A good night’s sleep is an elusive luxury. After a stressful day, it can take forever to get to sleep. The severity of insomnia typically worsens as we age. For years now, people use cannabis to treat insomnia. Also known as marijuana, the therapeutic benefits of this plant are not something people are unaware of. Though the name ‘marijuana’ has negative implications in society, studies show it can be used to provoke sleep in the users.

People having insomnia find it hard to fall and remain asleep, often to the point where it influences their capacity to work in day-to-day life. Its daytime effects include fatigue, lack of concentration, memory problems, social dysfunction, and mood disorders.

Insomnia has also been correlated with several other chronic health issues, such as endocrine dysfunction, heart disease, and hypertension. Cannabis has a lot of different natural chemical compounds that influence sleep and sleep cycles.

Can Marijuana Treat Insomnia Symptoms?

Scientific studies have concluded that cannabis might help to ease some symptoms of insomnia. Here they are:

• Difficulty in Falling Asleep: When fighting with insomnia, your sleep cycle can definitely fall out of sync. Marijuana is an effective sleep aid since it alters users’ natural sleep cycle.
• Fatigue: Most people who think about medical marijuana believe it causes drowsiness, relaxation, and giddiness. However, not all strains make you feel drained. Sativa strains actually do the contrary. They’re stimulating and energizing and help you cope up with daytime sleepiness induced by insomnia.
• Inability to Focus: Cannabis can help with attention and focus, which are lacking when you’re exhausted from not getting enough sleep. One research showed how cannabis increased concentration in all 30 of its participants.
• Headache: Not having enough sleep can lead to headaches. Headaches can intervene with work or performing daily tasks. Studies reveal medical marijuana can help reduce headaches.
• Anxiety or Depression: Many researches show cannabis as an effective remedy to deal with anxiety and depression. They can be a side effect of fighting insomnia and not getting adequate sleep.

How Cannabis Induces Sleep

Federal rules have restricted scientific research into the effectiveness of marijuana for many years. As legal restrictions are raised, increasing access to medical and recreational uses will enable further study of the potential medicinal efficiency. Nevertheless, there are some early conclusions in the body of scientific research that deserve special attention.

Early analysis suggests that CBD may have a greater impact on improving sleep quality. THC may decrease the time it takes you to fall asleep but may also damage sleep quality over the long term by containing slow-wave sleep.

Interestingly, synthetic cannabinoids, including dronabinol and nabilone, might help sleep apnea for a short period due to influences on serotonin. This potential benefit requires more research, and currently, there are no medicines available for this condition. Instead, doctors operate this ailment with CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy or oral appliance.

CBD also overcomes REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which may help those who undergo the dream-enactment behaviors of REM sleep behavior disorder. Withdrawal from herb use may produce a rebound of REM sleep, which may have significant implications for some users. 

How to Use Medical Marijuana for Insomnia?

You can find your sweet spot to use cannabis for insomnia by experimenting with the way you use it.

Inhaling or vaping marijuana generates the effects right away. This can be helpful if you’re undergoing severe pain that is worsening your insomnia. Instant pain relief makes you feel healthier overall, so you can concentrate on sleep.

Nevertheless, the impacts of smoking and vaping wear off quickly. That shorter span of relief may suggest you wake up in the middle of the night when the effects get over. Smoking may also provoke breathing problems because of higher levels of byproducts produced by combustion.

Another option is consuming cannabis-infused edibles. These products take time to produce effects that vary from around 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the edible. So edibles won’t make you fall asleep instantly. The advantage of this option is that the outcomes last much longer than they do with smoking or vaping.

You can try both ways and find the method that suits you the most.

Risks of Using Cannabis as a Sleep Aid

Many studies on medical marijuana state that there are potential risks and side effects correlated with the use of weed. The users may feel difficulty in judging, driving, or remembering things and events. You may not identify these side effects because of the limited scientific analysis that has been conducted. Further clinical experiments would help to clarify the picture.

There is some interest that those who use cannabis frequently suffer from severe sleep problems; however, the cause-and-effect relationship remains unresolved. It is possible that insomnia continues, requiring the drug’s ongoing use to relieve the symptoms, or that the marijuana use itself leads to chronic insomnia. According to studies, daily use of marijuana leads to more sleep disorders.

Withdrawal from the chronic usage of marijuana seems to worsen sleeplessness and may lead to vigorous dreams, particularly among men. Women more commonly experience stress and nausea during periods of withdrawal.

Marijuana can also be a costly treatment option. If consumed daily as a sleep aid, these costs may quickly surpass hundreds (and ultimately thousands) of dollars.

Buying Medical Marijuana for Insomnia

If you want to buy medical marijuana for your insomnia symptoms, you’ll need to consult with a licensed health practitioner and get a written prescription. Then you’ll need to get a medical marijuana card, and you can go shopping at a nearby cannabis dispensary to purchase your products.

For people who want to consume cannabis, the first purchase could be scary and confusing to determine what type of cannabis strain is best. Many online seed banks offer a particular category as ‘Medical Marijuana’ where you can find cannabis strains for insomnia.

How do you know which strain is right for you?

Consulting an expert medical practitioner and dispensary is necessary. You can also use this basic information of these natural cannabis compounds to classify the strain of cannabis that’s best for you.

Last Thought

According to the Eaze Insights State of Cannabis Report, a significant number of cannabis users reported replacing or reducing sleeping pills with cannabis. As cannabis legalization spreads, more analysis and a more comprehensive experience will help people understand its complicated relation to sleep, including its effect on REM and dream cycles.