World Sleep Day is March 15th

World Sleep Day, celebrated annually on the Friday before the vernal equinox, serves as a global reminder of the importance of healthy sleep and its impact on overall well-being. This observance underscores the significant challenges faced by millions worldwide who struggle with sleep disturbances, particularly those living with chronic pain conditions.[1,2] The link between chronic pain and sleep disturbances is well-documented, with research indicating a bidirectional relationship between the two.[3,4] Chronic pain not only disrupts sleep patterns, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep, but inadequate sleep can also exacerbate pain symptoms, creating a vicious cycle that negatively affects physical and mental health. [3]

Chronic pain stands as the predominant qualifying condition among Utah's medical cannabis patients. While cannabis has been prescribed for pain management, it may offer additional therapeutic benefits in aiding sleep. Research indicates that certain cannabinoids, such as THC, CBD, and CBN may induce relaxation and reduce sleep latency, thereby assisting chronic pain patients in falling asleep more swiftly.[5] Moreover, THC has been linked to an enhancement in slow-wave sleep, the deepest sleep stage crucial for rest and rejuvenation.[5] Although further research is warranted to comprehend the mechanisms underlying cannabis's impact on sleep and pain, these initial studies highlight cannabis’s potential as a sleep aid.

In our commitment to ensuring our patients enjoy better sleep not only on World Sleep Day but also every other day, we’ve developed Sleep Experience DragonBites. These raspberry gelatinous cubes have been meticulously crafted to foster relaxation and promote sleep using all-natural ingredients. Each piece contains a 1:1:1 blend of THC, CBD, and CBN along with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter renowned for its calming effect; L-theanine, an amino acid believed to aid in relaxation and sleep;[6] and chamomile and lemon balm extracts to further facilitate relaxation alleviate anxiety. These powerful DragonBites have already helped many Utah patients improve their sleep, with patients reporting a 59 percent increase in sleep duration!

We hope we have convinced you of the importance of sleep, and how cannabis can help you achieve it by abating the symptoms that make excellent sleep difficult. Come celebrate World Sleep Day with us on March 15th by getting the good night’s sleep you deserve, the sleep you need to live your life to the fullest!

References:

[1] Chattu, V. K., Manzar, M. D., Kumary, S., Burman, D., Spence, D. W., & Pandi‐Perumal, S. R. (2018). The global problem of insufficient sleep and its serious public health implications. Healthcare, 7(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001

[2] World sleep Day March 15, 2024. World Sleep Day March 15, 2024. (2023, December 13). https://worldsleepday.org/

[3] Smith, M. T., & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2004). How do sleep disturbance and chronic pain inter-relate? Insights from the longitudinal and cognitive-behavioral clinical trials literature. Sleep medicine reviews, 8(2), 119-132.

[4] Aubrey J Husak, Matthew J Bair, Chronic Pain and Sleep Disturbances: A Pragmatic Review of Their Relationships, Comorbidities, and Treatments, Pain Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 6, June 2020, Pages 1142–1152, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz343

[5] Choi, S. I., Huang, B. C., & Gamaldo, C. E. (2020). Therapeutic uses of cannabis on sleep disorders and related conditions. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology, 37(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1097/wnp.0000000000000617

[6] Kim, S., Jo, K., Hong, K. T., Han, S. H., & Suh, H. J. (2019). GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep. Pharmaceutical Biology, 57(1), 64–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2018.1557698