Insomnia
Sleep is crucial for your health and well-being, but for many adults insomnia and the inability to fall asleep is something that they struggle with on a nightly basis. This lack of sleep can negatively affect every aspect of an individual’s life.
Sleep deprivation occurs when a person routinely gets less sleep than their body and mind require to function properly. Consistent lack of sleep can result in mental and physical fatigue, emotional problems, poor job performance and a lower overall quality of life.
Insomnia is a very common issue in our society that many adults struggle with. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, 30% to 40% of adults will have to deal with insomnia at some point in their lives. If you have found yourself struggling to fall asleep or are an “insomniac,” you can rest assured that approximately one third of the population is right there with you.
Since sleep is so crucial to both your mind and body, it is easily understood why so many people who struggle with insomnia are seeking effective treatment to fall asleep and to stay that way.
Sadly, modern medicine often fails at providing significant relief for insomnia which is why many people are turning towards “alternative methods” like medical cannabis therapy.
Here at Kanteeva it is our goal to provide you with the information that you will need to make an educated decision on whether medical cannabis is a viable option for your individual needs. After reading this article, you should have enough knowledge about medical cannabis and insomnia to further discuss your options with your healthcare provider(s).
If you have any additional questions, please leave them in the comments area below and a Kanteeva team member will get back to you as soon as possible.
What is Insomnia?
When it becomes really impossible to get away and sleep, then the will to live evaporates of its own accord.
- Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Journey to the End of the Night via Goodreads
According to The Mayo Clinic, Insomnia is defined as:
a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep.
However, if you are someone who suffers from insomnia, then you already know that this definition cannot even begin to explain the negative effects that sleep deprivation can have on your life. Getting enough sleep can be hard for almost everyone at some point in their lives, but when you are suffering from continuous bouts of insomnia you can experience intense symptoms like:
- Memory Issues
- Sudden Mood Changes
- Accidental Injuries from Not Being Alert
- Increased Blood Pressure
- Weakened Immune System
- Higher Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
- Weight Gain and a Higher Risk for Obesity
- Higher Risk of Heart Disease
- Decreased Sex Drive
- Decreased Balance and Coordination
- Trouble with Thinking and Concentration
- Severe Fatigue
- Depression
Chronic sleep deprivation resulting from insomnia can wreak havoc on many areas of your life. It can affect both your personal relationships and your professional life.
Losing the ability to fall asleep at night can make all aspects of your life chaotic and can often leave you feeling as though you no longer have control over your own body and mind.
Unfortunately, when you finally become frustrated enough to seek medical help, you may find that the options are limited at best or that the medications prescribed involve intense side effects.
How Is Insomnia Currently Treated?
There are a few different ways that Insomnia is currently treated by modern medicine. Often, there is a multi-faceted approach that includes medication, routines, exercise and relaxation techniques.
Unfortunately, the treatment options that are currently available simply fail to help many people suffering from insomnia. As far as medications are concerned, none exist that are designed to help you create a normal sleep pattern.
Sleep medications leave many people feeling extremely drowsy and mentally unclear the following day and can lead to serious long term side effects.
According to Medicalxpress, long term use of some popular sleep medications can lead to increased chances of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia later in life. For the people who are able to find relief from sleep medication, many of these people develop a tolerance and require higher and higher doses of medication to achieve the same effect.
For many people who do find some form of success by using medication, they often complain of side effects like:
- Changes in Appetite
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness or Vertigo
- Difficulty Maintaining Balance
- Groggy Feelings the Following Day
- Uncontrollable Shaking
- Unusual Vivid or Lucid Dreams
- Feelings of Weakness throughout Their Body
As you can see from the list of possible side effects, some of them are the very same issues that people suffering from chronic insomnia already face without the use of medication. This leads many insomniacs to try and find alternative treatments like meditation, caffeine restrictions, exercise routines and even aromatherapy.
Thankfully, some of the alternative options to medication do provide relief to people who suffer from Insomnia. One of these alternative options that is gaining popularity is medical cannabis.
Can Medical Cannabis Help Treat Insomnia?
Marijuana is an effective sleep aid because it restores a person’s natural sleep cycle, which so often falls out of sync with our schedules in today’s modern lifestyle.
– Dr. Matt Roman, MD Nature’s Way Medicine via Healthline
If you have tried cannabis in the past, most likely you have experienced feelings of peace, relaxation and sleepiness.
