Copyright People’s Pharmacy

Q: I have had a lot of trouble sleeping, especially since I started menopause.  I know someone whose temperament (anxious tending) and age (50s) are similar to mine.  He’s male and I’m female, so I’ve got all kinds of extra-fun hot-flashy kinds of things to make nighttime interesting now.  Anyway, his go-to sleep remedy is a time-release melatonin capsule coupled with a dropper of CBD oil.  I have never done one remotely illicit drug in my life, and my family thinks it is hilarious that I am considering CBD oil.  All the same, my friend claims to be sleeping easily nine hours a night.  That sounds like an absolute dream to me, given that at least half the time I wake up in the middle of the night and have terrible trouble getting back to sleep.  Could CBD oil help with insomnia? What about melatonin?

A: Fortunately, CBD (cannabidiol) is not illicit.  Even though it can be derived from cannabis (marijuana) plants, its does not get people high.  There have been few if any randomized controlled trials of this compound for insomnia.  However, in a large case series (72 individuals), CBD was associated with reduced anxiety and improved sleep (Permanente Journal, online, Jan. 7, 2019).  Melatonin can be helpful for restoring sleep disrupted during the night (British Journal of Pharmacology, August 2018).