it it is necessary to increase the sleep phase.

And vice versa, the longer the sleep phase, the greater the wakefulness pressure.
That's why the more you sleep, the less tired you feel.

Figure 2 - Borbély model

Interactions of cannabidiol (CBD) with sleep disorders

Thanks to its non-psychoactivitycannabidiol (CBD) does not have spontaneous sedative properties, unlike its psychoactive counterpart tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), considered a residual sedative [3], and the various synthetic opioids commonly prescribed for sleep disorders andanxiety.

1) Helps regulate circadian rhythm and sleep homeostasis

The cannabidiol (CBD) is believed to regulate the circadian cycle by interacting with the neurotransmitter serotonin (happiness hormone) by awakening the 5-HT1A receptor, which influencesanxiety, sleep, body temperature, blood pressure, circulation, heart ratepain and sexual behaviour. [4]

Preclinical studies have highlighted the potential role of cannabidiol (CBD) inimproving the wakefulness phase, thereby regulating sleephomeostasis in people suffering from chronic fatigue. [5]

The cannabidiol (CBD)increases the duration of the sleep phase and sleep latency (time to fall asleep) during thewaking phase, thus rebalancing the homeostatic debt. [6]

2) Potential for improving sleep comfort disturbed by anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain

A study was carried out usingcannabidiol (CBD)oil on a young girl suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, leading to anxiety and sleep disorders.
The girl's grandmother declared: [7]

"My granddaughter's behavior is improving with CBD. Her anxiety hasn't gone away, but it's not as intense and she's much easier to live with. She now sleeps in her own room most of the time, which never happened before."

Studies have shown the high potential of cannabidiol (CBD) inimproving sleep comfort, regulatingsleep-wake phases and acting on certain causes of sleep disorders, such asanxiety and chronic pain
However cannabidiol (CBD) does not appear to interact with the reduction of sleep latency.

3) Synergy and benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) in combination with sedative or arousing plants

The synergy of cannabidiol (CBD) with phytocannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN), or with naturally sedative plants such as Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) and Chamaemelum nobile (Chamomile) could correct this interaction deficiency of cannabidiol (CBD) on sleep latency.

In addition, vitamin C -rich plants such as the false fruit of Rosa Canina (Cynorhodon) and Malpighia emarginata (Acerola), ideally used in the morning, can help regulate thewakefulness phase, in synergy with cannabidiol (CBD) and thus relieve chronic fatigue.

In conclusion, according to the international scientific literature, taking cannabidiol (CBD) intake should bring major improvements in terms of sleep regulation and quality for these users.

Also consider the benefits of combining herbs with naturally sedative or stimulating properties.

Sources

[1] - Sleep and general medicine - Chronobiology - Duty to sleep

[2] - AA Borbély - A two process model of sleep regulation (1982)

[3] - M Backes - Cannabis Médicinal - What you need to know (2014)

[4] - De D Gregorio, RJ McLaughlin, L Posa, R Ochoa-Sanchez, J Enns, M Lopez-Canul, M Aboud, S Maione, S Comai, G Gobbi. Cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and reverses both allodynia and anxiety-like behavior in a model of neuropathic pain (2019).

[5] - E Murillo-Rodríguez, D Millán-Aldaco, MPalomero-Rivero, R Mechoulam, R Drucker-Colín - Cannabidiol, a constituent of Cannabis sativa, modulates sleep in rats (2006)

[6] - MHN Chagas, JAS Crippa, AW Zuardi, JEC Hallak, JP Machado-de-Sousa, C Hirotsu, L Maia, S Tufik, ML Andersen - Effects of acute systemic administration of cannabidiol on sleep-wake cycle in rats (2013).

[7] - S Shannon, J Opila-Lehman - Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Oil for Pediatric Anxiety and Insomnia as Part of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report (2016)