Abstract   Introduction: Sleeplessness, i.e., getting <7hours sleep/night (L7H), causes significant health and financial problems for individuals and industry. Sleeplessness is classified into 4 categories: difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), and nonrestorative sleep (NRS). This study surveyed individuals with sleeplessness who were taking a water-soluble product of cannabinol (CBN) treated using nano technology, which has recently become available.   Methods: Individuals taking this product completed a self-evaluation survey prior to and after taking this product for at least 7days. The data was analyzed for changes in rate and severity of sleeplessness. Severity was assessed by the number...

Purpose of Review The current review aims to summarize the state of research on cannabis and sleep up to 2014 and to review in detail the literature on cannabis and specific sleep disorders from 2014 to the time of publication. Recent Findings Preliminary research into cannabis and insomnia suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia. Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may decrease sleep latency but could impair sleep quality long-term. Novel studies investigating cannabinoids and obstructive sleep apnea suggest that synthetic cannabinoids such as nabilone and dronabinol may have shortterm benefit for sleep apnea due to their modulatory effects on...

Abstract   Context: Skeletal muscle endocannabinoids and sphingolipids (particularly sphingomyelins) are inversely associated with sleeping energy expenditure (SLEEP) in humans. The endocannabinoid system may increase sphingolipid synthesis via cannabinoid receptor-1.   Objective: To investigate in human skeletal muscle whether endocannabinoids are responsible for the effect of sphingomyelins on SLEEP.   Design: Muscle endocannabinoid [anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)], endocannabinoid congeners [oleoylethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)], and sphingomyelin content were measured with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. SLEEP was assessed in a whole-room indirect calorimeter. Mediation analyses tested whether the inverse associations between sphingomyelins and SLEEP depended on endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related OEA and PEA.   Setting: Inpatient study.   Participants: Fifty-three Native Americans who...

Abstract Background: A substantial proportion of people using cannabis report using it to improve sleep. Yet, little research exists on the associations between the timing of cannabis use and sleep. This study examines the time elapsed between cannabis use and sleep start time and its association with two of the main indicators of sleep continuity: (1) sleep onset latency (SOL) and (2) number of awakenings (NOA) throughout the night. Methods: Each morning, for 7 consecutive days, daily cannabis users (n = 54) reported on the timing of previous night's cannabis use and sleep indicators on their smartphones. Mixed effects models examined the relations of within- and...

Having chronic pain can make it difficult to sleep through the night. And having a lack of sleep can compound the effects of any health issue, leading to a vicious cycle. This study shows that moderate cannabis use can help to maintain sleep throughout the entire night for those with chronic pain.   Objectives Medical cannabis (MC) is increasingly being used for treatment of chronic pain symptoms. Among patients there is also a growing preference for the use of MC to manage sleep problems. The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between use of whole plant cannabis and sleep problems...

Context Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of many cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis. It does not appear to alter consciousness or trigger a “high.” A recent surge in scientific publications has found preclinical and clinical evidence documenting value for CBD in some neuropsychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Evidence points toward a calming effect for CBD in the central nervous system. Interest in CBD as a treatment of a wide range of disorders has exploded, yet few clinical studies of CBD exist in the psychiatric literature. Objective To determine whether CBD helps improve sleep and/or anxiety in a clinical population. Design A large retrospective...

Study Objective: Animal data suggest that ∆9 -TetraHydroCannabinol (∆9THC) stabilizes autonomic output during sleep, reduces spontaneous sleep-disordered breathing, and blocks serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea. On this basis, we examined the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of dronabinol (∆9THC), an exogenous Cannabinoid type 1 and type 2 (CB1 and CB2) receptor agonist in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Design and Setting: Proof of concept; single-center dose-escalation study of dronabinol. Participants: Seventeen adults with a baseline Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) ≥15/h. Baseline polysomnography (PSG) was performed after a 7-day washout of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure treatment. Intervention: Dronabinol was administered after baseline PSG, starting at...

This paper reviews the literature regarding the effects of cannabinoid administration on sleep in humans. A literature search using a set of cannabinoid and sleep-related terms was conducted across eight electronic databases. Human studies that involved the administration of cannabinoids and at least one quantitative sleep-related measure were included. Review papers, opinion pieces, letters or editorials, case studies (final N < 7), published abstracts, posters, and non-English papers were excluded. Thirty-nine publications were included in the review. Findings were mixed and showed various effects of cannabinoid administration on several aspects of sleep. Methodological issues in the majority of studies to date, however, preclude any...

(−)δ 9 THC was found to significantly decrease the time it takes to fall asleep in physically healthy insomniacs. Once asleep, interruptions of sleep were not significantly altered over the whole night. The (−)δ 9 THC tended to be associated with some decrease in awakenings in the first half of the night. The primary side effect experienced by the subjects at all dose levels in the Pre­Sleep phase was temporal disorganization and mood alterations. There was an increase in intensity of side effects and number of subjects affected with increasing dosage. The most significant side effect, however, was a “hangover” phenomenon, or continued “high”...