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Cannabinoids and Sleep/Wake Control

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Cannabinoids and Sleep

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1297))

Abstract

The sleep-wake cycle is a complex process that includes wake (W), non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Each phase is regulated by specialized brain structures that, by means of different neurotransmitters, maintain the constant expression of the sleep-wake cycle. Molecules like orexin, serotonin, noradrenaline, histamine, for waking; GABA, adenosine, prostaglandins, for NREM sleep and acetylcholine and glutamate for REM sleep, among other molecules are responsible for the expression and maintenance of each phase. When the endocannabinoid system was being described for the first time, almost three decades ago, oleamide’s sleep promoting properties were highlighted. Nowadays, enough evidence has been cumulated to support the endocannabinoid system role in the sleep-wake cycle regulation. The endocannabinoids oleamide anandamide, and 2-arachidonylglycerol promote NREM and/or REM sleep via the CB1R, thereby making this system a target to treat sleep disorders, such as insomnia.

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Acknowledgments

Work referred here has been supported by Grants IN218620, IA205218, and IN217918 from DGAPA-UNAM to OPG, MMD, and AERC, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Cannabinoides, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Mónica Méndez-Díaz & Oscar Prospéro-García

  2. Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Facultad de Psicología, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Alejandra E. Ruiz-Contreras

  3. Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Jacqueline Cortés-Morelos

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  1. Mónica Méndez-Díaz
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  2. Alejandra E. Ruiz-Contreras
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  3. Jacqueline Cortés-Morelos
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  4. Oscar Prospéro-García
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Correspondence to Oscar Prospéro-García .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Jaime M. Monti

  2. Somnogen Canada Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada

    S. R. Pandi-Perumal

  3. División Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, Merida, Mexico

    Eric Murillo-Rodríguez

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Méndez-Díaz, M., Ruiz-Contreras, A.E., Cortés-Morelos, J., Prospéro-García, O. (2021). Cannabinoids and Sleep/Wake Control. In: Monti, J.M., Pandi-Perumal, S.R., Murillo-Rodríguez, E. (eds) Cannabinoids and Sleep. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1297. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61663-2_6

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