Should You Smoke Marijuana before Going to Bed?

Should You Smoke Marijuana before Going to Bed?
 

Should You Smoke Marijuana before Going to Bed?:  Currently, most individuals are struggling to get enough sleep. According to various statistics and studies, between 50 and 70 million Americans have a particular sleep disorder. Furthermore, 35% of the total population lack enough sleep; they sleep less than seven hours per night. The average amount of sleeping hours in the country is 6.8 hours, lower than the previous generations’ average. For instance, statistics reveal that in 1910, the average sleeping duration for an American was 9 hours per night.

Below are some of the alarming statistics related to sleeping hours:

● Over 60 million Americana have reported having different forms of insomnia

● 22 million Americans developed sleep apnea

● Approximately 75% of individuals having depression have also reported suffering from a lack of sleep

● 12 million individuals have restless leg syndrome

● Up to 20% of serious car crash injuries and deaths result from sleepy drivers

● 20% of the Americans reports pains disrupting their sleep for a few nights per week

● Sleep pills are the main factors leading to up to 500000 death each year

● Only 3% of the total teenage population spends the recommended 9 hours per night sleeping

● By each American adult having an extra sleep per night, experts estimate up to $200 billion boosts on the country’s economy.

Thus, if you’re a good American citizen, it’s good to prioritize your sleep and add a few hours of sleep. Lack of sleep or sleep disorders are not only in the United States or idle individuals, but they’re also widespread worldwide and in other departments. Some individuals have also developed poor habits resulting from an increased workload or more entertainment options that causes disrupted sleep.

Despite the prevalence of sleeping disorders or lack of sleep, turning to sleep pills is one of the worst decisions. Apart from establishing a healthy and sound nighttime or sleeping routine, it's advantageous to use cannabis in the evening or at night. Individuals have been assuming that Indica Strains was the best cannabis strain to enhance quality sleep for many years. However, you’ll need to work more with the particular strain’s terpene and cannabinoids content to achieve quality sleep.

The Science behind How Marijuana Can Make You Sleepy

Approximately 10 million Americans use pharmaceutical sleep prescriptions like Ambien. In addition, 4% of the adults have been using sleeping pills or sedatives in the last month to get proper sleep. Despite having a short-term working mechanism, these pills have numerous side effects on your health and body. These side effects include:

● Dry mouth and nose or throat irritations

● Dizziness, weakness most times, and drowsiness as the drugs start to function

● Headaches and muscle pain

● Nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and other stomach upset issues

● Reduced or loss of coordination ability

When researching and studying the role of cannabis in enhancing your sleep, it’ll be imperative to forget all the myths and misconceptions you’ve heard about the drug. For instance, most individuals have believed that Sativa strains are vital for providing energy, while Indica strains enhance quality sleep.

Additionally, most studies have only focused on THC and CBD, paying less attention to the other more than 100 marijuana cannabinoids. The studies and research on these two common cannabis compounds reveal contrasting results.

We also have a slight concern with the terpenes, as there are over 200 terpenes types in cannabis. Experts believe that some terpenes types like myrcene help you get quality sleep. Thus, it’s the main reason individuals always thought Indica was the best strain for sleep, as it contains higher myrcene levels than Sativa. The higher myrcene content makes them the most effective sleep aids.

When studying, it’s also vital to consider that most researchers carried out studies on the relations between sleep and marijuana in the 1970s. During this duration, the researchers discovered that consuming marijuana with lower doses of THC, approximately 4 - 20 mg decreased the sleep REM among the regular users and non-users. Nevertheless, when the individuals used the marijuana strain initially, it resulted increase deep sleep, and after further usage, the effects subsided.

The study revealed that the non-users and the frequent users experienced a decrease in the REM sleep after an increase in the THC range to 50 - 210mg. Despite the total sleeping time remaining unaffected, the researchers recorded a significant decrease in the total amount of deep sleep. In addition, the researchers also observed a slight rebound in the REM after the volunteers stopped taking the marijuana having THC cannabinoids. The volunteers took longer to fall asleep during this time, reducing the total sleep duration.

In the current years, research and studies on sleep and marijuana haven’t improved in the United States due to the illegal status of the substance amongst the federal authority. Additionally, with increased access to low-grade cannabis and various obstacles, forcing researchers to jump through any hoops has made most researchers lose interest in the hassle. These occurrences make it hard for individuals to understand the association between sleep and marijuana.

CBD or THC for Sleep?

