CBD for Insomnia

Based on 103 studies (11 meta-analyses, 14 RCTs) with 41,554 total participants. Results are mixed across studies.

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The Bottom Line

The evidence for CBD as a standalone remedy for insomnia is mixed — some studies show benefits while others do not, so more research is needed before it can be confidently recommended.

Results are mixed across 9 studies, even at Grade A evidence level due to study volume
A 2025 meta-analysis found inconsistent effects of cannabinoids on sleep quality
Some studies used medicinal cannabis blends rather than pure CBD, complicating comparisons
Individual responses to CBD for sleep may vary significantly

Key Study Findings

Review

Therapeutic Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review.

Dose: None vs: None Outcome: None Effect: SMD=-0.29 (nausea/vomiting); SMD=0.57 (body weight in HIV/AIDS) None

Population: adults using cannabis or cannabinoids for medical purposes

Randomized Controlled Trial n=20 Double-blind

Acute Effects of Oral Cannabinoids on Sleep and High-Density EEG in Insomnia: A Pilot Randomised …

Dose: 10 mg THC and 200 mg CBD vs: Placebo Outcome: Total sleep time and REM sleep parameters Effect: -24.5 min TST; -33.9 min REM sleep p=0.05 (TST); p<0.001 (REM)

Population: Patients with DSM-5 insomnia disorder (16F, mean age 46.1)

Observational Study n=3118

Real-world disproportionality analysis of sleep disturbances associated with antiseizure medications in epilepsy: a pharmacovigilance study.

Dose: None vs: None Outcome: Sleep disturbance signals for ASMs in FAERS Effect: 1570 insomnia reports (most frequent) None

Population: Epilepsy patients on ASMs (FAERS Q1 2004-Q2 2025)

Cohort Study n=155 52 weeks Open-label

Opioid reduction in patients with chronic non-cancer pain undergoing treatment with medicinal cannabis.

Dose: Median 15mg THC + 15mg CBD daily vs: Opioids only (separate cohort) Outcome: Opioid consumption reduction at 12 months Effect: Median 2.7 vs 42.3 mg/day <0.05 (ITT)

Population: Chronic non-cancer pain patients on opioids

Other n=27 56 weeks Open-label

Is highly purified cannabidiol a treatment opportunity for drug-resistant epilepsy in subjects with typical Rett …

Dose: 5-20 mg/kg/day vs: None (single-arm) Outcome: Seizure frequency reduction Effect: 66.6% had seizure reduction, 25.9% >75% None

Population: Rett Syndrome and CDKL5 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy

Randomized Controlled Trial n=30 2 weeks Double-blind

The effect of nightly use of 150 mg cannabidiol on daytime neurocognitive performance in primary …

Dose: 150 mg CBD daily vs: Placebo Outcome: Daytime neurocognitive performance Effect: None >0.05

Population: Adults with primary insomnia

Key Statistics

103

Studies

41554

Participants

↔

Mixed

Grade

Referenced Papers

Question: Is it safe for people with cancer and other serious conditions to combine cannabidiol with melatonin when neither has … Other

Journal of clinical … None

Therapeutic Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review. Review

JAMA 2026 2 citations

Acute Effects of Oral Cannabinoids on Sleep and High-Density EEG in Insomnia: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. RCT

Journal of sleep … 2026 2 citations

The efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders: a systematic review and … Meta-Analysis

The lancet. Psychiatry 2026

Effects of a cannabidiol/terpene formulation on sleep in individuals with insomnia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study. RCT

Journal of clinical … 2025 6 citations

Trends in burden and mortality of congenital birth defects in G20 countries (1990-2021) and predictions for 2022-2040. Other

BMC pregnancy and … 2025 6 citations

The differential effects of medicinal cannabis on mental health: A systematic review. Systematic Review

Clinical psychology review 2025 5 citations

Sex-specific disruptions in the developmental trajectory of anxiety-like behaviors due to prenatal cannabidiol exposure. Other

Translational psychiatry 2025 3 citations

The effect of nightly use of 150 mg cannabidiol on daytime neurocognitive performance in primary insomnia: a randomized controlled pilot … RCT

