Many of us suffer with insomnia at some point in our lives. Tossing and turning all night, then waking up the next morning hazy and unfocused is never ideal. Sleeping pills can help, but they can make us feel groggy the next day. This is exactly why more and more people are turning to natural alternatives to help them get a good night’s sleep.
When looking to natural products that help improve sleep, cannabis is being seriously considered. Researchers have found that the cannabis plant has several components that provide medical benefits, each of which can affect sleep differently.
This article will look at the different cannabis cannabinoids and how they can help improve sleep patterns.
What is a Healthy Sleep Cycle?
So, what exactly is considered a healthy sleep cycle? It’s generally considered that a typical schedule of sleep that spans 7-9 hours and occurs during nighttime hours is healthy. Healthy sleepers tend to fall asleep and wake up around the same time every day.
What is REM Sleep? How Many Hours of REM Sleep Do We Need?
During a healthy sleep cycle, REM and non-REM (NREM) sleep will occur. REM sleep is defined by its low amplitude, high frequency waves and alpha rhythms and the eye movements that accompany it. It is also the stage of sleep where people are most likely to dream. During REM sleep, the legs and arms are paralyzed, perhaps as a barrier to keep us from acting out our dreams.
The sleep cycle starts with NREM sleep. This stage of sleep can be further broken down into stages N1, N2 and N3. As the body goes through these stages, breathing becomes slower and more synchronized.
After the body completes the N3 stage, the REM stage begins. As sleep continues that body goes through NREM and REM stages during the night with each cycle varying in length. Typically, one entire cycle lasts 70 to 12o minutes.
REM sleep usually constitutes 25% of the sleep cycle so during a night where a person gets the recommended average of 8 hours of sleep, 2 of those hours will be spent in the REM stage.
Can THC Help Regulate the Sleep Cycle?
THC is a cannabinoid that can be helpful in improving sleep patterns. However, certain strains of THC can be more effective in improving sleep than others.
Indica strains are best for putting you to sleep, while sativa strains will make your feel more alert and energetic. This may be due to their high content of the terpene Myrcene which causes sleep-inducing effects.
How Does THC Affect REM Sleep?
While THC may be helpful in getting you to sleep, it may inhibit REM sleep. REM (or Rapid Eye Movement) is the final stage of the sleep cycle and it is essential in stimulating your brain to aid in learning and retaining memories. Therefore, the disruption of this stage of sleep can lead to cognitive disturbances.
Also, immune system repair takes place during deeper stages of sleep like the REM cycle. Therefore, a lack of REM sleep can inhibit immune system functioning. On the plus side, THC can interrupt REM sleep in such a way that it leads to a reduction in nightmares which can be useful for those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Although heavy THC use can cause disruptions in the sleep cycle, it has been shown to be effective in treating sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is disrupted while you sleep. When this occurs, your brain and body aren’t getting enough oxygen. Untreated sleep apnea can contribute to complications like stroke, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, depression and headaches.
One 2018 study has shown that THC can improve sleep apnea by promoting normal breathing. Other than directly inducing sleep, THC can improve sleep problems by dealing with them at their source.
Anxiety is a common source of insomnia. Many of us toss and turn at night worrying about the past, the future, money, work and whatever else might give us the sort of stress that keeps us from getting a good night’s sleep.
THC causes mind-altering effects that can provide different reactions for each individual. Therefore, it is hard to say whether THC can help or hinder anxiety.
Research has been conducted to determine whether THC has a positive or negative effect on mood disorders with no clear evidence emerging. Therefore, it is best to try THC in small amounts to see how it will affect you before moving forward.
Pain is another factor that can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. Aches and pains often keep us up at night, preventing us from getting the sleep we need to wake up relaxed and refreshed.
THC works in the body to stimulate the cannabinoid receptors and increase serotonin levels to reduce sensations of pain. The reduction of pain we feel can help us get a better night’s sleep.
A few other things to note regarding THC and sleep… the compound tends to be more effective in promoting sleep, if it has been left to age for some time. However, it should not be allowed to dry out completely, so finding a perfect medium is important.
Also, though THC is not addictive in nature, it can be addictive when used to treat insomnia. For example, if you use THC to help you sleep, you may get to a point where you are unable to sleep without it. Therefore, it should only be used in limited amounts when necessary.
Can CBD Help Regulate the Sleep Cycle?
CBD is another cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant that may be useful in improving sleep patterns. Research has found that it may help the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone naturally found in the body that is produced in greater quantities at night to help us sleep.
CBD may stimulate melatonin production by boosting levels of tryptophan in the bloodstream. The increase in tryptophan availability increases serotonin synthesis in the brain which is also effective in promoting sleep.
CBD’s ability to reduce inflammation can also be effective in improving sleep patterns. Inflammation adversely affects tryptophan cells. CBD reduces inflammation allowing it to become readily available in the bloodstream so more melatonin can be produced.
Like THC, CBD can also be effective in treating underlying causes of insomnia. It works with the endocannabinoid system which regulates mood, pain and other cognitive functions or biological processes to provide a calming effect. Its ability to increase serotonin contributes to feelings of happiness while decreasing anxiety and depression.
Research has shown CBD to be effective in treating many mood disorders including anxiety, depression and PTSD. The reduction in anxiety CBD provides can make for fewer nightmares that occur during REM sleep.
