Summary: Researchers have demonstrated that cannabinol (CBN), a compound found in aged cannabis, improves sleep in rats. The study revealed that CBN increased both NREM and REM sleep, leading to more total sleep time with effects comparable to zolpidem, a common sleep medication.

Unlike THC, CBN did not intoxicate the rats, and its metabolite was shown to have stronger effects on cannabinoid receptors, potentially enhancing sleep. These findings highlight CBN’s potential as a non-intoxicating sleep aid, paving the way for further research in humans to treat sleep disorders like insomnia.

Key Facts : CBN enhances sleep by increasing both NREM and REM phases without intoxication.

A metabolite of CBN has stronger effects on cannabinoid CB1 receptors than CBN itself.

Human trials are underway to assess CBN’s potential for treating insomnia.

Source: University of Sydney

Research by scientists at the University of Sydney has identified a constituent in the cannabis plant that improves sleep.

Their report is the first to use objective measures to show the component, known as cannabinol (CBN), increases sleep in rats.

The study has been published in the leading journal Neuropsychopharmacology . They also found that the 11-OH CBN metabolite had some impact on sleep architecture, which might contribute to the overall effects of CBN on sleep. Credit: Neuroscience News “For decades, cannabis folklore has suggested that aged cannabis makes consumers sleepy via the build-up of CBN, however there was no convincing evidence for this,” said lead author on the study Professor Jonathon Arnold, Director of Preclinical Research, at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics and the Sydney Pharmacy School.“Our study provides the first objective evidence that CBN increases sleep, at least in rats, by modifying the architecture of sleep in a beneficial way.”CBN is an end-product of the main intoxicating constituent of cannabis, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).THC in cannabis is slowly converted to CBN over time, which means older cannabis contains higher levels of this compound. It has been suggested that the consumption of older cannabis is associated with a sleepier cannabis “high”.In the United States, highly purified CBN products are being sold as sleep aids, but there has […]

Cannabis Compound Found to Improve Sleep