Psychopharmacology 2025 3 citations

Consumption of clinically relevant cannabidiol doses during pregnancy alters postnatal behavior in offspring. Other

bioRxiv : the … 2025 2 citations

Effectiveness of Full Spectrum Cannabis Extracts in the Treatment of Chronic Pain: An Open Label Study. Other

Journal of pain … 2025 1 citations

Characterizing Cannabidiol Use in a Breast Cancer Population. Other

Clinical breast cancer 2025 1 citations

Cannabidiol Induced Manic Episode: A Case Report. Case Report

Psychopharmacology bulletin 2025 1 citations

Cannabidiol Use and Perceptions of Effectiveness in Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain. Other

Journal of obstetrics … 2025 1 citations

Prevalence and reasons for using cannabidiol, delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, cannabigerol, and hexahydrocannabinol among US adults. Other

Journal of cannabis … 2025 1 citations

Effectiveness of a Cannabinoids Supplement on Sleep and Mood in Adults With Subthreshold Insomnia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Crossover Pilot … Other

Health science reports 2025

Unraveling Cannabidiol's Bidirectional Regulation of Melatonin Pharmacokinetics via PEPT1/CYP1A2: Mechanistic Insights and Quantitative Projections. Other

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) 2025

NSW cannabis medicines advisory service retrospective enquiry analysis to inform clinical guidance resource development. Other

Neuropsychopharmacology reports 2025

Effectiveness of cannabinoids on subjective sleep quality in people with and without insomnia or poor sleep: A systematic review and … Meta-Analysis

Sleep medicine reviews 2025

Assessing patient perceptions of off-label cannabidiol use for insomnia through sentiment analysis. Other

Journal of cannabis … 2025

Evaluating the effect of cannabidiol on sleep quality in patients with multiple sclerosis using 15 aggregated N-of-1 trials: A study … Other

Contemporary clinical trials 2025

Opioid reduction in patients with chronic non-cancer pain undergoing treatment with medicinal cannabis. Other

Pain management 2025

Is highly purified cannabidiol a treatment opportunity for drug-resistant epilepsy in subjects with typical Rett syndrome and CDKL5 deficiency disorder? Other

Epilepsia open 2025

Green light to sleep: Does cannabis work for insomnia? A case report and brief review. Case Report

Progress in brain … 2025

Real-world disproportionality analysis of sleep disturbances associated with antiseizure medications in epilepsy: a pharmacovigilance study. Other

Frontiers in pharmacology 2025

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of cannabidiol-rich cannabis extract in children with autism spectrum disorder: randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled … RCT

Trends in psychiatry … 2024 36 citations

Cannabidiol for moderate-severe insomnia: a randomized controlled pilot trial of 150 mg of nightly dosing. RCT

Journal of clinical … 2024 17 citations

Cannabis Retailer Communication About Cannabis Products, Health Benefits, and Risks: A Mystery Shopper Study of Licensed Retailers in Five U.S. … Other

Journal of studies … 2024 16 citations

Cannabidiol Exerts Sedative and Hypnotic Effects in Normal and Insomnia Model Mice Through Activation of 5-HT1A Receptor. Other

Neurochemical research 2024 14 citations

Cannabinoids and Sleep: Exploring Biological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potentials. Other

International journal of … 2024 13 citations

Multi-Omics Reveals the Effects of Cannabidiol on Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Phenotypes. Other

Cannabis and cannabinoid … 2024 10 citations

Possible Role of Cannabis in the Management of Neuroinflammation in Patients with Post-COVID Condition. Review

International journal of … 2024 8 citations

Using Cannabis and CBD to Sleep: An Updated Review. Review

Current psychiatry reports 2024 8 citations

Medicinal Cannabis (MedCan 3): a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess THC/CBD (1:20) to relieve symptom burden in patients … Other

Trials 2024 8 citations

Gestational CBD Shapes Insular Cortex in Adulthood. Other

Cells 2024 7 citations

Evaluating possible 'next day' impairment in insomnia patients administered an oral medicinal cannabis product by night: a pilot randomized controlled … RCT

