Help with getting a restful night’s sleep is still one of the most common reasons people visit The Novel Tree Medical.
We continue to learn and research everything we can about medical marijuana and sleep. This research, along with anecdotal feedback from our guests provides an incredible foundation for us to make product recommendations. Since everyone is dealing with unique sleep-related issues, we carry many different products that may address and alleviate the underlying causes preventing that quality night’s sleep.
Falling Asleep
Many will toss and turn trying to go to sleep but simply can’t cross that threshold between wakefulness and true rest. Whether it’s trying to quiet the mind or an irritating pain that makes sleep seem impossible, cannabis may offer relief.
Quieting the Mind
Raven Grass has created some of the best smokeable CBD options on the market. Pictured here, Frida has a 2:1 CBD to THC ratio.
After a long day, trying to get our brains to calm down can often seem impossible. Many people may find that a high CBD tincture or edible about an hour or so before bed can be the perfect thing to help relax the mind allowing for an easier transition to sleep. Others may even find the faster acting effects of a smokable product works well for them. If you find that the CBD alone isn’t strong enough to meet your needs, the addition of THC can enhance the effects of the CBD and may be even more relaxing.
Easing Pain
Pain is another very common issue that can keep people from achieving a restful night of sleep. CBD is very similar to a chemical our body produces to reduce inflammation and may be significantly more effective than an aspirin or steroid anti-inflammatory. THC can regulate neurotransmitters, and how our brain is perceiving stress, anxiety, and pain. Depending on the severity of the pain, varying levels of THC and CBD can be very effective. Eating an edible or using a tincture will provide longer lasting relief, while a smokable product can provide near immediate relief.
Staying Asleep
Chocolates can be broken into smaller pieces to control your dosing. These 1:1 ratio chocolates by Ceres contain a potent combination of CBD and THC. The effects of edibles can last up to 8 hours.
Some people have no problem with getting to sleep but will wake up in the middle of the night or after just a few hours of sleep. There seems to be a few ways to help combat this issue; the effects of an edible product can last 6-8 hours. For many these long-lasting effects can help to achieve more hours of sleep. Others will find that keeping a vaporizer on the nightstand can provide faster acting benefits to help people fall back to sleep quickly.
It’s important to remember that THC and CBD can be stimulating if taken in large quantities. For sleep we typically find less is more, and as always, we recommend starting low and going slow. Speak to your consultant to establish a baseline dose, the adjust slowly to find your most beneficial intake level.
The effects of cannabis dissipate after a few hours, so if you give yourself enough time, ideally 6 – 8 hours, there shouldn’t be any of that grogginess in the morning that many conventional sleep aids come with.
Cannabis also seems to have both cumulative and immediate benefit. The first time you use a cannabis product, you should notice some effect and benefit. With continued use and as THC and CBD build in your system, you may find that you have to use less of the product to achieve similar results.