A brief summary of the condition, it’s causes,
common symptoms and treatment pathways
and how Medical Cannabis could help.
A brief summary of the condition, it’s causes,
common symptoms, treatment plans
and how Medical Cannabis can help.
Insomnia is having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Chronic Insomnia is when someone has sleeping difficulties, with associated daytime issues (such as sleepiness or lack of concentration) at least 3 days per week, for longer than 3 months.
People with Insomnia often feel tired during the day and may experience mood disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and reduced quality of life due to poor sleep.
Insomnia affects around 1 in 3 people in the UK.
It is more prevalent in women than in men, and its occurrence tends to increase with age. Older adults, particularly those over 65, are more likely to experience sleep disturbances.
Factors contributing to Insomnia include stress and anxiety, shift patterns at work, more frequent use of electronic devices, and caffeine / alcohol consumption.
The initial treatment for Insomnia focuses heavily on sleep hygiene. Getting into good habits in preparation for sleep. Minimising screen time, avoiding caffeine / alcohol. Going to bed in good time, and mindfulness apps are readily available as needed.
If Insomnia is still an issue despite good sleep hygiene, there are medications that help you get to sleep, such as zopiclone, or zolpidem. Others such as phenergan or amitriptyline help throughout the night, but can have side effects of leaving you feeling groggy in the morning. Many sleeping tablets can only be prescribed in the short term as they are so addictive.
Medical cannabis can help with the symptoms of Insomnia; both falling asleep and staying asleep. The cannabinoids in medical cannabis, particularly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system and can reduce the anxiety or racing thoughts that often contribute to Insomnia.
The psychoactive compound in medical cannabis, THC, is generally associated with sedative effects, which can help people fall asleep faster. Whereas CBD, the non-psychoactive compound, doesn’t produce a ‘high’, and it may help with staying asleep throughout the night.
Both THC and CBD also help different types of pain, which for many people is the main cause of Insomnia.
Studies suggest that cannabis promotes better quality sleep, by reducing time spent in REM sleep, and increasing deep sleep (slow-wave sleep), which is when the body recovers and is critical for overall health.
Suffering from a medical condition can be awful, the last thing you want to do is wait months for treatment.
Making sure you are seen and treated as soon as possible is one of our top priorities.
Start your journey to a better quality of life with CB1 Medical today.
Check if you're eligibleWe are proud of our care and the impact it has on the lives of our patients. We give you time
to talk about your pain and you will always be listened to with compassion and empathy.
4.8 overall rating on Google
May 2024
Where do I start?! I have to admit I was very nervous, considering I have tried numerous treatments for my fibromyalgia and EDS and had a medical prescription 3 pages long and really complex medical issues. I was in an awfully high level of pain, even with all that.
Every single staff member from reception, nurses, pharmacy and my lovely Dr Vanessa Hutchinson have been consistently friendly, professional, helpful and incredibly fast in progressing me from initial online enquiry to receiving my prescription (just under 2 weeks and we had the Easter 4 day break in-between!).
In this very short time, my pain levels have reduced significantly (as have my other medications!). I cannot recommend this clinic enough. Thanks CB1 MEDICAL 🙂
March 2024
Staff really nice, and keep in touch to monitor my progress and any questions I may have. I feel very comfortable talking about my situation as no judgement or negative feedback. I feel like my life, health and symptoms are being taken seriously but with care.
Follow up appointment over the telephone was relaxed, no rushing, he answered all the questions about my medication and progress without prejudice, sarcasm and was so easy and a breath of fresh air. I can say that if you are thinking of treatment and support like nowhere else then you will be in very caring and professional hands that really do make you feel that you are important and heard with respect and understanding. 5 stars are not enough.
October 2024
My life has been transformed since starting medical cannabis with CB1 Medical.
Dr Richard Pertwee was friendly and so knowledgeable. The relief I’ve experienced has been nothing short of miraculous. The quality of life I now have is something I never thought possible, started to smell the roses eg I’m incredibly grateful to you all.
Highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling or has ineffective medication.
April 2024
I know when you pay for an appointment, you expect a different service, but honestly, this is beyond what I expected. The appointments were scheduled quickly, and happened within days, mostly late evenings to fit around my work. The doctors listen and I didn’t feel like I was being judged as just a junkie after pain meds. That’s how I feel in an NHS appointment.
The meds were delivered quickly and I got to using them right away. In the last 11 days, I’ve used painkillers once, and only paracetamol. This is down from multiple painkillers multiple times every single day. And I sleep so much better as well.
