If you’re one of the thousands of people who have trouble sleeping, you may have considered a cannabis product, such as CBD. Sleep plays an essential role in health and well-being, which can make life difficult for those who suffer from insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder marked by persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up well-rested, affecting over 64 million Americans. Fortunately, medical marijuana has emerged as a safe and natural sleep aid for many insomniacs.
The cannabis plant has been used for centuries as a sleep aid. Contemporary scientific research has measured what people have known and experienced since ancient times: cannabis has relaxing and sedative effects. In particular, cannabis makes falling asleep easier. One recent study found that cannabis shortens the time it takes to fall asleep, both for people with sleep problems and people who fall asleep without trouble. Among people with active difficulty falling asleep, cannabis use resulted in an average of 30 minutes less time in falling asleep. The study also included a group of people who were able to fall asleep without difficulty. Among this group of strong sleepers, cannabis helped them fall asleep even faster, by 15 minutes.
This research falls aligns with other studies that show cannabis use reduces the time it takes to fall asleep, and lengthens time spent in deep, slow wave sleep. Cannabis also appears to shorten time spent in REM sleep, likely as a result of one of its primary active ingredients, THC.
The most common cannabis strains are Indica and Sativa. There are also hybrid strains that combine the two. Indica is generally considered to be relaxing and sleep promoting. Sativa is generally regarded as more energizing and invigorating.
However, some scientists who study cannabis say that these generalizations of Indica and Sativa aren’t particularly accurate or useful. More important, they say, is the composition of cannabinoids and terpenes. When considering using cannabis for sleep (or other health conditions), these scientific experts say we’re better served by using an understanding of the effects of cannabinoids and terpenes to choose the particular strain that’s most suited to our individual needs.
When it comes to sleep, generally that means identifying a strain that contains relaxing terpenes, and a balance of CBD and a not-too-high concentration of THC.
If you have any questions about Cannabis and insomnia, visit one of our dispensaries located in Longview and Port Angels and ask your bud master what are the best cannabis products for you. We only have the best quality cannabis products at the best price. Visit us today!
Source:
https://thesleepdoctor.com/cannabis-and-sleep/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34115851/
