Can Cannabis Help Me Sleep at Night?
Tags: Cannabis, Marijuana

In today’s modern society, we have a number of things that keep our minds racing as we try to go to sleep at night. From wondering if we got all, or enough of our work done during the day, to the anxiety of living in a COVID-19 world and wondering if someone we know might get sick, let alone ourselves. Not to mention our blue lit screens that we can’t seem to unplug from.

Can Cannabis Help Me Sleep at Night?

These, along with many other things, have made more and more people develop sleeping disorders. And while there are many ways to combat a sleeping disorder and help you to get more sleep, many people wonder if turning to cannabis can help them. Before turning to this as an alternative, you should always consult your doctor first, as long-term sleep alternatives vary and are not for everyone.

Choosing Your Strain

One thing you want to do first, is select the right type of strain. To do this, you need to know a little bit more about the science behind marijuana.

Cannabidol or CBD, is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has many health benefits to it. It’s counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is the psychoactive cannabinoid that gives you that “high” feeling when smoking or ingesting marijuana.

Along with knowing a bit about the cannabinoids behind the scenes you should also know about the different strains; Indica, Sativa, and Hybrids.

Indica strains are known for their calming effects while Sativa’s tend to make you feel more energetic and happy. A Hybrid is just as it sounds, a hybrid mix between the two. These are typically something developed by the dispensary and will have percentages and milligrams noted on the packaging to let you know exactly what you are getting.

Something that may seem counter intuitive is that when choosing a strain to help you sleep, you actually want something that has more THC. Especially for those that may suffer from PTSD, choosing a strain that has more THC will help you to get into a deeper sleep with less dreams or nightmares.

However, Dr. Tishler, a Cannabis Specialist, suggests choosing a strain with less than 20 percent THC. He states that anything more could make it harder for you to fall asleep and could potentially leave you feeling groggy the next day.

What Type of Cannabis to Consume

Once you know what strain you want, it’s time to think about how you will ingest your marijuana to help you sleep. While smoking may not be something you like and can damage your lungs, smoking marijuana is one of the quickest ways to start feeling it’s effects.

Edibles might also be of interest to you, but it’s hard to know exactly when their effects will kick in. Since they have to fully digest through your gut and liver, you could be waiting hours before you start to feel their effects.

Another alternative is using tinctures. These are droplets that you put under your tongue that can take about 15 minutes to kick in. You can also add them to a beverage of choice.

Conclusion

It all goes back to doing what is best for you and your body. Be sure to consult a doctor before deciding to use cannabis as a sleep aid. For other forms of relaxation before bed to help you sleep, try cannabis topicals and oils for instant relief and a calm mind.