Things To Know About Cannabis and Sleep?

Many people often wonder if marijuana is actually useful in restoring the natural sleep cycle of a person. Many people believe that taking marijuana can make anyone fall asleep. Especially for people who have not yet smoked or even seen marijuana, the common belief is that this herb can help anyone fall asleep. There are many blogs and vlogs out there that say the same thing. But is this true? How effective is marijuana in helping people regain their natural sleep cycle?

Marijuana as a medicinal plant has been valued throughout the ages. Since time immemorial, the health benefits of marijuana have been taken advantage of by shamans, healers, and doctors. There had been countless studies done on marijuana to establish and verify the truth behind the purported medicinal and health value of this plant to people. Many types of research done on this plant have been successful in linking marijuana for the alleviation of pain, depression and even cancer. Some studies have also shown how marijuana can influence creativity. Visit this site to learn more about the strains that affect your creativity.

Given the potential of marijuana for health and wellness, it is no wonder that scientists have also researched the effects of this plant on your sleep. Before we go deeper on this subject, let us first understand sleep and insomnia.

UNDERSTANDING SLEEP AND INSOMNIA FOR NON-EXPERTS

Sleep is very crucial for a person’s mental and physical wellness. It is said that during sleep, the body and the mind bring to try to repair itself. This is also the time when people recover the strength they need to go on with their lives.

Sadly, insomnia is plaguing many people nowadays. If you think you are the only person who is having difficulty getting sleep, you are sorely mistaken. You are not alone. In fact, there are millions upon millions of people who are experiencing the same kind of problem as you. According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, in the USA, as many as 50 to 70 million adults have shown symptoms and signs of sleep disorders. Of the total US population, as much as 30 to 40 percent of the adults have reported experiencing insomnia at some point in their lives. At the moment, 10 to 15 percent of the country’s adult population is now dealing with long-term insomnia.

With the legalization of cannabis vis-à-vis, the huge number of sufferers of sleep disorders, the interest in marijuana’s therapeutic effects on sleep is rising by the minute. In fact, among stoners and users, marijuana is being celebrated for its effectiveness in treating many sleep disorders without any kind of side effects.

UNDERSTANDING MARIJUANA AND ITS EFFECT ON SLEEP

Many people advocate for the therapeutic use of marijuana for sleep. According to many proponents of this herb, cannabis use is a very effective means to help people restore their deteriorating sleep cycle to normality. For ordinary people, especially those who have not yet smoked weed in their entire life, the legalization of marijuana has now created an opportunity for them to explore a new way to deal with their sleep disorders. If people who are depressed, stressed and those who have chronic pain are benefiting from marijuana, why can’t a person with sleep disorders benefit from these herbs as well?

To fully understand the effects of marijuana on your sleep, we need first to learn what is inside this herb.

All plants contain natural chemicals in them. From vitamins to toxins to coloring, plants developed many natural chemicals for various reasons. As for marijuana, scientists were able to separate a set of active compounds. The most well-known active compounds in marijuana are cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Studies conducted on these two found that CBD produces most of the health benefits often linked to marijuana. It is not psychoactive so it does not produce the psychedelic effects and high that are often associated with marijuana. It is the THC that was found to be the psychoactive compound of marijuana. It produces the iconic high of marijuana. As well, studies have shown that THC also induces sleep.

A study conducted in 2008 revealed THC helps people achieve a “deep sleep” cycle. In the study, it was found that THC reduces the REM or the rapid-eye-movement phase of sleep. REM is known to be the phase when people produce dreams. This is a shallow part of the sleep cycle. When a person gets smaller REM cycles, he or she is less likely to experience nightmares that can wake him or her up during sleep.

According to other studies, during the “deep sleep” phase of sleep cycle, the human body is at its most restorative and most restful part of his sleep. This means, when you take marijuana, you are prolonging the most restorative phase of your sleep.

IMPORTANT TIPS IN TAKING MARIJUANA TO RESTORE NATURAL SLEEP CYCLE

Now that we have established that marijuana can indeed help you reestablish and restore your natural sleep cycle, we enumerate before some of the tips to guide you in starting your marijuana regimen.

First, talk to a specialist. At the end of the day, no one is more expert or more knowledgeable about sleeping disorders than people who actually studied ads who are actually working to help people regain their healthy sleep. There are many sleep doctors in the country, find one and schedule a consultation with one of them. Sleep disorders have various underlying causes and some of them are not treatable by marijuana.

Second, take into consideration the strains of cannabis you are using. If you are going to choose between Sativa and indica, choose indica. Strains of cannabis that are indica possess soothing, calming and sleepy effects. The opposite is true for Sativa strains. For hybrids, look for indica-dominant strains or those with a higher concentration of THC. Strain with less than 20 percent THC is recommended.

Third, time your intake. Smoking or vaping weed one hour before bedtime is recommended by experts.

Marijuana has been legalized primarily because of its medicinal and health benefits. It would be a shame if you will not take advantage of these amazing benefits.