Many cannabis consumers turn to the plant for a specific reason. According to a recent survey, sleep is one of the most common use cases. One cannabis compound thought to promote a better night’s rest is CBN. Until now, scientific evidence of its efficacy has remained limited. However, a new study revealed some surprising insights on CBN and sleep.
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“For decades, cannabis folklore has suggested that aged cannabis makes consumers sleepy via the build-up of CBN; however, there was no convincing evidence for this,” lead researcher Professor Jonathon Arnold recently told PsyPost.
The research, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology focused on how CBN affects the quality of sleep in rats. The animals’ brain activity and body movements were continually monitored so that scientists could understand the cannabinoid’s effects on sleep architecture. Things like non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, time spent asleep, and sleep onset were recorded.
“The first objective evidence…”
The rats were given various doses of CBN. A control group received zolpidem, a commonly prescribed sleep aid. Scientists discovered the CBN worked better overall, although there were some twists.
The research revealed CBN boosted total sleep time, heightening the quality of NREM sleep. This included lengthier periods of sleep and fewer disruptions. The compound also increased REM duration over time. That’s in line with a separate study of CBN and sleep, which showed the cannabinoid led to more restful sleep.
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However, the CBN took longer to kick in versus the zolpidem. It also suppressed REM sleep initially before eventually enhancing it. Some tolerance developed, but the uninterrupted NREM sleep persisted. Despite this, the researchers concluded that CBN helped stabilize sleep architecture, improving sleep quality.
“Our study provides the first objective evidence that CBN increases sleep, at least in rats, by modifying the architecture of sleep in a beneficial way,” the paper’s authors said.
The results were surprising in that the cannabinoid must often fail before it succeeds. But the eventual efficacy is welcome news for scientists and the sleep-deprived alike.
Higher doses likely needed
Researchers acknowledged a few limitations to the study. High doses of CBN were used, mostly outpacing what’s commercially available in dispensaries. They also noted that human trials are necessary to confirm the findings.
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Products containing CBN are flying off dispensary shelves despite mixed opinions from doctors on whether they actually work. The latest findings show the cannabinoid may be effective, but it could take time to work properly. Regardless, the data is exciting for the millions of Americans suffering from insomnia searching for an alternate (and potent) treatment to prescription drugs.
