It is estimated that between 50 and 70 million adults in the United States currently suffer from sleep-related disorders. WIth a total population of around 328 million people, this means that 15% to 21% of Americans are dealing with issues connected with sleep. The most common among these disorders is Insomnia. Even more startling than these numbers are the ways in which sleep deprivation (in both the short term and the long term) can lead to grim consequences — sadly, a lack of sleep can be associated with death in a lot of ways.
As front-runners in the hemp industry, we want to be good stewards of information about the health benefits associated with hemp products. There are many benefits, of course, but we can think of almost nothing more powerful than the impact that hemp has had on sleep as reported by users and researchers.
Because a lack of sleep may be associated with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder, it’s important to look at the ways in which hemp can impact mental health disorders, and by extension, sleep.
AMERICANS ARE SLEEPING LESS
Research published in the Permanente Journal in 2019 (directly linked below) demonstrated impact on both anxiety and sleep as reported by individuals in the study. ~79% of patients reported that their anxiety levels were reduced, and ~67% of patients reported that their sleep was better after hemp consumption.
It’s no secret that hemp is soothing — many users and readers are aware of (and are perhaps even big proponents of) the use of hemp as an aid for sleeping. What may come as a surprise, is that hemp may prove to be beneficial to those who suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders to be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals.
Anecdotally speaking, many hemp users have reported that they have experienced some measure of relief from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) called for greater funding and research to shed light on potential impacts hemp compounds may have on sleep in 2018, stating that “Further research is needed to better understand the mechanistic actions of medical cannabis and its synthetic extracts, the long-term role of these synthetic extracts on OSA treatment, and the harms and benefits.”
WILL HEMP HELP ME SLEEP
It’s clear that the self-reported benefits of hemp usage extend far beyond the funding and research that the science community has had the capacity to drum up just yet. We are confident that the forthcoming research will speak for itself.
SOURCES:
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5886446/
3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcpt.12179?casa_token=05GfR5oMQxkAAAAA%3AsBr1dCwn_9oQdwiR0DRjMZWju_3meg3xsjtVJhRkkYeisW-tpzEBzB7qrqThLPLebcM7NtG7QPYPFg
