INSOMNIA

BY HEATHER DEROSE

If you’ve ever lain in bed tossing and turning or woke up early and been unable to go back to sleep, you may have experienced insomnia. Insomnia is the inability to promote and maintain quality sleep, despite having the opportunity for sleep to occur. Sleep disorders are one of the most common, but treatable, health problems that occur. Approximately 50-70 million Americans chronically suffer from a sleep disorder and are unable to get enough sleep, which negatively affects health and longevity. 1 Millions of people have experienced a night without sleep at some point. Maybe it was because of something stressful the next day that you were lying awake thinking about, or maybe you ate too much before bed and you woke up with heartburn and couldn’t fall back asleep. The exact cause of the disorder can be complex and may involve a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Being a woman and at an older age may increase the risk of developing insomnia. 2 Regardless of the reasons, going without adequate sleep, even for a night, can negatively affect your health and mood. Having a sleepless night here and there is very common, but chronic sleep loss can have detrimental effects on a person’s health and well-being.

Chronic insomnia occurs when a person experiences sleep loss at least three times per week, which lasts for a month or more. The exact amount of sleep for each person varies, but most adults need seven to eight hours a night of sleep for optimal health. 3 A doctor will evaluate each person before a diagnosis of insomnia, considering other variables which could account for sleep loss, such as other sleep disorders, medication side effects, substance abuse, depression, or other illnesses.

Sleep is important for overall health and well-being throughout our lives. Maintaining quality sleep each night can protect your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. Sleep helps the brain transform new information into memory, which is why getting adequate amounts of sleep after learning something new will help process and retain what you’ve learned. Sleep can affect metabolism and weight, by altering hormones and carbohydrate storage. Sleep loss also affects energy levels and mood throughout each day. Sleep loss can cause irritability, loss of patience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. More serious side effects of chronic sleep loss may affect cardiovascular health. Sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat. 4 There’s also an increased risk of disease associated with chronic sleep loss because of its effect on our immune systems. Inadequate sleep alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells, which help fight cancer. 5

APPROXIMATELY 50-70 MILLION AMERICANS CHRONICALLY SUFFER FROM A SLEEP DISORDER AND ARE UNABLE TO GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Since maintaining sleep is crucial for overall health and wellness, there are options to consider to promote a more restful night’s sleep. With the growing knowledge about the abilities of cannabis to help promote sleep naturally, many have successfully used it as a tool to promote a restful night’s sleep, and many more are curious about trying it to promote sleep. Cannabis works with the receptors in our endocannabinoid system. “The discovery of the endocannabinoid system, composed of endogenous lipids, receptors and metabolic enzymes, has brought information on its significance in multiple neurobiological processes, including sleep modulation.” 6

More studies are needed with cannabis and insomnia patients. Many patients are offered pharmacological therapies to help promote sleep such as benzodiazepine or nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics, which often come with impairment and harmful side effects, as well as dependence. Other pharmacological options may be used for insomnia, such as sedating antidepressants, antihistamines, and antipsychotics. However, their efficacy for treating insomnia have not been thoroughly studied. 7 This may be one reason many patients are trying cannabis. It has minimal side effects and offers a natural option that works within each person’s ECS via cannabinoids and phytonutrients. Other tools a patient may find helps promote sleep is keeping your bedtime and wake time consistent daily, including weekends. Staying physically active also promotes restful sleep. Avoiding and limiting caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine may help as well. Patients who make their bedroom comfortable for sleep and only use it for sleep may benefit from better sleep. In addition, creating a relaxing bedtime ritual, like taking a bath, and limiting exposure to light from electronics can help induce sleep. 8

Since sleep quality plays such an important role in our daily lives, it’s important to promote behavior and environments where you can get enough rest. Understanding the value sleep brings to our health is the reason many seek help to improve their sleep quality. We know our bodies’ ECS contains receptors for our own endogenous cannabinoids, as well as exogenous cannabinoids from cannabis, and it works to promote homeostasis and modulate sleep function. More studies are needed to understand the efficacy of cannabis and its potential to treat sleep disorders, but many patients are using cannabis as a natural tool to promote sleep quality and are reaping the benefits.

1. NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). National Sleep Disorders Research Plan, 2003. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2003. 2. EdingerJD, MeansMK. Overviewofinsomnia: Definitions, epidemiology, differential diagnosis, and assessment. In: KrygerMH, Roth T, DementWC, editors. Principlesand Practiceof Sleep Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders; 2005. pp. 702–713. 3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167 4. https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health 5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health 6. https://www.theroc.us/index.php?preview=1&option=com_dropfiles&format=&task=frontfile.download&catid=218&id=1vxCNOrEvpDXKTmFvdl0VHYzowqtk47p4&Itemid=1000000000000 7. Walsh JK, Dement WC, Dinges DF. Sleep medicine, public policy, and public health. In: Kryger MH, Roth T, Dement WC, editors. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders; 2005. pp. 648–656. 8. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167