Is there any problem your local Seattle Dispensaries cannot solve?
A good night’s sleep is often the difference between a high-performing, energetic day and a day where you’re sluggish, lethargic, and counting down the hours before you get back in bed.
But can cannabis actually help you get a full and rejuvenating night’s sleep?
Fighting your sleep issues at a Seattle dispensary
It’s estimated that between 50 and 70 million Americans have problems sleeping.
If you’re one of these people, you’ll be all too familiar with the consequences of a poor sleep pattern. Your productivity and concentration are often the first to suffer, leading to poor performance in your work life.
Lack of sleep can also have an impact on your mood. You can become short-tempered and more prone to mood swings. This can put a massive strain on your relationships. It’s like you’re an entirely different version of yourself when you haven’t had a healthy sleep.
It’s no surprise that sleeping pills make up a vast percentage of all pharmaceuticals sold. But these synthetic pills don’t come without their risks. They can damage our organs if taken over a long period, and the risk of addiction is a genuine threat.
As people become more aware of the possible dangers of prescription sleeping drugs, many are turning to natural, herbal alternatives to help them drift away.
At the same time, the rise of medical cannabis is prompting many people to consider marijuana products as a viable alternative.
So let’s take a closer look at how cannabis can help you get a good night’s sleep.
The importance of sleep
Human beings spend around one-third of their lives tucked away in bed. We do it every day, and it’s such a natural part of life. It’s also a vital part of our bodily functions, but it’s often neglected. It’s easy to overlook just how important sleep is to living a full, healthy life.
What are the benefits of being fully rested?
- Productivity and concentration.
Sleep is when our brain rests, repairs, and prepares itself for another day of simulation. Lack of sleep can affect your concentration, memory, and cognitive function.
- Stronger immune system
It’s not just our brains that repair and strengthen as we sleep. Our immune system also needs time to rest to maintain the highest level of defense.
- Lower risk of heart disease
One of the most significant contributors to heart disease is high blood pressure. Getting a regular, full night of sleep allows the body to regulate your blood pressure.
- Greater athletic performance
Most experts advise that adults should get between 6-8 hours of sleep each night. But high-performing athletes sometimes sleep for 10+ hours. One reason for this is their bodies need extra time to heal and repair.
Being fully rested also increases energy levels, coordination, and reaction times – all vital components of heightened physical performance.
- Increased calorie regulation
Evidence suggests that a healthy sleep pattern can help you regulate how many calories you intake each day.
Lack of sleep can affect the hormones responsible for our appetite, which leads to changes in the way we regulate our food intake.
As you can see, sleep plays a critical part in so many aspects of our physical and mental health. There are also links between lack of sleep and depression, anxiety, and many other mental health issues.
What causes sleep problems?
The lives we live in modern society are in total contrast to the lives that our bodies evolved to deal with.
We live in an era of constant stimulation. TV, radio, mobile phones, laptops, magazines – we are constantly bombarded with messages and images that we didn’t ask for. Our minds are overworked and under-rested, and it can be difficult to switch off.
Not to mention 24/7 news and information filtering into our brains from all corners of the world, and advertising filling us with fear and self-doubt. None of this creates an environment when our minds are at ease and relaxed.
Another reason for our inability to switch off is the abundance of blue light. Laptops, tablets, and mobile phones emit light at a frequency that blocks melatonin production, a hormone that the body releases to prepare us for sleep.
And then there is our personal lives. Money, jobs, family, relationships – our lives are more complex and complicated than ever. It’s easy to let the stresses of day-to-day life keep us tossing and turning until the early hours of the morning.
Cannabis and sleep
Anyone who smokes cannabis will tell you one of the first effects is drowsiness. But what exactly is causing this, and can it help you get a better night’s sleep?
To find out more, we need to take a closer look at compounds in cannabis that affect your body and mind – cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids are found in the bodies of every living being on earth. They interact with a network of receptors called the endocannabinoid system or the ECS.
This system plays a major role in regulating and maintaining various functions in the human body. Research is still ongoing, but we know the ECS influences our mood, appetite, memory, fertility, and, you guessed it – sleep.
When the ECS is working perfectly, these functions run smoothly. If there is an imbalance in the ECS, then things start to go awry.
This is where cannabis comes in. Cannabis contains over 100 cannabinoids, which are found in high concentrations in the flowers of the plant. The exact effect that each of these cannabinoids has on the body is still unknown. Most studies have focused on the two cannabinoids you’ve probably heard of – THC and CBD.
What is CBD?
CBD is an abbreviation of cannabidiol. No doubt you’ve seen CBD products in dispensaries and even on the shelves of supermarkets.
Currently, the FDA has only approved one CBD-based drug for prescription – epidiolex. Epidiolex is used in the treatment of epilepsy.