This is especially true when consuming a potent Indica strain.
These powerful effects of cannabis have helped thousands of people who battle with the issue of insomnia find relief.
When it comes to using cannabis for insomnia, patient testimonials and research studies have shown that cannabis can help you fall asleep and stay asleep, but always remember that cannabis affects everyone differently and that every strain has unique effects as well. It is important to start slowly and to consult your healthcare practitioner when using cannabis for the symptoms of your insomnia.
There is a vast amount of anecdotal evidence from medical cannabis patients and practitioners that says cannabis can provide relief from insomnia, while current scientific research is being conducted to find conclusive evidence that medical cannabis can effectively treat insomnia.
What Does Science Say about Medical Cannabis and Insomnia?
There is still ongoing research that needs to be conducted on the effects of medical cannabis for treating Insomnia before any conclusive scientific results can be made.
Some recent studies have shown promising potential and we look forward to seeing more of these types of studies.
One study conducted in 2011 showed that patients consuming cannabis often reported that they were able to fall asleep much faster than they could without using cannabis. The same study also showed that of the 147 people participating in the study, 79% reported an increase in overall sleep quality after consuming cannabis.
Another study that looked deeper into the individual cannabinoids contained in cannabis showed that while THC is a sedative, CBD has “alerting properties,” and concluded that THC on its own led to an increase in sleepiness while THC and CBD combined could decrease stage 3 sleep. This study went on to conclude that the consumption of cannabis containing both CBD and THC could result in better sleep without leaving consumers feeling groggy and sedated the following day.
While most research has been focused on the effects of the most popular cannabinoids contained in cannabis, THC and CBD, some research has been conducted on a lesser-known cannabinoid, CBN. CBN may be the key to helping sufferers of insomnia find even more effective relief.
As d9-THC degrades through both isomerization and/or oxidatively, only a small portion of it turns into CBN. As a result, CBN is a bit difficult to collect in large quantities for usage. My experience is that if I take cannabis that is about 20% THCA, and I wrap in in plastic and let it sit in the garage for 3 years (in summer heat and dry), it results in a 3-5% production of CBN. Yes, I use ‘old weed’ to make sedative medicinals.
- Dr. Kymron deCesare of Steep Hill Labs via Cannabis Treatment Clinic
For more information on CBN please take a moment to read our article, “What is CBN?”
The Important Takeaways from Cannabis Studies and Community Members
If you are considering trying cannabis to help treat the symptoms of your Insomnia, there are a couple of things that you need to take into consideration.
Based on the scientific data that we have access to presently, cannabis does have the ability to help with insomnia and quality of sleep but it does have a few potential side effects like suppressing REM sleep, leaving some consumers feeling groggy and sedated the following day, and even making some users more alert at night and unable to fall asleep.
However, many medical cannabis patients report that cannabis has allowed them to win a long-standing battle against Insomnia, while at the same time allowing them to stop taking other insomnia medications.
In many cases, insomnia can be a symptom of a different ailment. For example, many people who use cannabis for chronic pain have reported the ability to fall asleep much easier after using cannabis than they could otherwise. This is because cannabis has been shown to help relieve pain symptoms and allow patients to relax and calm down at the end of the day before bed.
Another example can be seen in patients suffering from PTSD. As mentioned briefly above, studies have shown that cannabis consumption may reduce the amount of REM sleep that consumers are able to get. This stage of sleep is when most people dream and for sufferers of PTSD many experience severe nightmares during REM sleep. By suppressing this stage of sleep, many patients report that they experience far fewer nightmares and have a higher quality of sleep.
Cannabis has been shown to help people fall and stay asleep but to achieve the best results possible you must consider why you are suffering from insomnia. This will allow you to choose the best strains and consumption methods possible for your own unique needs.
What are the Best Marijuana Strains for Insomnia?
When it comes to selecting the best strains for insomnia, there are a few things that you want to consider before selecting one. First, while many studies have shown that THC is responsible for helping you to fall asleep, there are many strains of cannabis that can make you feel alert, focused and awake.
We suggest staying away from Sativa or Sativa Dominant Hybrid strains in the evenings since they typically create these energetic feelings. Instead, use Indica and Indica Dominant strains when it is time to rest and relax.