Psychopharmacology 2024 7 citations

Charting the therapeutic landscape: a comprehensive evidence map on medical cannabis for health outcomes. Review

Frontiers in pharmacology 2024 6 citations

Detection of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid using two point-of-collection testing devices following oral administration of a THC and cannabidiol … RCT

Drug testing and … 2024 4 citations

Oxytocin and Vasopressin Gene Expression in the Brain as Potential Biomarkers for Cannabidiol Therapeutic Efficacy. Other

Biomedicines 2024 3 citations

Sex-specific disruptions in the developmental trajectory of anxiety due to prenatal cannabidiol exposure. Other

bioRxiv : the … 2024

The safety and efficacy of low oral doses of cannabidiol: An evaluation of the evidence. Review

Clinical and translational … 2023 61 citations

Medicinal cannabis improves sleep in adults with insomnia: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study. RCT

Journal of sleep … 2023 40 citations

Use of Cannabidiol in the Management of Insomnia: A Systematic Review. Systematic Review

Cannabis and cannabinoid … 2023 28 citations

A Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Cannabidiol in Healthy Adults, Hepatically-Impaired Adults, and Children. Other

Drug metabolism and … 2023 14 citations

Cannabis-opioid interaction in the treatment of fibromyalgia pain: an open-label, proof of concept study with randomization between treatment groups: cannabis, … RCT

Trials 2023 12 citations

Understanding feeling "high" and its role in medical cannabis patient outcomes. Other

Frontiers in pharmacology 2023 11 citations

Assessing Efficacy and Use Patterns of Medical Cannabis for Symptom Management in Elderly Cancer Patients. Other

The American journal … 2023 8 citations

Cannabinoids and the Endocannabinoid System in Early SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Long COVID-19-A Scoping Review. Review

Journal of clinical … 2023 6 citations

Novel phenolate salts of bioactive agents: Cannabidiol phenolate salts. Other

Bioorganic chemistry 2023 5 citations

Pharmacological Evaluation of Signals of Disproportionality Reporting Related to Adverse Reactions to Antiepileptic Cannabidiol in VigiBase. Other

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) 2023 2 citations

Top 20 Research Studies of 2022 for Primary Care Physicians. Other

American family physician 2023

Psychobehavioural and Cognitive Adverse Events of Anti-Seizure Medications for the Treatment of Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies. Review

CNS drugs 2022 139 citations

A scoping review of the use of cannabidiol in psychiatric disorders. Review

Psychiatry research 2022 43 citations

Cannabinoids, Insomnia, and Other Sleep Disorders. Review

Chest 2022 41 citations

Developing a real-world evidence base for prescribed cannabis in the United Kingdom: preliminary findings from Project Twenty21. Other

Psychopharmacology 2022 38 citations

Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol medicines for chronic pain and mental health conditions. Review

Inflammopharmacology 2022 38 citations

Survey of Patients Employing Cannabigerol-Predominant Cannabis Preparations: Perceived Medical Effects, Adverse Events, and Withdrawal Symptoms. Other

Cannabis and cannabinoid … 2022 36 citations

Topical Cannabidiol (CBD) After Total Knee Arthroplasty Does Not Decrease Pain or Opioid Use: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Trial. RCT

The Journal of … 2022 35 citations

The Effects of Cannabinoids on Sleep. Review

Journal of primary … 2022 28 citations

A large Australian longitudinal cohort registry demonstrates sustained safety and efficacy of oral medicinal cannabis for at least two years. Other

PloS one 2022 26 citations

Cannabis dosing and administration for sleep: a systematic review. Systematic Review

Sleep 2022 24 citations

Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Other

Expert review of … 2022 22 citations

Adjunctive Management of Opioid Withdrawal with the Nonopioid Medication Cannabidiol. Review

Cannabis and cannabinoid … 2022 15 citations

Knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of Australian General Practitioners towards medicinal cannabis: a 2021-2022 survey. Other

BMC primary care 2022 13 citations

The Effectiveness of Cannabis and Cannabis Derivatives in Treating Lower Back Pain in the Aged Population: A Systematic Review. Systematic Review