According to a study, Murillo-Rodriguez et al. carried out and published in the FEBS letters in 2006; it's evident that CBD enhanced alertness in rats. Nevertheless, later in 2019, Shannon et al. carried out another study and published the results in the 'The Permanente Journal,' performed a test of CBD among 72 adults. The results reveal that up to 80% of the patients recorded lower scores during the first month’s anxiety tests, but the sleep score improved in more than two-thirds of these patients.

However, despite improving the sleep among the patients, 25 % of these patients experienced worsening symptoms that negatively impacted their sleep. Thus, pure CBD has a high and reasonable safety profile associated with sleep from the study. According to the Shannon study, only 3% of the total patients and test group failed to tolerate CBD. Therefore, if you try out CBD and it fails to improve your sleep quality, experts advise that you try a low THC dose and observe the difference.

Can Cannabis Help You to Fall Asleep Faster?

In 2013, Gorelick et al. conducted a study on the sleep effects of consuming oral THC on men, especially chronic daily smokers. They published the findings in the ‘American Journal on Addictions.’ The study involved a small study sample of 13 participants in determining the effects of THC on sleep among chronic male users. The study revealed that consuming higher THC content and 11-OH-THC in the evening negatively affects sleep patterns. Most volunteers had challenges receiving sleep. In addition, these volunteers also had symptoms of shorter sleep latency resulting in more daytime sleep in the following days.

Nevertheless, on most occasions, the effects on the sleep latency and having increased daytime sleep are usual. THC affects sleep latency because marijuana is closely associated with alleviating stress and enhancing relaxation. Medical experts have revealed that high levels of anxiety and stress are the main reasons individuals find it hard to get enough ad quality sleep.

However, after smoking weed or marijuana, you’re likely to have an amicable rest or fall asleep faster. Marijuana makes you fall asleep faster because when you get high, you'll tend to forget about all the stressors or troubles until the time you lose your 'highness.'. Thus, to enhance or achieve a longer sleep duration, it’ll be good to consider edibles, as their highness takes a longer duration.

Marijuana Could Enhance Your Deep Sleep Levels

Marijuana can be essential to help you get a good and quality sleep due to making you forget about the stressors that hinder your sleep. However, the major drawback of using cannabis to enhance your sleep is that you’ll dream on fewer occasions. Despite hindering your ability to dream more frequently, it may not be a big deal as most individuals forget 95-99% of their dreams. In October 2018, Schierenbeck et al. carried out a study on the same issue and published the finding in the ‘Sleep Medicine Reviews.’ The study revealed that ingesting cannabis with high THC content plays a huge role in reducing the REM sleep amount you get.

Importantly, it’ll be good to understand that having less REM sleep leads to fewer dreams. In addition, if you have unique conditions like PTSD, less REM sleep could be the appropriate relief. Fewer dreams are essential to reducing the number of nightmares you have while sleeping. Theoretically, if you’ve got less time in REM sleep, it translates to a considerable time having a deep sleep. Experts reveal that deep sleep is the most restorative and restful part of an appropriate sleep cycle.

In contrast, some findings reveal that REM sleep is essential for your body systems. It enhances the healthy functions of vital body systems, such as immune and cognitive systems. We’ve got various studies and research that support this concept. For instance, in 2016, Convroy et al. carried out a survey of the matter and published the finding in a journal called ‘Journal of Addictive Diseases.’ The results suggested that THC in your marijuana could be harmful, as it may cause long-term sleep impairment or disorders.

Better Breathing = Better Sleep 

According to statistics, approximately 20 million Americans experience various forms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a unique sleep condition that causes difficulty breathing while you sleep. The condition may cause you to stop or pause breathing for a while or on several occasions while you’re sleeping. As a result, the paused breathing, or breathing irregularities cause the body to get up for restarting your breathing process. Experts have linked this sleeping disorder with various medical issues and body system complications like cardiovascular illnesses, respiratory conditions, and diabetes.

Importantly, when having such a condition, medical experts or doctors recommend that you get an appropriate treatment to help stabilize your breathing patterns. According to a study that Carley et al. carried out in 2002 and published in the ‘Sleep,’ reveals that marijuana can substitute the medications and provide a lasting solution for the sleep disorder or issue. While conducting the study, the researchers offered different Serotonin, Oleamide, and THC, separately and combined. The results found that THC was responsible for regulating different serotonin levels in the participants’ brains. The regulation of serotonin levels helps improve breathing patterns while asleep.

