Cannabidiol for moderate–severe insomnia: a randomized controlled pilot trial of 150 mg of nightly dosing

Summary & key facts

Researchers tested 150 mg of cannabidiol each night in 30 adults with moderate to severe primary insomnia. Over a one-week placebo run-in and then about two weeks of double-blind dosing, most sleep measures were the same between CBD and placebo. People taking CBD did report better overall well-being, and the sleep-watching device showed a small improvement in sleep efficiency after two weeks, but the study was small and short, so the results are not definitive.

Key facts:

• The trial included 30 adults with moderate to severe primary insomnia. Fifteen people took 150 mg of cannabidiol each night and fifteen took a placebo.
• Participants took the treatment under the tongue about one hour before bed. Sleep was tracked every day with a wrist-worn activity watch and with sleep diaries, and well-being was measured weekly in the lab.
• Most sleep outcomes were similar between the CBD and placebo groups. Self-reported insomnia severity, the time people said it took them to fall asleep, sleep efficiency reported by participants, and minutes awake after falling asleep did not differ reliably.
• After two weeks, the CBD group showed a small improvement in objective sleep efficiency measured by the wrist device of about seven percentage points compared with placebo.
• People taking CBD reported higher overall well-being throughout the trial compared with those taking placebo. This suggests CBD might have more noticeable psychological effects than clear sleep benefits at this dose and time frame.
• This was a small pilot study with only 15 people per group and a two-week dosing period. That means the findings are preliminary and larger, longer trials with different doses are needed before we can be confident about CBD’s effects on insomnia.

Topics

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Sleep and related disorders Sleep and Wakefulness Research

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Anesthesia Cannabidiol Cannabis Dosing Insomnia Internal medicine Medicine Physical therapy Psychiatry Randomized controlled trial

Substances

Cannabis

Conditions & symptoms

Sleep disorder Anxiety or worry Poor sleep