Using cannabis before going to bed can improve the quality of sleep for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study has found.
While THC-rich cannabis was associate with a reduction in nightmares, patients who consumed CBD-dominant products were less likely to report early awakenings.
These results lay the groundwork for more testing, including clinical testing, on cannabis’ positive effects on PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances.
The effect of PTSD on a person’s quality of life
PTSD is an extremely uncomfortable mental health condition which is triggered by a terrifying event that you’ve either witnessed or experienced.
The severity of PTSD symptoms can vary from mild anxiety to full-scale panic attacks which can happen on a regular basis, along with flashbacks and nightmares.
This causes great concern for a PTSD patient’s quality of life.
Additionally, it’s estimated that PTSD is currently affecting 3.9% of the general population – and it is especially prevalent in parts of the world where war and conflict have occurred.
In the UK, there are around 2.6 million (4 in 100) people currently suffering from PTSD symptoms.
The study
Published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, the study found the use of cannabis before going to bed improved the quality of sleep among patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Researchers based in Israel evaluated the effects of cannabis on sleep in a group of 77 PTSD patients.
The participants kept an electronic journal where they would record various sleep metrics twice per day, and also record their cannabis use.
The authors were particularly focused on the time between consuming the medicinal cannabis and falling asleep, along with how it might affect the quality of sleep, i.e, the number of awakenings through the night, and nightmares.
What the researchers found
The group of Israeli researchers found the consumption of cannabis was associated with self-reported sleep onset improvements and also a reduction in nightmares.
They also noted that patients who consumed CBD-dominant products were less likely to report early awakenings.
“Our data suggest that MC [medical cannabis] may help reduce nightmares and [that] CBD, in particular, may be important for preventing early awakenings,” authors quoted.
“This provides a strong basis for further hypotheses testing, potentially through clinical trials, of the sleep-inducing effects of MC and for testing CBD in particular.”
And they concluded:
“Given the high comorbidity of PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances and the potential for MC to have effects on both, a greater understanding of how patients experience the effects of MC on overall PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances is warranted.”
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