DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
How Cannabis can help you sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your health. But are you getting all the rest that you need? Statistics from The National Sleep Foundation tell us that there are 50 to 70 million adults in the United States alone who suffer from some form of sleep disorder. At least 50 million people in the U.S. are not getting the right kind of sleep to keep themselves healthy.
With those statistics, it’s no wonder that people seek alternative ways to help them get a decent rest. It may also surprise you that around 40% of the U.S. population will suffer from insomnia at some point in their life. And at least 10% of the population suffer from chronic insomnia.
It is crucial to understand that a doctor should evaluate any issues with your sleep. FadeMD offers licensed medical practitioners who advocate for marijuana and train to deal with many related sleep disorders. Register now to start the quick 10-minute process to get your medical marijuana card with a marijuana doctor.
If you find yourself struggling with insomnia, just know that you are not the only one. However, that doesn’t mean you should try to fight a debilitating disorder on your own. Cannabis has taken the world by storm, and many are more curious than ever about this plant and the compounds it contains. Patients use cannabis as medical marijuana to treat various diseases and medical conditions, including insomnia.
While cannabis is a controversial treatment and shouldn’t be treated as a cure, it certainly rouses public interest- especially amongst those who have chronic insomnia who have exhausted all their options.
According to Dr. Matt Roman, “Marijuana is an effective sleep aid because it restores a person’s natural sleep cycle…”
But how can cannabis help with your sleep cycle? Let’s take a closer look.
Do you have a sleep disorder? Or do you sometimes just find yourself struggling to fall asleep after a crazy day? Either way, here’s how to make the most of the properties of cannabis.
Marijuana is known to be an analgesic. As such, it could assist with easing chronic pain. Chronic pain is often the reason many struggles with falling asleep at night, and there isn’t much else you can do when the pain medication ceases to have any effect. Marijuana is also known to have anti-anxiety properties, which can assist you when your mind is running in circles as you try to wind down and fall asleep after a long day.
What Does Science Say?
As you may well be aware by now, there are quite a few different marijuana strains. Some can be more uplifting, inspiring a burst of energy, while others tend to relax and inspire a sedating sensation. These different effects will all be dependent on the cannabinoid and terpene profile of each strain.
These are two of the most common cannabinoids found in marijuana.
- CBD
- THC
CBD, or cannabidiol, contains quite a long list of health benefits. The compound is not hallucinogenic, unlike THC. Due to it not causing any hallucinogenic effects, the CBD cannabinoid has risen in popularity over recent years. The mixture has several health benefits, but it will not cause you to feel the high that is so often associated with marijuana,
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is a psychoactive compound that contains several potential health benefits and is the responsible compound that causes the high so often associated with marijuana.
But causing a high is not the only thing THC can do. Recent research shows us that THC is capable of helping people to fall asleep. This study shows us how THC can help people fall into a deeper sleep and keep them there. Unfortunately, this also means that the cannabinoid can reduce your dream time. If you love to wake up and remember your dreams, you could be missing out.
Or, if you regularly have nightmares, or even this is why you cannot fall asleep in the first place, you could find some relief with THC. The study shows that THC can reduce the amount of time that the body spends in REM- the stage of sleeping where dreams and nightmares are more prevalent.
How to Improve your Sleep with Marijuana
Whether you want to roll a joint or take a few drops from a tincture bottle, if you are ready to try cannabis for a better night’s sleep, then you should read on.
Vaping cannabis is one alternative to smoking a joint or a bong, both of which are connected to the stoner stereotype and could have damaging effects on your lungs and respiratory system. Vaping marijuana is an excellent alternative to smoking. If vaping isn’t your thing, you could be more discrete by using THC-rich tincture.
If you do decide to use a tincture, then you should buy a quality CBD oil online or at a trusted store (from a reputable brand) and simply use the dropper to place a few drops under your tongue.
Knowing the proper dosage is tricky with cannabis, but using a tincture in the form of a CBD oil or THC tincture makes it simpler. Start with a low dose and slowly increase the dosage in increments until you feel satisfied with the results. You may have to experiment a bit until you find your Goldilock’s amount.
Another tip is to time your intake of marijuana well. When it comes to using cannabis for optimum sleep, it might be pertinent to ingest the cannabis one hour before you plan on falling asleep. This will also be dependent on the type of cannabis you consume.
For example, edibles are unreliable as they can take anything from 45 minutes to three hours before their effects are assimilated and processed by the body. Edibles can also be unpredictable in terms of potency and could make you feel groggy in the morning. For these reasons, edibles are not often advised for people trying to manage their natural sleeping patterns and rhythms.
At the end of the day, when all you want is to trust your body enough to give you a good night’s rest, having a quality cannabis oil or CBD product by your side can offer you the support you might be lacking to get a good night’s sleep.