A long -term study suggests that cannabis medical treatments can provide lasting relief to people with chronic insomnia.
In 18 months, patients not only reported better sleep but also reduced anxiety, less depression and even lower pain levels. The side effects were light and temporary for the most part, making cannabis A potential alternative where traditional sleep drugs fail.
Cannabis products are promising
According to research published on August 27 Plos Mental Health. The study was led by Arushika Aggarwal de Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom, as well as his colleagues.
Sleep problems affect approximately one in three and around 10% of adults meet the criteria of an insomnia disorder. Standard treatment options are often difficult to access and drugs approved for insomnia have a risk of dependence.
To explore if cannabis therapies could facilitate insomnia, researchers examined the results of 124 patients who were prescribed medical cannabis. They followed the changes in the quality of the report reported, anxiety and levels of depression and the quality of overall life over one to 18 months of treatment.
Benefits of sleep and mental health
Patients have constantly reported better sleep throughout the 18 -month period. They also noted a decrease in anxiety and depression, as well as lower pain levels. About nine percent have experienced side effects such as fatigue, dry mouth or insomnia, but none was considered serious. Although more rigorous randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm safety and efficiency, the results suggest that cannabis -based medical products can provide a new avenue to improve sleep in people with chronic insomnia.
The co-author, Dr. Simon Erridge, research director of Curaleaf Clinic, explained: “Over a period of 18 months, our study showed that the treatment of insomnia with cannabis-based drugs has been associated with a lasting improvement in subjective sleep quality and symptoms of anxiety.
Importance of long -term surveillance
He adds: “The realization of this long-term study has provided precious evidence of the real world on the results of patients who go beyond what we generally see in short-term trials. It was particularly interesting to observe signs of potential tolerance over time, which highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and individualized treatment plans. ”
Reference: “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A Clinical Results for Insomnia” by Arushika Aggarwal, Simon Erridge, Isaac Cowley, Lilia Evans, Madhur Varadpande, Evone Clark, Ross Comeomer, Ross Comeomer, James J. Rucker, Mark W. Plos Mental Health.
DOI: 10.1371 / Journal.pmen.0000390
Never miss a breakthrough: join the Scitechdaily newsletter.
