Got Sleep?
Sleep is a blissful state where your mind and body truly get to rest and recuperate. For me, sleep is a time of creativity when my subconscious is working through all the stimulus it had during the previous day and, upon waking, I have all the answers I was seeking.
Unfortunately, there are so many things that can disrupt this naturally intended cycle, and lack of sleep can lead to other issues, becoming a cyclical problem. There are mental and situational factors that cause stress and anxiety keeping us up at night, such as your sleeping situation not being as cozy as you would like, making it tough to fall asleep. Lifestyle factors, like your job or a newborn, can also make it difficult to string together enough sleep. You may even have diagnosed insomnia or mental health issues that deter you from falling and staying asleep comfortably.
On the flip side, there are activities and habits that can help us to sleep like fitness, meditation and making sure that bed is so comfy you can’t help but fall asleep. No matter what your situation is, you can only do so much to create a healthy sleep cycle for yourself.
Cannabis has some properties that have been known to help in these areas that I would like to explore.
I think most people are familiar with the more cliche notion of the bleary eyed effects of weed that can leave you locked into your couch or passed out before turning out the lights, but what I am interested in are more subtle ways of ensuring you easily induce and prolong your sleep, because there are many factors and properties of cannabis that can play a factor here.
Method of Consumption
While smoking flower is thought of as the traditional way to consume cannabis, it might not be the best way to prolong your sleep because it often affects the body for a shorter time period than say, consuming an edible. Maybe you do fall asleep on the couch with the lights still on, but wake up only 2hrs later (as per our couch lock example above). Edibles are a good way to experience more prolonged effects with a longer and more sustained onset, and I would argue that fat based edibles like chocolate or an oil based tincture are more effective than a sugary gummy.
Terpenes
Many people immediately think, “INDICA!” when you talk about sleep, but the thinking on this has changed quite a bit, whereby now we look towards the science of terpene content and traditional herbal medicine to understand what has an exciting or calming effect on the mind and body. For example, Myrcene and Linalool are known as the dominant calming or relaxing terpenes and is something to look for if your goal is sleep.
CBN
To be clear, there is no conclusive clinical evidence about CBN inducing sleep on its own, as most CBN studies have been done on rodents or chimpanzees, but there are indications that CBN can have a sedative effect in conjunction with THC. CBN is also known to have anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties which of course can also be conducive to better sleep. It is important to remember that cannabis affects everyone differently, but this is another cannabinoid that has the potential to help you sleep better.
As with every decision about cannabis, we encourage people to speak with a knowledgeable budtender to select the right consumption method for their personal intention, whether that is being more sociable, going to sleep, increasing appetite or just having a good time. At the end of the day, cannabis should contribute to your own sense of well-being.
By Kaspar Heinrici, Director of Business Development