CBD and Insomnia: What a New Study Reveals About Sleep, Wellbeing, and Nightly CBD Use

Many people who struggle with sleep have the same story. It begins with tossing and turning, watching the clock move towards morning, and waking up feeling as though the night never really happened. When sleeplessness becomes a pattern, it often affects far more than energy levels. Mood begins to change. Focus becomes harder. And even the simplest parts of the day can feel strangely heavy.

With more adults exploring natural ways to support their sleep, CBD has quickly become one of the most talked-about options. Some people describe feeling calmer, more settled before bed, or simply more balanced when they wake. But what does the scientific research actually say about CBD for insomnia?

A recent clinical study provides one of the clearest insights to date. Rather than looking at occasional sleep problems, researchers specifically investigated moderate to severe insomnia, offering a rare look at CBD’s potential impact in people who experience significant difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep. The findings paint a nuanced and surprisingly hopeful picture — not because CBD acted like a sleeping pill, but because its effects appeared in gentler, more subtle ways.

In this article, we unpack what the study found, what it means for people exploring CBD for insomnia, and why this research matters in the bigger conversation about natural sleep support.

Why Researchers Wanted to Study CBD and Insomnia

Insomnia is much more than a few restless nights. For many people, it shows up as difficulty falling asleep, waking frequently, or waking far earlier than desired. It can also lead to a cycle where anxiety about sleep makes it even harder to drift off, creating a pattern that can persist for months or years.

At the same time, CBD has become widely accessible as a plant-based wellness supplement. Many individuals who use CBD report benefits such as relaxation, reduced stress, or feeling more comfortable in their bodies before bed. But most of this insight comes from personal experience rather than controlled scientific trials. While anecdotal reports are valuable, researchers wanted clearer answers: Can CBD genuinely support aspects of sleep, and if so, in what way?

To explore this, scientists designed a randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study — considered a gold standard approach for early-stage research. The study focused on adults aged 18 to 45 with moderate to severe primary insomnia, a group that often struggles with long-term, disruptive sleep patterns. This made the trial uniquely positioned to reveal whether CBD could offer meaningful support.

Inside the Study: What Researchers Actually Tested

Participants were divided into two groups: one received CBD oil, and the other received a placebo. Each person in the CBD group took 150 mg of CBD sublingually (under the tongue) every night, one hour before bed, for two weeks. The placebo group followed the same schedule using an identical-looking oil without CBD.

What sets this study apart is the variety of ways researchers measured sleep. Instead of relying only on self-reported answers, they combined:

• Daily sleep diaries, which captured each participant’s experience of their night

• Actigraphy, a wrist-worn device that tracks movement during sleep to estimate sleep quality

• Wellbeing and mood questionnaires, used to explore how people felt emotionally and mentally

• Sleep quality scales, including a test that assesses how refreshed and coordinated someone feels in the morning

This mixture allowed the researchers to form a more complete picture of what shifted — and what stayed the same — over the two-week trial.

The Findings: Not a Sleeping Pill, But Something More Subtle

The results were both surprising and insightful. The headline is simple: CBD did not meaningfully outperform placebo on the major measures of insomnia, such as how long it took participants to fall asleep or how often they woke during the night. These aspects stayed similar between the two groups.

But that’s only the starting point. When researchers looked more closely, several intriguing patterns emerged.

1. Sleep efficiency showed improvement

Sleep efficiency is the percentage of time in bed actually spent sleeping. Many people with insomnia may lie awake for long periods or wake repeatedly, lowering this number.

In this study, participants who took CBD showed consistently higher sleep efficiency compared with the placebo group by the end of the trial. While the improvement was modest, it suggests that CBD may help people make better use of the time they spend in bed, even if they do not fall asleep dramatically faster.

2. Morning alertness and coordination improved

One of the most interesting findings involved how participants felt on waking. Those in the CBD group reported better balance, coordination, and alertness in the morning, a result captured through a validated questionnaire.

This does not mean CBD acted like a stimulant. Instead, it suggests that some participants may have experienced a smoother transition from sleep to wakefulness, which can significantly impact how the day begins.

3. Overall wellbeing remained consistently higher

Perhaps the most striking pattern relates to wellbeing, a measure that reflects mood, emotional resilience, and general mental state.

Before the trial even began, participants randomly assigned to the CBD group had slightly higher wellbeing scores. What matters is that these scores stayed higher throughout the entire study, including after one and two weeks of nightly CBD supplementation.

