Dr. Matt Walker

What could be the mechanisms?

I think there's at least, there's probably at least two, maybe three mechanisms.

The first is an indirect mechanism.

CBD has been demonstrated very nicely in some fantastic studies to be an anxiolytic,

which is a fancy term for saying it reduces down your anxiety.

And earlier, you and I discussed that anxiety and stress is one of the things that will keep you awake.

So indirectly, it removes this kind of gate that is preventing you from moving down the royal road of sleep.

And it opens back up the gate because it's removed that gate mechanism, which is high anxiety.

And by way of being an anxiolytic, it's softened that anxiety and it's easier for you to fall asleep.

I think that's probably the principal mechanistic bet I would have right now.

Another indirect mechanism.

If you look at some of the studies in rats, and we do human work at my sleep center, so we don't do animal studies, but if you look at the data in the rats, CBD can be hypothermic, which means that it drops your core body temperature.

And just as we spoke about earlier in this episode, you need to drop your body temperature to get to sleep.

So I think that's the second reason.

I think the third reason is that it could have a direct sleep promoting mechanism

I think it's unclear right now exactly how it's interacting with the sleep machinery of the brain.

We've got some hypotheses.

The danger is, again, it's just not a well-regulated substance.

So I am actually just full disclosure, I'm working with a company in the United Kingdom in collaboration with...

King's College and the Institute of Psychiatry there to see if we can create an analog, a clean analog of CBD.