Gerontology 2022 12 citations

Cannabinoids for Symptom Management in Patients with Kidney Failure: A Narrative Review. Review

Clinical journal of … 2022 11 citations

Medical cannabis authorization patterns, safety, and associated effects in older adults. Other

Journal of cannabis … 2022 10 citations

Cannabidiol as a personalized treatment for anxiety: clinical cases in Mexico. Case Report

Drugs in context 2022 6 citations

Mood, sleep and pain comorbidity outcomes in cannabis dependent patients: Findings from a nabiximols versus placebo randomised controlled trial. RCT

Drug and alcohol … 2022 4 citations

Description and Disposition of Patients With Cancer Accessing a Novel, Pharmacist-Led Cannabis Consultation Service. Other

JCO oncology practice 2022 3 citations

Reasons for cannabidiol use: a cross-sectional study of CBD users, focusing on self-perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep problems. Other

Journal of cannabis … 2021 113 citations

A Review of the Potential Use of Pinene and Linalool as Terpene-Based Medicines for Brain Health: Discovering Novel Therapeutics in … Review

Frontiers in psychiatry 2021 107 citations

Effects of anti-seizure medications on sleep architecture and daytime sleepiness in patients with epilepsy: A literature review. Review

Sleep medicine reviews 2021 92 citations

Perioperative Cannabis as a Potential Solution for Reducing Opioid and Benzodiazepine Dependence. Review

JAMA surgery 2021 23 citations

The Use of Cannabinoids for Insomnia in Daily Life: Naturalistic Study. Other

Journal of medical … 2021 21 citations

Medicinal applications of cannabis/cannabinoids. Review

Current opinion in … 2021 15 citations

Prevalence of Cannabidiol Use in Patients With Spine Complaints: Results of an Anonymous Survey. Other

International journal of … 2021 14 citations

Cannabinoid therapies in the management of sleep disorders: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies. Systematic Review

Sleep medicine reviews 2020 119 citations

The therapeutic role of Cannabidiol in mental health: a systematic review. Review

Journal of cannabis … 2020 77 citations

Receptors and Channels Possibly Mediating the Effects of Phytocannabinoids on Seizures and Epilepsy. Review

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) 2020 43 citations

Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for chronic insomnia disorder ('CANSLEEP' trial): protocol for a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, proof-of-concept trial. Other

BMJ open 2020 38 citations

Medical cannabis and insomnia in older adults with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study. Other

BMJ supportive & … 2020 29 citations

Treatment of social anxiety disorder and attenuated psychotic symptoms with cannabidiol. Case Report

BMJ case reports 2020 25 citations

Cannabis: are there any benefits? Other

Internal medicine journal 2020 18 citations

Parkinsonian Syndrome with Frontal Lobe Involvement and Anti-Glycine Receptor Antibodies. Case Report

Brain sciences 2020 12 citations

[Cannabidiol in cancer treatment]. Review

Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) 2020 8 citations

A Brief Background on Cannabis: From Plant to Medical Indications. Review

Journal of AOAC … 2019 96 citations

The safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of PTL-101, an oral cannabidiol formulation, in pediatric intractable epilepsy: A phase II, open-label, single-center … Other

Epilepsy & behavior … 2019 38 citations

Cannabidiol affects circadian clock core complex and its regulation in microglia cells. Other

Addiction biology 2019 31 citations

Benefit of Tetrahydrocannabinol versus Cannabidiol for Common Palliative Care Symptoms. Other

Journal of palliative … 2019 22 citations

Exploring cannabis use by patients with multiple sclerosis in a state where cannabis is legal. Other

Multiple sclerosis and … 2019 20 citations

Should Oncologists Recommend Cannabis? Review

Current treatment options … 2019 20 citations

Vaporized Cannabis Is Effective and Well-Tolerated in an Adolescent with Tourette Syndrome. Case Report

Medical cannabis and … 2019 14 citations

Cannabidiol: The Need for More Information About Its Potential Benefits and Side Effects. Other

Clinical journal of … 2019 6 citations

Cannabinoids and Mental Health, Part 2: The Search for Clinical Applications. Other

