Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. As a result, they may get too little sleep or have poor quality sleep. They may not feel refreshed when they wake up. Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing). Acute insomnia is common and often is brought on by situations such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event.

Acute insomnia lasts for days or weeks. Chronic insomnia lasts for a month or longer. Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, which means they are the symptom or side effect of some other problem.

Certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders, and substances can cause secondary insomnia.

How Cannabis Can Help Relieve Symptoms

In a study among individuals with insomnia, results suggested that administration of 160 mg/day of cannabidiol (CBD) increased total sleep time and decreased the frequency of awakenings during the night.

This work is further supported by a recent case report in which administration of CBD oil reduced insomnia symptoms and PTSD-related sleep disturbances. Together, these findings suggest that CBD may impact sleep quality through its anxiolytic effects.