Sleep is crucial to your overall health. It supports the body’s natural healing abilities to keep you healthy and productive. The lack of sleep often leads to immuno-deficiency, low energy, and poor concentration. While sleep aid supplements are widely available, some experts look into cannabis as an effective solution.
Cannabis is known for its relaxing effect. Since its broad legalization, more young adults claim to use medical and recreational cannabis to help improve their wellness. One of its popular uses is promoting better sleep.
How does cannabis improve sleep quality? Here are five benefits that may help.
- It Promotes Relaxation
Cannabis promotes relaxation. In most cases, taking high doses of CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can make one fall asleep faster. However, health experts also address the risks of misuse. Therefore, knowing which cannabis products and strains to take is crucial to maximizing the desired benefit while minimizing the possible health risks.
When searching for the most relaxing cannabis products, you may start looking at purple weed strains. Some examples are apple fritter, biscotti, and black truffle. These hybrid strains are created to maximize feelings of calmness, happiness, and relaxation to put your mind and body at ease.
If you’re not fond of smoking raw flowers or want to eliminate the risks of concentrated THC, you may try CBD instead. Cannabidiol promotes a relaxing sensation without the intoxicating effects of smoking cannabis. Many regular CBD users say it helps them relax and fall asleep faster.
2. It Helps Manage Anxiety
People struggling with anxiety often find it difficult to relax and fall asleep. Anxiety can alter one’s sleeping patterns and make it even more challenging to rest. The lack of restful sleep can worsen this condition and cause other mental and physical health problems in the future.
Many researchers study cannabis’ potential to treat anxiety. Studies show that combining CBD and low doses of THC shows a reduction in anxiety symptoms. Most regular users also state that cannabis has helped them manage stress and improve sleep quality.
Since anxiety and other mental health conditions may interrupt sleep, it’s best to address them first. You can talk to a professional about available treatments, including medical cannabis, to help manage anxiety and achieve restful sleep.
3. It Has A Sedative Effect
The effects of cannabis may differ depending on how the body reacts to it. In some cases, consuming cannabis before sleep can increase alertness, while some may feel sleepy. Therefore, knowing the suitable strains, products, and doses is crucial to target your desired effects.
THC is known for its sedative effects. However, high doses may increase heart rate and alertness instead of drowsiness. Some experts and long-term cannabis users suggest consuming both CBD and THC to achieve a relaxing sensation while helping you fall asleep faster.
Another factor to address when maximizing cannabis’ sedative effect is your lifestyle and current body condition. Your eating habits, stress levels, weight, and metabolism can impact the efficiency of cannabis in improving sleep. Addressing these aspects can help you find the best products and strains to attain your goal.
4. It May Help With Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleeping disorder affecting 33% to 50% of the adult population. It makes falling and staying asleep more challenging, making one feel drained and exhausted. In some cases, those struggling with insomnia may fall asleep, but not deep enough to rest the mind and body.
Early studies show that cannabis can help patients struggling with insomnia. Experts are investigating the efficiency of cannabis-based therapy. This treatment may involve a total or partial replacement of prescription medications with controlled doses of cannabis for better sleep quality.
When using cannabis to help with insomnia, it’s best to get a proper diagnosis from a health professional. In some cases, insomnia occurs with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
5. It Helps Reduce REM Sleep
Cannabis can affect different stages of sleep. A deep sleep helps one feel recharged and energized upon waking up, while staying longer in REM or rapid eye movement sleep leads to exhaustion. One remains on this level when experiencing intense dreams or nightmares.
THC can reduce time spent on REM sleep. This effect benefits people struggling with recurring nightmares, PTSD, sleep paralysis, and sleep-wake hallucinations. In theory, when you spend less time having intense dreams, the more you’ll feel recharged when you wake up. It encourages restorative and healing sleep, which may help relieve stress and manage several mental health conditions.
When taking THC to improve sleep, it’s best to consult a professional. Prolonged use of THC in high doses may lead to cognitive risks, so taking small amounts or following your prescription is best to ensure your safety.
Conclusion
Due to limited studies, confirming the benefits of cannabis for improving sleep quality can be challenging. It’s best to consult an expert when integrating it into your wellness routine or as a supplementary treatment for a health condition.