Journal of psychosocial … 2019 3 citations

A Hemp oil, CBD, and Marijuana Primer: Powerful Pain, Insomnia, and Anxiety-relieving Tools! Other

Alternative therapies in … 2019 2 citations

Cannabis and cannabinoids. Review

The Medical letter … 2019

Effectiveness of Raw, Natural Medical Cannabis Flower for Treating Insomnia under Naturalistic Conditions. Other

Medicines (Basel, Switzerland) 2018 25 citations

Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature. Review

Current psychiatry reports 2017 394 citations

Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Oil for Pediatric Anxiety and Insomnia as Part of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report. Case Report

The Permanente journal 2016 122 citations

Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff. Other

Cannabis and cannabinoid … 2016 77 citations

Cannabidiol: a potential treatment for post Ebola syndrome? Other

International journal of … 2016 16 citations

Towards the use of non-psychoactive cannabinoids for prostate cancer. Other

British journal of … 2013 14 citations

Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis withdrawal syndrome: a case report. Case Report

Journal of clinical … 2013

Cannabidiol in humans-the quest for therapeutic targets. Other

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) 2012 194 citations

Effect of cannabidiol on sleep disruption induced by the repeated combination tests consisting of open field and elevated plus-maze in … Other

Neuropharmacology 2012 86 citations

Systematic review: Progression of beryllium sensitization to chronic beryllium disease. Systematic Review

Occupational medicine (Oxford, … 2012 33 citations

Chemoprevention of bladder cancer. Review

The Urologic clinics … 2002 20 citations

Dosage & Usage

mg = milligrams · mcg = micrograms (1,000× smaller) · IU = International Units

Commonly Used Dosages

sleep:: 25-150 mg, 1 hour before bed

Upper limit: Not established; FDA max studied ~20 mg/kg/day

Dosages Studied in Research

Dosage	Duration	Effect	N
None	--	Mixed	--
10 mg THC and 200 mg CBD	--	Negative	20
None	--	Mixed	3118
Median 15mg THC + 15mg CBD daily	52 weeks	Positive	155
5-20 mg/kg/day	56 weeks	Positive	27
150 mg CBD daily	2 weeks	Neutral	30
10 mg/kg/day CBD oral during pregnancy	--	Negative	--
None	--	Positive	141

Best taken: 1 hour before bed

Safety & Side Effects

Reported Side Effects

⚠ Fatigue
⚠ Diarrhea
⚠ Changes in appetite
⚠ Dry mouth
⚠ Liver enzyme elevation at high doses

Known Interactions

● CYP3A4/CYP2C19 substrates — CBD inhibits these liver enzymes
● Blood thinners (warfarin) — CBD may increase warfarin levels
● Clobazam — CBD significantly increases clobazam levels
● Sedatives — additive drowsiness

Tolerable upper intake: Not established; FDA max studied ~20 mg/kg/day

Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CBD help with Insomnia?

Based on 103 studies with 41,554 participants, there is strong evidence from multiple clinical trials that CBD may support Insomnia management. Our evidence grade is A (Strong Evidence).

How much CBD should I take for Insomnia?

Studies have used various dosages. A commonly studied range is 25-150 mg, 1 hour before bed. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.

Are there side effects of CBD?

Reported side effects may include Fatigue, Diarrhea, Changes in appetite, Dry mouth. Most side effects are mild and dose-dependent. Consult your doctor if you experience any adverse reactions.

How strong is the evidence for CBD and Insomnia?

We rate the evidence as Grade A (Strong Evidence). This rating is based on 103 peer-reviewed studies with 41,554 total participants. The overall direction of effect is mixed.

Related Evidence

Other ingredients for Insomnia

Melatonin A Valerian Root A Omega-3 Fatty Acids A Tryptophan A Vitamin D A Lavender A

CBD for other conditions

Anxiety-Related Sleep Problems A

Quick Verdict

Based on 103 studies (11 meta-analyses, 14 RCTs) with 41,554 total participants. Results are mixed across studies.

Evidence Strength92%

High confidence

Study Breakdown

RCT (11)Meta (2)Other (90)

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FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products and information on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The evidence grades presented are based on our analysis of published peer-reviewed research and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.