Sleep is critically important to overall health. Research indicates that sleep contributes to health as much as diet and exercise. Depending on age and various individual health factors, the average person requires between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Unfortunately, one out of three adults in the United States do not get enough sleep, with nearly two out of five Americans stating they had unintentionally fallen asleep during the day at least once during the previous 30 days. As many as 70 million Americans live with a sleep disorder. Short-term insomnia is the most common sleep problem in the country, impacting 30 percent of the population.
Insomnia, and other sleep disorders, lead to sleep deficiency, a condition characterized by chronic fatigue, along with a myriad of additional health problems and injuries. Sleep deficiency decreases a person’s productivity and increases their likelihood of death. Before determining the ideal treatment for sleep deficiency, individuals must collaborate with a medical professional to determine the exact nature of the problem.
Insomnia negatively influences a person’s ability to both fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Similarly, individuals living with insomnia may routinely wake up very early in the morning and not be able to fall back asleep, rendering the previous night’s sleep less restorative. Short-term insomnia persists for a few days or weeks at a time and impacts most adults at some point in their lives, creating problems with health, work, mood, and overall quality of life.
Chronic (long-term) insomnia lasts for at least three months at a time. It may be caused by the sole issue a person is dealing with or a symptom of an underlying condition. In either case, a few specific symptoms include feelings of depression and anxiety during the day, an inability to focus or recall information, becoming more error- and accident-prone, and developing fears and anxieties about going to sleep. If a person feels that their sleep issues are impairing their ability to complete normal daily tasks, they should immediately reach out to a doctor.
Several lifestyle changes can improve sleep quality. Individuals should establish a basic sleep schedule that includes avoiding naps during the day, refraining from using electronic displays in the hours leading up to bed, and not eating late at night. Other lifestyle changes are more difficult to make. Stress, for instance, can lead to insomnia, but stress can be difficult to avoid. Constant travel can also lead to insomnia, though many Americans are required to travel for work.
Although cannabidiol (CBD) has only been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for a rare form of childhood epilepsy, many reports have suggested that the chemical, which is derived from marijuana and hemp plants, can help individuals address insomnia and anxiety. One study examined CBD’s impact on the sleep schedules of people living with epilepsy. After three months, 85 percent of participants receiving the CBD doses reported improved sleep. A separate report published in The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that otherwise healthy individuals living with insomnia enjoyed considerably more and higher quality sleep after receiving CBD doses compared to those administered a placebo.
CBD treatments may be improved by pairing CBD products featuring tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active ingredient in the marijuana plant, but this chemical can induce psychological effects in users. Individuals interested in CBD as a potential treatment for insomnia have several options, including oils and tinctures, pills, edibles, and concentrates. Before using CBD products, individuals should discuss the best strategies for resolving insomnia with a knowledgeable physician.
