Today we will talk about something that is closely associated with each other and that is sleep and marijuana. How true is it that it is linked to a deep, restful sleep? Friends or enemies?
Perhaps few will know that marijuana includes more than 500 chemical components. We are going to talk about two of the components that are most related to its influence on sleep and whose effects on the brain are best known: CBD and THC.
CBD or Cannabidiol would be the non-psychoactive part of marijuana. The usual formulation of CBD is an oil, sold as an extract, a vaporized liquid or an oil-based capsule usually for easier ingestion. Studies today reveal that they significantly help epilepsy. It is also being studied as a possible therapeutic treatment for Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
If we increase the dose that is when we notice sedation and drowsiness. It acts as a thermoregulator by lowering core body temperature and appears to increase the brain's sensitivity to adenosine, thus increasing sleep pressure. All of these facts induce a decrease in the time needed to fall asleep, a feeling of relaxation and a feeling of having deeper sleep.
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC would be the psychoactive component. Psychoactive is understood as a substance that alters brain function and can cause changes in mood, perception, thoughts, etc. It is also used as a therapeutic substance. THC is the substance that is present in the greatest quantity in the plant. When marijuana is smoked, THC acts on the person in the form of vapor. Although in a controlled manner and for therapeutic purposes, it is used to calm anxiety or stress.
What impact does marijuana have on sleep?
We all know that getting a good night's sleep is essential to maintaining good functioning and performing energetically the rest of the day, but it seems like that is becoming increasingly difficult, and it's all the fault of our lifestyles and the chronic stress that most of us face. adults suffer. "Weed is an effective sleep aid because it resets a person's natural sleep cycle, which is often out of sync with our schedules in today's modern lifestyle," says Dr. Matt Roman, a marijuana doctor.
Nowadays, more people prefer to use cannabis as a sleep treatment. Supposedly, marijuana reduces the frequency of the REM cycle, which means that you dream less, and have fewer nightmares, so there is less chance that you will wake up in the middle of the night and your sleep hours will be interrupted, preventing you from being able to to rest well.
So can you use marijuana to sleep better? The first thing you should know is that there are different types of marijuana, some have an energizing effect, but others have a sedative effect that helps you relax and calm down, which you can find as they are usually called: INDICA. The THC in marijuana, which is what produces the high, also helps induce sleep, so for it to work, you need a type of marijuana that has both CBD (which has the medical benefits), like THC.
Cannabis and insomnia
The use of medicinal cannabis has emerged as an effective treatment for insomnia as it helps restore the natural sleep cycle.
Insomnia can be caused by physical pain or mental stress, and weed is a solution to both factors as it can relieve pain and relax the mind. In addition, some people suffer from night terrors that prevent them from falling asleep normally. For these patients, marijuana is very useful since it reduces the REM phase and this reduces the possibilities of dreaming.
Each body is different and the brain reacts differently. This is an informative blog and I do not encourage you to smoke :)
Higher doses may have the opposite effect. High doses of THC can lead to:
A decrease in REM sleep
A decrease in slow wave sleep
A decrease in sleep onset latency: the time it takes to go from fully awake to asleep
hallucinogenic effects