As for the rest, doctors cannot currently prescribe any other CBD products, but they can recommend them.
CBD does not cause any psychoactive effects. In other words, it does not get you high.
What is THC
THC is the magic ingredient in cannabis that causes the high effect that so many people know and love.
THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol (we’ll stick with THC). There are no THC-derived drugs available for prescription, but again, doctors can recommend medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
THC vs. CBD – Which is best for sleep?
Because research is still ongoing into the effect and properties of both CBD and THC, we still do not have a complete picture of which is best for sleep. There is evidence for and against both compounds aiding sleep.
THC
It will come as no surprise to cannabis users that THC is a sedative. People have been using cannabis to get a good night’s sleep for millennia, and modern science is only just catching up.
If sleep apnea is causing you problems, THC may be the answer, as it is known to promote calm and regular breathing.
But it’s not all straightforward. While THC may help you fall asleep quicker, it may also affect the type of sleep you are getting.
THC reduces REM sleep. REM sleep is a unique phase of sleep where our eyes are moving rapidly behind our eyelids, and brain activity is high. It is the time when we are most likely to have vivid dreams. If nightmares, trauma, or PTSD are breaking up your sleep pattern, this is great news, as less REM sleep means fewer dreams.
However, REM sleep is thought to play a vital role in restoring cognitive function and memory. Less REM sleep can cause you to wake up with a groggy head, and impaired concentration and mental ability levels – the weed hangover.
CBD
CBD doesn’t get you high, so it doesn’t cause the drowsiness usually associated with cannabis. But still, plenty of people take it to improve their sleep and report excellent results.
In fact, studies show that CBD actually promotes wakefulness. So why is it helping millions of Americans get a better night’s sleep?
If taken correctly, CBD brings the ECS into balance, which helps regulate our sleep patterns and can result in a deeper, more rejuvenating sleep.
Another factor is CBD’s ability to reduce stress and worrying thoughts. How many times have you been kept up at night, worrying what the next day holds, or replaying a moment over and over again in your mind? If CBD can help reduce this stress, the chances are you’ll be able to drift into sleep much easier.
So which should I take?
When it comes to using cannabis to aid sleep, everyone is different.
Some people prefer smoking THC heavy cannabis, while others swear by CBD oil. A lot of people find that products with a mix of the two cannabinoids do the job best.
It comes down to personal preference and trial and error. Luckily, you won’t have to look further than your local Seattle Dispensaries to find something that fits your needs. You can find products with varying levels of THC and CBD, and the budtenders will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. The dispensaries near me have an entire range of products targeted at promoting sleep.
If you don’t like the high of THC, then CBD is the way for you. If you don’t mind the high, but you want something to take the edge of the paranoia that comes with some strains of cannabis, then your best bet is a product with equal levels of CBD and THC.
Introducing cannabis into your sleep routine
If you’ve been suffering from sleep problems for more than a month, you should always seek medical advice from a trained professional before you turn to cannabis products.
Insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep problems can be symptoms of larger, underlying issues. It’s always best to seek the advice of a doctor just in case your sleep problems are a sign of something else lying under the surface.
In the meantime, there are plenty of steps you can take to give yourself the best chance of getting consistent, healthy sleep and waking up feeling refreshed and full of energy.
Cannabis can help you get a good night’s sleep, but combining it with a healthy bedtime routine will put you in the best position to reap the benefits it can provide.
- Environment – Setting the scene has a massive impact on how much and the quality of sleep you’re getting. Ensure you shut out all light, including light from any digital devices that might be on during the night.
If you live in an area with lots of light pollution, such as street lights and vehicle headlights, blackout blinds can be a life-changing investment.
- Preparing your mind for sleep – It’s easy to think that we can just close our eyes, and our minds will be ready for sleep. In reality, the process of sleep begins hours before we actually drift off.
There are plenty of ways you can aid this process. Meditation is a great way to slow the mind down before sleep, but smaller steps such as avoiding blue light and mental stimulation from TV, phones, and other devices are also effective. Give yourself an hour before bed for your mind to wind down and let go of the day.
- Preparing your body for sleep – Getting your body in the right frame of mind for sleep is just as important as prepping your brain.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine for at least 5 hours before bed. You should also avoid alcohol and large meals before bed. Exercise is a great way to prepare the body for sleep, but try to make sure you finish around 90 minutes before you want to sleep.
The final word
Americans spend $3 billion every year on sedatives and hypnotics drugs, and these drugs contribute to the deaths of over 10,000 people. Cannabis is an affordable and safe alternative to synthetic medicine.
Give it a try! You’ll be amazed at the numerous benefits cannabis and CBD products can provide.