Does CBD help with sleep or insomnia?

Start with the evidence, not the claim

In a 2024 Australian pilot trial, 30 adults with moderate to severe primary insomnia were assigned a defined CBD solution or placebo for two weeks after a placebo run-in. Self-reported insomnia severity, time to fall asleep, sleep efficiency and time awake after falling asleep did not differ significantly between groups. A wrist-worn activity monitor showed a difference in sleep efficiency after two weeks, and the CBD group reported higher well-being. These mixed measures are intriguing but the small, short study cannot establish a reliable long-term effect or exclude a smaller benefit or harm.1

What about CBD mixtures?

A separate 2025 crossover study tested a CBD-and-terpene mixture against placebo in people with insomnia. Terpenes are plant compounds; the study cannot tell which ingredient caused any difference. Of 125 people allocated, 56 were included in the final analysis after substantial dropout and exclusions. Researchers reported a small increase in the combined proportion of deep and REM sleep estimated by a wrist device, but no significant change in total sleep time. A tracker estimate is not itself proof of meaningful improvement in insomnia. Defined Research funded the study; its results need replication.

Participants also rated aspects of their own sleep, including quality and time to fall asleep. The reported differences from placebo on those ratings were not statistically significant; this does not prove there was no effect. The authors noted that the wrist device did not measure time to fall asleep and might not identify sleep stages accurately enough. A sleep-laboratory study could test those questions more directly. The high dropout limits how confidently findings from the 56 analysed participants represent everyone who entered the study.2

CBD, THC and product labels

A trial of a particular CBD preparation does not prove the same effect for an oil, gummy or product combining CBD with THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid. Contents and labelled amounts can vary. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says evidence for cannabinoids in sleep disorders is insufficient, and highlights safety concerns including interactions and liver injury. For product and medicine differences, see the CBD profile and the THC profile.

The US-approved prescription medicine Epidiolex contains purified CBD and is indicated for seizures associated with specified conditions; its approval is not an approval for insomnia or for retail CBD products. In a separate 2025 FDA-led safety trial, 201 healthy adults were assigned a defined oral CBD solution or placebo for 28 days. Eight people receiving CBD and none receiving placebo had a liver enzyme rise above the trial’s threshold. Participants reported no liver-related symptoms in that study, and enzyme levels returned to normal after CBD was stopped. An abnormal enzyme result is a safety signal, not proof of liver failure; the study used a specific preparation and exposure and cannot establish the risk for every product. The CBD profile explains the trial and medicine interactions in more detail.345

When sleep problems persist

Sleep problems can have many causes, and a clinician can help assess them and discuss evidence-based options. CBD can cause drowsiness or interact with medicines; a label claiming “natural” does not settle those questions. If sleepiness could affect driving or other activities, discuss the specific product with a healthcare professional. For a separate supplement question, see melatonin and sleep.3

For adults with chronic insomnia disorder, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a structured treatment combining several approaches to sleep and related thoughts and behaviours. It is more than sleep-hygiene tips alone. A clinician can discuss whether CBT-I is appropriate and how to access it.6