Medical marijuana for insomnia is a common treatment method. Between 83% and 85% of patients who used cannabis for medical reasons reported that they experienced better sleep. Despite its popularity, studies about MMJ’s effects on insomnia are fairly new.
Longitudinal research is necessary to establish MMJ’s true benefits. Still, existing studies may provide some insight into this alternative treatment method for your sleep problems. Learn how to restore your good night’s sleep with MMJ through this post.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can affect anyone. People affected with this condition face difficulties in falling asleep and staying asleep.
As an insomniac, you may also wake up too early and fail to go back to sleep. As such, you feel tired throughout the day, affecting your energy levels, daily performance, and overall life quality.
There are two types of insomnia:
- Acute: Short-term; lasts for days
- Chronic: Long-term; lasts for months
What Are the Symptoms of Insomnia?
Symptoms of insomnia include:
● Sleeping Issues: These include having a hard time falling asleep at night, waking up in the middle of the night, having difficulty falling back asleep, and waking up too early.
● Poor Sleep Quality: This symptom is about not getting a good night’s sleep. In such a case, you would experience tiredness throughout the day or even fall asleep while doing daily activities.
● Difficulty Focusing: This insomnia symptom is a result of having poor sleep. You may struggle to pay attention to the tasks at hand and worry about sleep.
Causes of Insomnia
● Mental Health Issues: Experts associate insomnia with underlying medical conditions, such as depression. Anxiety disorders can also disrupt your sleeping habits.
● Medications: You may be taking medications for certain health conditions. These medicines could interfere with your sleep schedule.
● Stress and Trauma: Circumstances or life events that can keep your mind active at night will likewise keep you awake. Such concerns usually involve work, school, relationships, and financial situations.
● Bad Sleep Hygiene: You may have an irregular sleep schedule that causes you to stay up at night. For instance, you could be taking several naps during the day.
● Eating Before Bed: Having heavy meals late at night or even before bed may leave you physically uncomfortable and keep you awake.
How Does MMJ Help Insomnia?
Experts believe that MMJ helps insomnia because of the plant’s natural compounds, known as cannabinoids. These cannabinoids interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which contains special receptors. Cannabinoid receptors interact with cannabinoids to promote sleepiness.
Experts have also explored MMJ’s potential benefits for helping treat chronic conditions associated with poor sleep, including:
● Sleep apnea
● PTSD nightmares
● Chronic pain
● REM sleep behavior disorder
● Daytime Sleepiness
Using Medical Marijuana for Insomnia
You can consume MMJ products by eating, drinking, or taking them sublingually. There are also forms that you can smoke and vaporize. Consider that there are two types of MMJ strains offering different effects if you intend to use medical cannabis for sleep:
- Cannabis Indica: Experts consider this strain to be the best for promoting sleep. Indica offers calming effects that may help you feel more relaxed and sleepier during bedtime.
- Cannabis Sativa: This strain offers more stimulating effects than the other one. Although you might believe the stimulants will keep you awake, research has suggested that cannabis users prefer the Sativa strain because it helps relieve their nightmares.
Meanwhile, there are hybrid strains that combine both strains and produce unique effects. These hybrid effects will depend on the specific cannabinoid makeup of the mixed marijuana strains.
Does MMJ Help With Sleep?
Yes, some studies back claim of medical cannabis helps improve sleep buy diazepam 10mg.
One particular study describes how marijuana helps alter sleep architecture, which describes the basic structure of normal sleep. This study suggests that using medical marijuana helps increase the time you spend in the stage of sleep that helps you wake up feeling refreshed.
As such, medical cannabis may help you enjoy a healthier sleep quality.
Should You Take Medical Cannabis for Sleep?
Be sure to consult with a healthcare professional before using MMJ for insomnia. Preferably, speak to a doctor with experience in using medical cannabis as an alternative treatment method for any condition.
