The HERB Blog

There is nothing like a good night’s rest to prepare your body and mind for a packed schedule the next day. And yet, so many people cannot get the rest they deserve because of disrupted sleep cycles and a variety of sleep disorders, from insomnia to sleep apnea. While taking prescription drugs is one way to handle the problem, it comes with its own array of side-effects, which is why many people prefer using cannabis products for sleep.

Both medical and recreational cannabis users report the sleep-promoting effects of cannabinoids. This is believed to result from the cannabinoids’ interactions with cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which increases levels of sleep-promoting adenosine and suppresses the brain’s arousal system, resulting in a sedated or sleepy feeling. In a 2019 study, 66.7% of subjects reported better sleep after one month of cannabis usage.

However, there are various kinds of cannabis plants like indica and sativa and various types of compounds present in those plants, including CBD and THC. The plant you use and the concentration of compounds within them can have a significant impact on how well cannabis works as you hit the hay. Let's get a deeper look at each variety and review some tips to use cannabis for sleep.

 

Should You Use Indica or Sativa for Sleep?

Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa are two different sub-species of the cannabis plant, each producing distinct effects. Here is what you need to know about them:

• Cannabis indica - It produces soothing effects and helps in promoting sleepiness. Indica products are generally used for pain management, relaxation, and sleep.
• Cannabis sativa - It produces stimulating effects and can even induce feelings of excitement and happiness for some people. Sativa products are used to gain an energy boost.

Indica is a good choice for getting better sleep. However, if you are prone to nightmares, sativa may be a better option for you. You can also try some hybrid cannabis products to get the combined effects of both indica and sativa. 

However, researchers argue that far more important than using indica or sativa for sleep is determining the levels of essential cannabis compounds like CBD and THC present in the product. Cannabis works well for sleep only when these compounds are present in the right proportions.

 

What Is the Effect of CBD and THC on Sleep?

As two of the most common and widely known compounds present in cannabis, CBD and THC each have some distinct effects on helping you get some shut-eye. Here is what you need to know about them:

• CBD - Cannabidiol or CBD is said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure properties. It does not produce any intoxicating effects. According to Healthline, CBD can help improve the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and also shows potential for treating excessive daytime sleepiness.
• THC - Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC produces intoxicating effects if taken in high doses. It typically acts as a sedative and helps people fall asleep when taken in smaller doses. According to Sleep Foundation, this compound also has the potential for treating obstructive sleep apnea, reducing PTSD-related nightmares, and improving sleep for people living with chronic pain.

Both CBD and THC have magnificent benefits for sleep. Depending on your underlying conditions, you may want to pick either high CBD products or high THC products. But first, you need to review some tips so that you can use cannabis products to their full potential.

 

How to Best Use Cannabis for Sleep Issues?

Follow these tips to get the peaceful slumber you crave after using your favorite cannabis products:

1. Adjust Your Dosage Correctly 
If you are using CBD or THC for sleep, it is important to note your dosage. CBD and THC work in entirely opposite ways, depending on the dosage. At low doses, THC typically acts as a sedative while CBD appears to promote alertness. However, at high doses, CBD causes sleepiness, while THC can have a stimulating effect. Getting the perfect dosage to enhance sleep is a matter of trial and error.

2. Use the Right Form of Cannabis 
Cannabis products for sleep come in various forms. You can smoke them as pre-rolls or flowers, vape them using a vaporizer, put them under your tongue in the form of a tincture, or eat them as an edible. 

The way you use the product determines how fast it will work, how strong the effects will be, and how long the effects will last. As a rule of thumb, remember that inhaled or smoked cannabis products have higher bioavailability than edibles or orally ingested products. 

3. Determine Your Usage Frequency 
Your body can develop a tolerance to cannabis if‌ you have been using it for a while. There appears to be a distinction between daily users and less frequent, non-daily users in how cannabis works for their sleep issues. 

If you are a frequent user of CBD products, your body might develop a reverse tolerance, which means you have to decrease the dosage with time. If you are a frequent user of THC dominant cannabis products, you are more likely to report sleep problems as well. In either case, cutting down the dosage or taking a tolerance break for a week is a good idea.

4. Check the Timing 
You can calculate the right time to use cannabis for sleep by factoring in how much time it takes for your product to take effect and coordinating it with the time when you normally go to bed. 

Smoking or inhalation methods usually take effect immediately. But edibles take longer to work since they have to pass through your digestive system first. If you use it too early, you may feel groggy and doze off before it's time to sleep, and if you use it too late, you may lie in bed wide awake waiting for the product to do its magic.  

5. Keep Experimenting
Finding the right format, dosage, and timing will take some time and experimenting. While using a certain cannabis product for sleep, you may find it has other unpleasant or pleasant side effects. For example, THC, being a psychoactive compound, can make you feel euphoric, while some other cannabinoids might cause dizziness, nausea, or fatigue. So whether you are using hybrid or indica or sativa for sleep, taking it slow and experimenting is a must.

 

Choose Your Perfect Snooze Companion

Deciding to use cannabis for sleep is a personal decision that should be taken after careful consideration. Should you choose to take this journey, we have got an amazing collection of cannabis products made especially for sleep and relaxation. Using this amazing gift of nature to enhance your sleeping routine can help you live a more active and joyful life when you are awake.