University researchers in Australia are conducting the world’s first large-scale clinical trial into the effects of CBD oil drops on insomnia.
438 participants who have self-reported persistent symptoms of insomnia and persistent sleep deprivation will be studied for 10 weeks at Lismore’s Southern Cross University, to find out whether previous studies (which have demonstrated CBD’s positive effect on sleep issues) are correct.
The research team will be led by Doctor Janet Schloss. On the SCU website, Dr Schloss welcomed the new study, saying;
Trials like this will add to the current evidence for pharmacists, doctors and patients which is important moving forward in this (CBD) space.”
OTHER STUDIES
This isn’t the first clinical trial of CBD’s effects on sleeplessness. In 2018, a research team from the University of Western Australia conducted the world’s first clinical trial of the effects of CBD on sleeplessness. The 2018 trial was conducted with a much smaller group of 23 subjects.
Sleep was measured using a combination of wearable electronic sleep trackers, subjective responses, and a questionnaire-clinical tool called the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). All three methods of measurement showed improvement in symptoms for the subjects during the trial.
The 23 subjects were divided into three groups. One group was given a placebo, another group was given a moderate dose of CBD, and the third group was given a stronger dose.
The moderate dose group experienced a 26% reduction in their symptoms (as measured by the ISI) in comparison to the placebo group. The stronger dose group experienced a 36% reduction.
Despite the small sample of subjects, the findings of this trial proved influential, and in February 2021, new legislation was introduced allowing pharmacists in Australia to sell CBD products over the counter.
INSOMNIA AND COVID 19
The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on almost every aspect of public health. Sleep health is no exception. Many recovering Covid patients are reporting difficulties with their sleep patterns. This is particularly pronounced among those whose symptoms last longer than 12 weeks, known as ‘Long Covid’ sufferers.
Additionally, increased anxiety around pandemic health risks and economic insecurity, coupled with the lower physical activity levels experienced during lockdown, have increased reported levels of insomnia among those lucky enough to escape the virus.
This combination of social and physiological factors has led to an overall increase in insomnia. Last year, the University of Southampton reported an increase in people reporting symptoms of insomnia, from 15.7% prior to the pandemic, up to 24.7% in August 2020.
OTHER SOLUTIONS
Previously, UK GPs would routinely prescribe sleeping pills to help insomniacs. These would range from gentler supplements like melatonin (which replicate substances that naturally occur in the body, and which are known to be involved in the body’s natural sleep processes) through to stronger pharmaceutical solutions such as zopiclone.
While these medicines are still prescribed by the NHS, modern approaches are more holistic in nature. Your GP will initially work with you to identify any factors which may be having an impact on your ability to get to sleep. These might include:
- Caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol consumption less than six hours before bedtime.
- Television or smartphone use less than one hour before bedtime.
- Lack of physical exercise during the day
- Uneven sleep patterns, or badly timed naps.
Should these lifestyle factors fail to fix your sleeplessness, your GP may well prescribe cognitive behavioural therapy.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)
CBT is a talking therapy which looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis. It’s been used successfully to alleviate symptoms of a wide range of conditions, including bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.
Rather than examining buried trauma and childhood issues, as a Freudian psychoanalyst would do, a CBT practitioner will help the patient by encouraging them to examine negative thought patterns they experience as part of their present, everyday life.
Many have found that combining CBD and CBT has provided a two-pronged approach to dealing with insomnia, and any associated underlying anxiety issues. When asked which course of treatment was more effective, one patient responded;
“I’d say both if you could afford it. The CBD would probably help you feel relaxed for the CBT. You’d have less difficulty expressing how you feel in CBT, therefore making it a LOT more beneficial.”
As our understanding of the possible applications of CBD increases, thanks to research carried out by the Southern Cross University and others, it is very likely that we will see an increase in courses of treatment that harness benefits from a variety of medical and therapeutic disciplines.