Dutch researchers and Swiss company for sleep problems

Sleep disorders and insufficient sleep have a high prevalence worldwide and numbers are increasing each year costing society a fortune.

The Netherlands shows a point prevalence of 32.1% in 2016. Symptoms include poor sleep quality, non-restorative sleep, early awakenings, and difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep. More importantly but barely recognized by health professionals and the general public are the health hazards people risk by not getting enough good quality sleep.

There is an increased risk for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, but also dementia suppressed immune system and death due to cancer, stroke and CHD. A relevant study carried out by RAND Corporation calculated that sleep deprivation costs 1.56-1.86% of GDP yearly in Germany and United Kingdom respectively, accounting for 13–15 Billion Euro per year in The Netherlands and 50-60 Billion Euro per year in Germany and The United Kingdom.

Cannabinoids in cannabis could be the solution

Researchers, attached to the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, believe that the promising values of full spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) products can have calming neuroprotective and sedative effects on the central nervous system, and thus may be safe alternatives for sleep problems.

The Dutch researchers are planning a large double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial study on more than 300 people in The Netherlands using legal cannabis products from the Swiss cannabis producer, Formula Swiss AG, on patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and musculoskeletal pain due rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

This study will give insight into the potential benefit of cannabinoids on sleep by influencing the underlying disease mechanisms, which also positively affects disease symptoms and thus quality of life. An individual that sleeps on average less than six hours per night has a 13 per cent higher mortality risk than someone sleeping between seven and nine hours. An individual sleeping between six to seven hours per day still has a seven per cent higher mortality risk.

Improving the total amount of sleep and sleep quality will not only reduce a long list of health problems, but also improve the quality of life, because good sleep is one of the cornerstones of good health.

Further analysis showed that if total sleep time of people, who currently sleep less than 6 hours per night, would be augmented to 6-7 hours, costs would drop to 1.10% - 1.60% GDP thereby saving society 2.17–3.85 Billion Euro per year.

Addressing sleep deprivation will reduce health and work-related costs dramatically.

Contact for more information:

Drs. I. Niedlich den Herder Pathologist, medical manager, researcher plantbasedera@gmail.com (+31) 646740912

Robin Roy Krigslund-Hansen CEO Formula Swiss AG, Chamerstrasse 176
6300 Zug, Switzerland www.formulaswiss.com (+41) 78 932 8584, robin@formulaswiss.com