Another important lesson is that consuming too much THC may cause grogginess the next day or may make you unable to sleep due to the intense psychoactive effects that are possible.
Dr. Jordan Tishler, a cannabis therapeutic specialist and Harvard trained physician, recommends consuming a strain that has less than 20% THC. He stated that anything more than that will make dosing difficult and consuming too much THC may make you feel groggy and sleepy the following morning.
Based on the research available on cannabinoids, you should seek out strains that have higher levels of THC than CBD. When consuming cannabis for Insomnia you should take into consideration what form of consumption that you plan to use.
For example, consuming cannabis orally for insomnia may result in feelings of grogginess the following day, as it takes far longer for the effects of ingesting cannabis to wear off when compared to options such as smoking or vaping. If you would like more information on some of the many different ways that you can consume cannabis, please take a moment to read our Kanteeva article on the "Consumption Methods - The Basics."
Many users report that for Insomnia it is better to smoke or vape cannabis rather than to orally ingest it.
However, other users have stated that they have been able to successfully utilize oil products after consulting with their healthcare provider(s) on both dosage strength and time of use.
Another important thing to remember is that every individual person will respond to cannabis differently. What works for your unique needs may not work for someone else and finding the best strain for your insomnia may require a bit of trial and error. Your healthcare provider(s) can better help you based on your individual needs.
It is also important to note that while CBD is considered to be a stimulant, many users of CBD oil products have reported relief from their symptoms of Insomnia. Most likely this is due to the CBD oil providing relief from other ailments but until more research is available you should not rule out CBD oil as an option because it might be the only thing available to you, or you might be seeking relief from insomnia and do not want to consume THC.
To get you started on the best cannabis strain for your individual needs we have selected a few of the most popular strains that are often credited for helping patients find relief from insomnia.
What are the Top Strains for Insomnia?
We base these strain recommendations on testimonials from medical cannabis community members, anecdotal research, scientific research and a variety of other factors like accessibility.
Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush is a 100% Indica landrace cannabis strain from the Kush Mountains that border Pakistan and Afghanistan. This strain typically produces a relaxing and sedative experience that is also cerebrally euphoric. Hindu Kush has a high THC content and low CBD content. Thanks to its low negative effect profile this strain is ideal for beginners looking for an Indica to relieve insomnia. Hindu Kush has a myrcene dominant terpene profile and this terpene is believed by many practitioners to help promote and induce sleep.
Granddaddy Purps
This potent Indica Dominant Hybrid strain is very popular among medical cannabis community members who suffer from insomnia and nerve pain. This strain has a very high THC content, with most samples testing at 21% or above, and a low CBD content of 1%. Granddaddy Purps is also a myrcene dominant strain, which is a terpene that is thought to induce and promote sleep. Thanks to this strain's popularity, it is widely available in most areas. It is important to start dosing slowly with this strain because unlike other strains on this list Grandaddy Purps is known to be a bit of a “creeper strain,” so be certain to allow for at least 30 to 45 minutes to feel its full effects.
Bubba Kush
This potent Indica strain is a very popular option among the medical cannabis community for insomnia. It has a varying THC content that can range from 14% to 27% and contains a very low CBD content of 0.1% or less. As a result of its low CBD content some consumers report that Bubba Kush may leave you feeling groggy the next morning. On the other hand, for those who report that this strain works effectively for them, they claim nothing else works as well for helping them to fall and stay asleep at night.
Final Thoughts
Not getting enough sleep can make dealing with every aspect of your life feel overwhelming. Having to deal with insomnia frequently can have long lasting effects on your mind and body; when left untreated it can lead to more severe long term health issues.
Thankfully, thousands of people all over the world have found relief from chronic insomnia by using medical cannabis.
If you are interested in starting a medical cannabis program for your insomnia symptoms we strongly suggest that you speak with your healthcare provider(s) and join the Kanteeva community for helpful information from other patients and practitioners.
We Want to Hear from You
Have you or a loved one found relief from insomnia by using medical cannabis? If you have, we would love to hear from you!
Please help us spread the word about the amazing benefits that medical cannabis patients are finding all over the world by becoming part of our community.
With your help, thousands of others could finally find relief too.
Please share your stories, comments and questions below. If you are a medical cannabis patient please also mention what strain has been effective at helping you find relief.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We look forward to hearing your story soon!
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