Insomnia is a groundswell for a slew of other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and peptic ulcers. A recent study suggested that reduced sleep or lack of quality sleep can significantly lower the rate of mortality. People who slept less than 7 hours were more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, obesity and had a weakened immune system, among other acute medical conditions.
It goes without saying that the dangers this life-threatening medical condition poses are very real.
Many people, who have had their time of rest stolen by insomnia, have turned to Marijuana and found relief. Marijuana is tantamount to a bedtime story for adults. It releases stress and coaxes the mind to sleep. Many people swear by its ability to cure insomnia. But do their claims hold any weight?
In this article, we’re going to tread out into the reliable terrain of scientific research and ferret out the truth.
Cannabis as a Sleep Aid in Scientific Literature
The amount of scientific research on cannabis’s impact on sleep is dwindling. Most of it dates back to the 1970s and will be our main point of discussion.
Cannabis has received wildly rapturous characterizations, from drug to psychedelic to medicine because of its varied effects on the human body. It is a derivative of many different compounds, Cannabidiol and THC, being the most important ones.
THC is a psychoactive chemical compound that has hallucinogenic effects, whereas CBD is non-psychoactive, and much more appropriate for medicinal use.
Effect of THC on Sleep
In one study, the effect of THC on REM sleep was studied. A low dosage of THC only slightly decreased REM sleep in seasoned and novice users. For a couple of days, their sleep patterns, and quality of sleep improved, but after continued use, the positive effects diminished.
A high dosage of THC, on the other hand, reduced REM sleep in the subjects.
When THC was taken off, a mild reversion to REM sleep was observed, with a reduction in overall time of sleep.
One other study also suggests that THC has potent sedative properties and can make one drowsy. A 15mg dose of THC was administered, and increased sleepiness was observed. However, evidence suggesting memory impairment and fluctuations in mood was also found.
One thing to note there is that prolonged use of THC can lead to the loss of agility and a lingering state of grogginess. This is one the reasons why THC was abandoned as an alternative treatment for insomnia in the 70s.
Additionally, different doses of THC have vastly different effects on sleep.
A wrongly administered dose, instead of helping with insomnia, may actually spring up anxiety and depression. This is why it’s extremely important to get a medical marijuana prescription from a licensed physician. Oklahoma Consults can help you with that.
Effect of CBD on Sleep
When it comes to CBD, scientific research paints a similar picture. CBD has a pronounced effect on sleep patterns, and has also found its place as a stress and anxiety reliever. As Insomnia arises due to many other medical conditions, including anxiety and depression, CBD is an ideal treatment for the root causes of insomnia.
Research published in FEBS letters inferred that CBD is actively involved in regulating the DRD and hypothalamus, regions responsible for alertness. I know what you’re thinking. Insomniacs don’t want alertness; they need something to knock them out. But this ability to stay alert actually helps them ease into a healthy sleeping regime and indirectly treats their insomnia.
Effect of Different Cannabis Strains on Sleep
Most reputable cannabis outlets proclaim that indica strains are better for sleep. Some of them even profess that they are manifolds better than sativas. But indiscriminate scientific research vindicates no such claim.
According to expert psychologists, like Marcel Bonn-Miller, there is no difference between the ability of the two types of strains to induce sleep. He is of the opinion that people just opt for the indicas because of what people tell them. He also adds that all indicas are not the same. One strain might completely differ in composition from the other and have entirely different impacts on sleep.
Conclusion
The use of cannabis to treat insomnia is advised only under the supervision of a licensed medical marijuana doctor. Don’t latch on to hearsay or the floating wisdom of hippies. If you do, there are chances you might end up exacerbating your quality of sleep.
The chronic use of cannabis can plateau out its sleep inducing effects and may even lead to withdrawals, worsening sleep in its absence. The Scientific literature on the link between cannabis and sleep is still scarce. However, after cannabis’s legalization, things are bound to change for the better.