CBD is also useful in decreasing pain. It inhibits glutamate release and other inflammatory agents making it effective in dulling prickling, tingling and burning sensations that are manifestations of neuropathic pain.
It also works to reduce inflammation that can increase sensations of pain. It works differently than most pain relievers by inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 receptors. It’s ability to work naturally means that, unlike other popular pain relievers, it will not cause unpleasant side effects. CBD’s ability to decrease pain can mean a better night’s sleep for those dealing with painful conditions.
Many are skeptical of CBD’s ability to improve sleep because it is also known for its ability to boost energy and increase feelings of alertness during the day. However, it functions as an adaptogen, meaning it works with your body’s natural rhythms so it will help you stay focused during the day and calm your mind at night.
CBD will work best as an adaptogen, when lower doses are taken during the day and increased doses are taken at night time.
How Does CBD Affect REM Sleep?
As mentioned earlier, CBD can relieve anxiety to reduce nightmares that occur during REM sleep. However, it can also shorten stages of REM sleep which may have long term effects that are detrimental to health. Does CBD Cause Drowsiness?
CBD works as a sleep aid. So can it make us drowsy during the day? The answer to that question is no, as long as it is taken in lower doses.
CBD works as an adaptogen in our bodies. Therefore, when it is taken during the day, it actually makes us more focused and alert.
Furthermore, it works to promote sleep by minimizing symptoms that can keep us from getting a good night’s sleep such as anxiety, depression and pain.
It’s ability to provide relief from these symptoms helps us sleep comfortably and with a clear mind but these are effects that will not make us sleepy during the day.
However, when taken in higher doses, CBD may put us in a relaxed state that may actually lead to drowsiness. Start off at lower doses to determine what works for you.
Does CBD Cause Drowsiness?
CBD works as a sleep aid. So can it make us drowsy during the day? The answer to that question is no, as long as it is taken in lower doses.
CBD works as an adaptogen in our bodies. Therefore, when it is taken during the day, it actually makes us more focused and alert.
Furthermore, it works to promote sleep by minimizing symptoms that can keep us from getting a good night’s sleep such as anxiety, depression and pain.
It’s ability to provide relief from these symptoms helps us sleep comfortably and with a clear mind but these are effects that will not make us sleepy during the day.
However, when taken in higher doses, CBD may put us in a relaxed state that may actually lead to drowsiness. Start off at lower doses to determine what works for you.
Can CBN Help Regulate the Sleep Cycle?
Continued research on the cannabis plant reveals that it contains many other cannabinoids in addition to CBD and THC. One of these additional cannabinoids, CBN (cannabinol) is especially effective in providing sedative effects that can aid sleep.
In fact, it’s been shown that 5 mg of CBN can be as effective as a 10 mg dose of Diazepam, a mild pharmaceutical sedative. It is shown to have the ability to prolong sleep time and some say it can be even more effective in promoting healthy sleep patterns when combined with THC. However, more research is needed to fully determine that this is accurate.
CBN is also known to relieve pain and inflammation. It is said to influence the activity of the neurons in the body that are sensitive to capsaicin. These nerves play an important role in the body’s signaling and pain perception. CBN also interacts with the endocannabinoid system to affect the immune system in such a way that it produces an anti-inflammatory response.
CBN’s ability to reduce pain and inflammation make it effective in helping individuals suffering with painful conditions relax so they can get a good night’s sleep.
How Does CBN Affect REM Sleep?
Like THC and CBD, CBN will also have an effect on REM sleep. It inhibits REM so the stage 5 REM cycle is shortened. This could be beneficial to those who experience nightmares, but it can also be damaging to cognitive and immune system functioning.
CBC and CBG are other cannabinoids that are starting to become more well known as cannabis continues to be explored. While not known for their sleep inducing effects, they are effective anti-inflammatories and can provide relief from symptoms of certain painful conditions.
Taking Cannabis for Sleep Disorders
When taking cannabis to help you sleep, timing is important. You want to time things just right so you don’t get too tired before bedtime, but you also want to make sure you don’t stay awake for an hour waiting for the effects to kick in.
For this reason, edibles are not recommended as a sleep aid. This is because they are unreliable about when they kick in. Sometimes it takes an hour and sometimes it can be more like two or three. Edibles can also stay in our system longer causing us to be groggy in the morning.
Keeping that in mind, any other type of cannabis can be helpful in promoting sleep including oils, capsules, vapes, pipes and more.
While the time it takes for cannabis to kick in can vary from person to person, generally taking it an hour before bedtime is ideal. This way, the cannabis will work for three or four hours helping you to fall asleep.
However, you don’t want to feel the effects right as you are trying to go to sleep. Taking it an hour before bedtime will ensure that any excitability you might feel will have worn off by the time you head to bed for the night.
Conclusion
If insomnia is keeping you from enjoying life to the fullest, cannabis may provide a natural alternative to helping improve your quality of sleep without providing unpleasant side effects.
Everyone is different, so there is no magic answer as to instantly determine which will work best for you: CBD oil, THC flower or CBN pills. There are many options out there. Trial and error will be the way to determine which provide you with best results. We are fortunate that nature has provided us with a great way to keep insomnia at bay so we can be happier, healthier and have what it takes to face the day ahead of us.
