Everything you Need to Know about Cannabis and Sleep
Is It Possible to Restore Your Natural Sleep Cycle With Cannabis?
Sleep is important for our mental and physical health and many adults find it hard to get enough of it. With so many individuals having sleep problems, there has been a big interest in one possible treatment which is cannabis. Many things that cannabis in the medical marijuana community is a successful treatment for a variety of sleeping problems.
“Marijuana is an effective sleep aid because it brings back a person’s normal sleep cycle, which in today’s new lifestyle often gets out of step with our schedules,” explains medical marijuana specialist Dr. Matt Roman.
What Cannabis Compounds Can Help You Sleep?
CBD, one of the more than 100 chemicals present in marijuana and hemp, has received a lot of attention as something that can help people that have sleeping problems. It works together with the body’s endocannabinoid system to achieve balance and maintain its natural processes. CBD is effective in reducing stress and the troubles that connect with natural pain, both of which make it harder to fall asleep.
Terpenes commonly come from different plants and you can find them most of the time in aromatherapy essential oils. According to Bethany Stiles, the founder and CEO of Empress Teas, chamomile has been used for a longer time now because of its capacity to help relax the nervous system and other advantages. When combined with a water-soluble CBD form, the result is an Evening Blend tea that combines the good effects of two ancient herbs.
CBN is a naturally occurring metabolite of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Research believes that it is connected to the relaxing effects of cannabis. CBN appears to work together with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which can bring changes to the function of the hormones and neurotransmitters that play a role in our mood, energy, and sleep. According to some studies, combining CBN with THC can increase the sleeping effects of CBN.
Can Marijuana Help You Sleep?
In some settings, marijuana shows to help improve our sleep. People that have long-term pain, PTSD, and multiple sclerosis problems may find that marijuana can help them fall asleep faster, wake up less during the night, and improve their sleep. In addition, a study discovers that marijuana can improve the symptoms of restless legs syndrome in people.
People use marijuana most of the time to treat insomnia, anxiety, and pain. A study of insomniacs shows that people involved in the study experience comfort from their problems after taking cannabis.
How Does Marijuana Help You Sleep?
You can find these two chemicals, THC and CBD in marijuana. While many use THC to relax themselves, it may also have an energizing effect on others. In some cases, smoking marijuana before bed may cause you to take longer to fall asleep. When you take cannabis in small amounts, CBD tends to enhance alertness, but if you take big amounts, it shows to give you sleepiness. The amount and time taken may bring an impact to the combination effects of THC and CBD.
Cannabis and the science of sleep
Marijuana has a lot of different strains. Depending on the balance of the different cannabinoids, some are more refreshing, while others can give you a soothing and relaxing effect. First, here’s a quick look on marijuana’s science.
This herb works because it contains a variety of cannabinoids, the most common of which are:
- CBD – CBD provides a cut down of health benefits and is non psychoactive, which means it won’t get you high.
- THC – THC is the primary cause of the “high” sensation.
Taking marijuana strains with higher THC levels affects the amount of REM sleep you can get, according to a 2008 study. Reduced REM sleep means fewer dreams, and for people with PTSD, it may cause a small number of bad dreams. So, if you have little time having dreams, you’ll have more time in a “deep sleep” setting. Many think that having good sleep is the most important and restorative stage of the sleep cycle.
Taking Cannabis for Bedtime
When it comes to cannabis use, timing is important. It can also have an unexpected effect on us, as we may feel confusion in the morning. The time of action can be remarkably longer, like 8 to 12 hours, because of how our stomach digests cannabis from our intestines to the liver.
While everyone thinks differently about cannabis , it’s best to consume marijuana at least an hour before going to bed. An hour before night is ideal because the cannabis will help you fall asleep for three to four hours. This way, people don’t feel the effects just before bed, which can temper and set back sleep.
How does Cannabis Help Insomnia and Other Sleep Problems
For ages, the cannabis plant helps as a sleeping aid. Cannabis has soothing and relaxing effects, according to modern scientific study. Cannabis, in particular, makes it simpler to fall asleep. According to recent research, marijuana reduces the time it takes to fall asleep for both persons with sleep issues and those who fall asleep easily. Cannabis use reduced the time it took to fall asleep by an average of 30 minutes. A group of persons who had no trouble falling asleep was also included in the study. Cannabis assisted this group of heavy sleepers in falling asleep 15 minutes faster.
Other studies have found that cannabis usage lowers the time it takes to fall asleep and increases the amount of time spent in deep sleep. Cannabis also appears to reduce the amount of time spent in REM sleep, most likely due to THC.
What are The Effects of Indica and Sativa Strains to Your Sleep?
Indica and Sativa are the most popular cannabis strains. Hybrid strains that blend the two are also available. Indica is typically thought to be soothing and relaxing. Sativa is said to be more energetic and inspiring.
These wide generalizations of Indica and Sativa can be just that big. Beyond the indica-sativa divide, a more precise strategy to target cannabis strains to fulfill certain sleep and health goals is to focus on individual strains’ unique cannabinoids and terpene compositions. When it comes to using cannabis for sleep, we appear to be best served by strengthening our understanding of the effects of cannabinoids and terpenes to select the specific strain that suits our individual requirements.
When it comes to sleep, finding a strain with soothing terpenes, a balance of CBD, and a not-too-high concentration of THC is usually the best bet.
What are The Potential Side Effects of Cannabis For Sleep Use
Cannabis has been shown to assist people fall asleep. It does have certain negative effects that you should be aware of. They include:
- Overuse and/or a high-THC strain might cause confusion the next day.
- After intake, overuse and high-THC strains can cause dry mouth, euphoria, and increased hunger.
- After a long period of usage, withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings and sleep disturbances may occur.