This consistency is meaningful. CBD did not reduce wellbeing, nor did it appear to introduce instability in mood scores. For many people who turn to CBD to support stress or emotional balance, this finding adds to a growing body of evidence that CBD may gently support the mind as well as the body.

Why These Subtle Effects Matter

At first glance, the results might seem understated. But when viewed more closely, they reveal something important: CBD may support sleep in a different way than traditional sleep aids.

Most pharmaceutical sleep medications are designed to induce sedation, shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, or extend overall sleep duration. CBD seems to work along a different pathway. Its effects are not necessarily about “knocking you out” but about supporting the conditions that allow rest to happen more naturally.

Many individuals who use CBD for sleep describe experiences like:

• feeling less mentally overwhelmed before bed

• waking up clear-headed rather than groggy

• experiencing fewer middle-of-the-night interruptions

• feeling more grounded during the day, which indirectly benefits sleep

These lived experiences align with the study’s findings. Rather than acting as a potent sedative, CBD may gently influence patterns related to relaxation, nighttime calm, and morning clarity, helping some people feel more balanced overall.

How CBD’s Effects Might Vary Between Individuals

Insomnia is not a single condition; it presents differently in each person. Some struggle to fall asleep, others wake early, and many find their sleep disrupted by stress or restlessness. Because the causes vary, so do the responses to CBD.

Several factors may influence how CBD affects an individual’s sleep experience:

• Dosage: The study used a nightly 150 mg dose. Some people may find benefits at lower or higher amounts, depending on their body weight, metabolism, and goals.

• Timing: CBD was taken one hour before bed, but some people prefer taking it earlier in the evening to promote relaxation.

• Sleep habits: Screens, caffeine, evening stress, and irregular routines can all impact sleep independently of CBD.

• Individual biology: Everyone’s endocannabinoid system functions differently, which can shape how CBD is absorbed and utilised.

This variation is normal in plant-based wellness. CBD is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but many people find it becomes a supportive part of a broader sleep routine.

What the Study Doesn’t Answer Yet

While these results are encouraging, the trial also highlights important questions for future research:

• Would a longer dosing period show stronger effects?

• Do people with specific types of insomnia benefit more than others?

• Is 150 mg the optimal dose, or would higher or lower levels produce different results?

• How do lifestyle factors interact with CBD’s effects on sleep?

These questions matter because insomnia is highly individual. Understanding how CBD supports different patterns of sleep disturbance will help researchers create clearer guidance over time.

What This Means for People Exploring CBD for Better Sleep

This study suggests that while CBD may not dramatically alter sleep architecture for everyone, it may support the quality of rest, particularly through improvements in:

• sleep efficiency

• morning alertness

• overall wellbeing

For many people, these shifts can be meaningful. Feeling more settled before bed, waking with greater clarity, or experiencing a calmer baseline throughout the day can gradually reshape the body’s relationship with sleep.

People commonly integrate CBD into routines that also include:

• dimming lights in the evening

• reducing late-night screen use

• practising gentle stretching or breathwork

• maintaining consistent sleep and wake times

CBD often works best when paired with a broader lifestyle approach to sleep.

Safety and Tolerability

Across the study, CBD was generally well tolerated. Reported side effects were mild and temporary, with one participant withdrawing due to restlessness. As with any supplement, individuals should speak to a healthcare professional if they:

• take prescription medications

• are pregnant or breastfeeding

• have an underlying medical condition

The majority of participants completed the trial safely, offering additional reassurance for those curious about CBD’s role in sleep support.

Conclusion: A Promising Step Forward in Understanding CBD and Sleep

This study adds an important piece to the growing puzzle of how CBD may support sleep and emotional wellbeing. While it did not show major changes in falling asleep or staying asleep, the improvements in sleep efficiency, morning clarity, and wellbeing suggest that CBD may offer gentle, natural support for people navigating insomnia.

These results encourage a new way of thinking about CBD. Instead of viewing it as a direct sedative, it may be more helpful to see CBD as a balancing influence, one that supports the body and mind in ways that indirectly shape the experience of sleep.

As further research emerges, we will gain a clearer understanding of dosing, timing, and long-term impact. For now, this study offers reassurance to anyone exploring CBD as part of their nightly routine: its effects may be subtle, but they have the potential to support a more rested, grounded, and resilient version of daily life.

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Sources

[1] Narayan AJ, Downey LA, Rose S, Di Natale L, Hayley AC. Cannabidiol for moderate-severe insomnia: a randomized controlled pilot trial of 150 mg of nightly dosing. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024 May 1;20(5):753-763.