Insomnia is quite prevalent these days, especially with the younger generation. Data says almost a 70million people suffer from sleeping disorders and spend approximately $70 billion on sleeping support. Almost 65% of which is medications and also the tenacity of the past year was not easy for insomniacs too. A recent study also mentions that the pandemic has disturbed the sleep of so many resulting in regressing mental health.
To deal with these stress and sleeping disorders people are turning to cannabis for relief and help them sleep. Moreover, a study says that people that consume cannabis are leaving or reducing their alcohol intake during Covid. So, the sale and delivery of Cannabis increased by 635% as people found relief with this drug.
Does Cannabis help?
There are 2 main ingredients in cannabinoids – CBD and THC. Depending on the balance of these, some will energize you while others will calm and sedate you.
- CBD– With its numerous benefits, it isn’t psychoactive, which means in whatever amount you consume it, it won’t make you high. In some Cannabis CBD content is higher, and it helps in energizing and reviving your body. But it helps in relieving pain, anxiety, and stress and thus promotes sleep too. There are pain-relief mouth sprays that contain both CBD & THC and thus will help you relieve pain & sleep well too. Vaping is the fastest way to consume CBD. You can buy CBD Vape Oil from any trusted and reputable brand online and get them delivered to your home.
- THC– It is responsible for intoxication and thus helps you sleep better and longer. Moreover, it eliminates the REM stage of sleep, where dreams occur. Not all require the same dosage of THC and it doesn’t affect the same every day, thus becoming difficult to draw a strong conclusion.
Also, withdrawal from Cannabis that is high in THC will cause you withdrawal effect and hence further disrupt your sleep cycle. So, there is no concrete research that proves which one of the two / combinations of both is sleep-inducing.
Things to consider before trying Cannabis
You need to smoke this & smoking is injurious to health & also Cannabis is illegal in many countries. First, consult a doctor about your irregular sleep cycles or insomnia. THC causes the absence of REM in your sleep, which might not be good in the long term. Also, any kind of sleeping aid in the long term is not good for your body.
Be cautious and responsible while taking marijuana, as you need to smoke it, your chances of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) become high. It can pose a threat to your lungs in the long term, especially to asthma patients. Researchers don’t recommend it if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Moreover, studies say that if you use Cannabis in the long term, it affects your grey matter, especially in teenagers. So avoid it if you’re under 25 and take the help of a doctor or any other sleeping aid.
Different strains
There are 3 types of Cannabis depending on the plant origin- Indica, Sativa and Hybrid. While Indica will help you soothe and relax, Sativa is responsible for energizing and happiness quotient. Hybrid is the combination of both and depends on the manufacturer on which blend he wants to put more.
Talk to the person in the dispensary to recommend you your correct blend according to your need. A physician and therapist suggest you should have a blend with less than 20% THC, otherwise, the intoxication effect will stay till the next morning. Though all consumer experiences are not the same, people mostly found help by consuming the Indica strain for sleep.
Choose a strain
The following strains gave good results to people suffering from sleep deficiency. Keep in mind that the potency varies from brand to brand, so the experience will not be identical.
- Hindu Kush- It has a THC content of 15-32% and less than 1% of CBD. The Hindu Kush is for those customers who have previously taken and are matured in intaking marijuana. It will help the experienced consumers sleep like a log.
- Grandaddy Purple- The name already suggests that this strain of Cannabis is purple and has pacifying and relaxing effects. This type of Indica strain has 12.5-32% THC and even less than 1% CBD.
How to ingest?
People generally smoke marijuana through a pipe or a joint. If you’re not a smoker or dislike its smell or are concerned about your lungs, then go for THC tinctures or vaping devices. You need to put drops from the tinctures under your tongue or sublingually for better effect. The question of the dosage you need to take varies from person to person.
You need to try different dosages to see what works the best for you, so try with minimal doses. Experts recommend to not try it during workdays, as a heavy dose can make you feel slumpy the next day also.
Though you need to perform trial and error to find your perfect time of ingestion, safely have it before an hour of your bedtime. Also, don’t use it if you have any serious disease and consult your doctor before consumption.