A new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology shows that cannabidiol (CBD) may be useful as a sleep aid for individuals suffering from insomnia.
Conducted by researchers from Swinburne University of Technology and the Institute for Breathing and Sleep at Austin Hospital, the randomized controlled pilot trial explored whether nightly use of CBD impacts daytime neurocognitive performance. The study was published online ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine.
The study involved 30 participants with primary insomnia, who were randomly assigned to receive either 150 mg of CBD or a placebo each night for two weeks. Before the double-blind dosing period, a single-blind placebo run-in week was conducted. The researchers assessed various cognitive functions, including attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, and memory, using the CogPro system. These assessments were performed at the start of the trial, after one week, and at the trial’s conclusion.
“Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation”, states the study. “From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo.”
Researchers conclude:
Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings.
For the study’s full text, click here.
