SUCH ASCANNABISMAY HELP IN TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA

Insomnia is a disorder associated with reduced sleep constancy. Most of
cases is caused by bad habits before bed, such as staying connected to screens for a long time;
anxiety; stress; depression; or, in some cases, chronic illnesses that impair sleep.
One of the treatment options that have been shown to be effective is the use of products based on
of cannabis. There are three best known and studied cannabinoids with effects on sleep: cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN). 

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According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), insomnia is a problem that affects more than 45% of the world's population.

 

What can the lack of regular sleep do to the individual when it becomes a constant?

 

The fact that 4 out of 10 people do not have good quality sleep is worrying, because insomnia is innumerable, whether it is acute or chronic. From psychological and mental (irritability, anxiety, stress, depression) to organic and metabolic (cardiovascular diseases, hormonal disorders, obesity, hypertension). Insomnia patients often have more than one comorbidity of this complex spectrum.

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What conventional treatments are currently indicated for the treatment of insomnia?

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 Insomnia may be secondary to a medical or psychiatric illness or have no identified underlying cause. In the first case, the treatment of this condition would be the first step towards resolving the insomnia. In the second case, or in complicated insomnia, sleep hygiene is the first indicated treatment. If these measures are insufficient, other behavioral changes can be applied, as well as traditional medications, teas, alternative techniques and allopathic medications (used to promote and maintain sleep).

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How has the use of cannabis-based medicines helped patients to treat insomnia? How do they act in the body, leading people to have a more regular sleep?

 

 The cannabinoids that have the most reports of contributing to sleep (CBD, CBG, CBN and THC) have been applied in medical practice to treat various illnesses, in addition to insomnia. Used for thousands of years, its modulatory properties, at the level of the central nervous system via the CB1 receptor, contribute to improving the quality of sleep directly and indirectly (when used to treat the comorbidity that causes insomnia). Cannabinol has been used in insomnia due to the promotion of sedation, thus having a direct effect on sleep complaints. It has been widely applied internationally for insomnia complaints due to its action profile, although there is a lack of robust studies that corroborate its application. CBN is a more sedating molecule than CBD and has a longer dosing window than THC, so higher doses can be used without residual effects (such as daytime drowsiness) and without the psychoactivation caused by increasing the dose of CBD. THC. Furthermore, CBN has a good tolerance profile when compared to THC.

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Can cannabinol be used for any type of insomnia, from the one in which the individual takes a long time to fall asleep to those cases where it is difficult to stay asleep throughout the night?

 

 CBN can be indicated for initial, intermediate and final insomnia, but the patient's response is that it will indicate the maintenance or change of treatment. Most products containing CBN also contain other cannabinoids and terpenes. This plurality of molecules and actives and the variety in the metabolization of different patients makes cannabis therapy a complex and necessarily individualized area. Identifying the patient's response and tolerance to certain compounds, as well as the use of a product with a certificate of analysis, is essential for the possibility of successful treatment.

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Can cannabinol be used in other sleep disorders that are related to illness or stress?

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 The application of CBD has been studied more than that of CBN for stress-related illnesses. Several diseases can be accompanied by insomnia (chronic pain, rheumatological and neurological diseases, mental disorders). This complexity in the root causes requires interventions with different products in terms of composition, concentration and even route of administration.

 

How is cannabis treatment performed (doses, how is it used, is its use associated with conventional medications)?

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 The treatment of insomnia depends on the cause that is leading to the problem, the preference
and patient tolerance. It can include the use of various products with CBD, CBG, CBN, THC and terpenes. Allopathic medications can be used concurrently to treat the underlying cause and primary insomnia.

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What are the advantages of using cannabis-based medications over allopathic medications generally used to treat insomnia?

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 Patients seek out cannabis-based products because of their 'natural' classification. In medical practice, an intervention is classified as 'first choice' when the effect is demonstrably the best desired and the side effects are the least possible (in severity and quantity). Although many studies demonstrate the potential of using cannabis derivatives in the treatment of insomnia, we cannot compare them to first-choice interventions. We know, however, the advantages of its use considering the profile of side effects. The products are very well tolerated and even show a good response to symptoms of daytime sleepiness, which often leads to the discontinuation of allopathic medications for insomnia.

 

One of the most commented problems in relation to this class of drugs (allopathic) concerns the risk of dependence. With cannabis does this risk cease to exist or is it reduced?

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Cannabis oils are even used in the withdrawal of these medications that can cause addiction (mainly benzodiazepines and 'Z' drugs). CBD, CBN and CBG have a safe profile regarding the potential for addiction.

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Are there any contraindications to its use? What are the risks? How long can the medication be used?

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 There are few contraindications related to the use of products derived from cannabis (the exceptions are for pregnant and lactating women and people with decompensated arrhythmias, regardless of the dose). Most of them are related to very high doses of the substances (often unnecessary in the treatment) and to the interaction with other medications used concomitantly. Always follow up with a responsible physician to assess possible contraindications. Also pay attention to the oil used; Oils with a certificate of analysis without significant variation in composition between batches are preferable. The time of use of the products varies according to the underlying cause of insomnia. Following up on follow-up and carrying out psychotherapeutic interventions, as well as acting on the underlying cause, when insomnia is secondary, can greatly shorten the treatment and promote quality of life without the need for long-term drug intervention.

 

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