Five Ways Cannabis Can Help You Sleep

Believe it or not, cannabis can help restore your sleep cycle, naturally.

We all know that a good night’s sleep is essential.

Unfortunately, more than 33 percent of Americans experience some form of sleep disorder. And with the anxiety we’re all feeling due to COVID-19, the number of people dealing with insomnia is rising.

“Our brain wants to think: what do I do, what should I do, where should I hide, where should I go,” said Dr. Savannah Geske, a behavioral health specialist at Saint Luke’s Health System.

Fortunately, cannabis could help you catch some Zs. A 2019 study revealed 74 percent of respondents consumed cannabis to help them sleep. Of those respondents, 84 percent found it very or extremely helpful.

“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,” says Dr. Matt Roman MD, a medical cannabis physician.

Ready to get back in sync? We’ve got you covered. Here are five ways cannabis can help you sleep.

1. Fall Asleep Faster

THC has sedating effects, which explains why it can help you drift off to sleep.

A 2011 study found 79 percent of research participants fell asleep quicker when consuming THC before bed.

 THC helps to influence sleep induction. THC acts on the same CB1 receptors as the endocannabinoid anandamide, increasing sleep through an adenosine pathway in the forebrain.

2. Reduce Nighttime Anxiety

People who experience anxiety are more likely to have higher sleep reactivity. High sleep reactivity makes it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep when you’re stressed.

Thankfully, THC can help you manage stress and anxiety.

A 2017 study found THC could reduce anxiety caused by stressful activities. In one test, research participants consumed a low dose of cannabis before a fake job interview and reported less anxiety than placebo.

“Our findings provide some support for the common claim that cannabis is used to reduce stress and relieve tension and anxiety,” said Emma Childs, associate professor of psychiatry in the UIC College of Medicine and corresponding author on the study.

But there’s a caveat. Too much THC caused increased anxiety in the research participants, so make sure to get your dosage right.

3. The Entourage Effect

THC isn’t the only cannabinoid that can help with anxiety and insomnia. Full-spectrum THC products, like High Notes cannabis chews, also often contain CBD and CBN, which could amplify THC’s therapeutic effects.

Unlike THC, CBD can make you feel alert. So how does it help you drift off to sleep?

“[CBD] is particularly helpful for people whose sleep problems are due to anxiety,” said Dr. Sarah Brewer MD, cannabis supplement expert. “A recent review of 72 adults with anxiety or poor sleep found that anxiety scores decreased within the first month in 79.2 percent and remained decreased during the study duration. Sleep scores also improved within the first month in 66.7 percent, and it was well tolerated.”

4. Ditch the Sleeping Pills – and Their Side Effects

Weed can help you get to sleep without the need for sleeping pills.

In a 2019 survey of cannabis consumers, most respondents taking over-the-counter (87 percent) or prescription sleep aids (83 percent) said they had reduced or stopped using those medications. Always remember to consult your doctor before reducing or stopping any medication.

5. Cannabis Might Help to Solve Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. One in five American adults has mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the most common form.

A 2002 study showed THC and oleamide effectively stabilized respiration in mice during their entire sleep cycle. THC reduced the apnea index during NREM (42 percent) and REM (58 percent) sleep stages.

A follow-up study in 2013 found synthetic THC reduced the sleep apnea index in people by 32 percent. The results are promising, although we’re still waiting on clinical studies using natural THC.

Get the rest and recovery your body needs.

We make our High Notes edibles with all-natural Oregon cannabis oil so that you can get your sleep schedule back in sync – naturally.

Our cannabis oil is full-spectrum, too, so you get the benefits of THC, CBD, and CBN.

Sleep longer and faster naturally with High Notes cannabis chews. Click here to find us in Oregon.

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