Other Tidbits on Sleep and Marijuana

• Beware of the hangover effect

It’ll be imperative to understand the association between the hangover effect and your sleep when consuming weed. Suppose you smoke too much cannabis at night or in the evening to get excellent or quality sleep. In that case, you're likely to experience the advanced effects of a feeling of a hangover after waking up. A hangover is common among frequent marijuana users resulting in a bad headache accompanying a feeling of dehydration and tiredness. You can also experience a marijuana hangover when using low-grade pot or herb that manufacturers have treated with pesticides.

• Aged weed is more effective 

With time most marijuana enthusiasts are degrading THC and replacing it with CBN. CBN is a common cannabinoid that individuals know better for having more significant sedative effects that CBD or THC doesn’t provide. Experts are increasingly degrading it because THC might take a longer duration or level of degradation to provide effectiveness when enhancing quality sleep.

• Long-term users fall in a sticky spot

Several studies and researches have revealed that long-term or chronic use of marijuana comes with various adverse effects. These effects may include; long-term use might affect your health and hinder you from getting quality sleep. Therefore, it’ll be essential to wean yourself off or reduce the frequency of consuming marijuana. If you're a chronic or long-term cannabis user, who must use marijuana to enhance or get quality sleep, you may find it hard if you lack the drug. You may take a long time to fall asleep or get quality sleep following the treatment or drug use discontinuation.

• Keep marijuana away from minors or children 

Despite the medicinal benefits of CBD in treating epilepsy in minors, it’ll be wise to keep the drug away from kids or children. Anatomy experts reveal that the human brain grows or develops up to the teenage stages. In 2014, the Penn Medicine study revealed that marijuana is responsible for impairing quality sleep among individuals who began using it during 14 years or younger.

Should you use Cannabis to Enhance Your Sleep?

We've got limited research and findings on the relationship between marijuana and sleep, making it hard to establish if you can use cannabis to enhance your sleep. With limited and contradicting research findings, using marijuana to improve sleep remains a personal choice. Thus, it becomes hard to tell whether it's good to use cannabis before bedtime due to the different ingesting methods of the drug and the possible effects. For instance, you may experience a more prolonged effect if you ingest cannabis via edibles, but some individuals may take a long time to experience the same impact. Therefore, choosing the appropriate way to consume it and if it's essential to enhance your sleep will be based on the effects on an individual.

Nevertheless, experts advise that you start conservatively to get the desired effects regardless of whether you smoke, eat, or vape. When starting conservatively, the worst thing that can happen is waking up at night craving for more cannabis. Additionally, it’s unwise to take marijuana fewer hours before you’re due to get out of bed. Taking marijuana during this time will make your body feel groggy, a typical side effect for individuals who have taken sleeping pills.

Available data suggest that CBD plays an integral role in improving sleep by ensuring you remain attentive or alert during the daytime and also helps to reduce chronic pain. Alternatively, THC comes with a sedative effect that helps to reduce the amount of time you take to fall asleep. It also takes full advantage of REM sleep to offer you a long deep sleep.

The various studies and experts reveal that marijuana has potential effects in all the five sleep stages we go through:

● Stage one

You begin drifting off to rest or sleep at this stage, and you’ll have the ‘just about to sleep’ experience. The experience or feeling won’t last for a longer time. At this stage, marijuana will be helpful to enhance relaxation and improve the chances of moving to the next sleeping stage.

● Stage two

Your body gets to a light sleep cycle during this stage. At this point, any disturbances or slight noise can awake you. If you’re completely stoned, cannabis will significantly affect this stage, as you won’t hear the disturbances or noise.

● Stage three & four 

At this point, your body is in a deep sleep stage, allowing your body system to repair various tissues. Marijuana will be helpful to prolong the deep sleep duration, resulting in a feeling of more refreshed when you wake up.

● Stage five 

It’s the final sleep stage, and experts refer to it as Rapid Eye Movement (REM), which involves rapid movement of your eyes beneath the eyelids. It’s the stage at which most individuals dream. With marijuana reducing the REM sleep duration, taking marijuana will cause you to dream on fewer occasions. Despite the unknown long-term effects of shorter REM sleep, experts suggest they can affect your sleep quality.

Before waking, most individuals go through these sleeping stages severally at night. The limited current research on marijuana’s effect on sleep and the availability of outdated older studies complicate the issue further. Most experts have found it challenging to recommend marijuana use before bedtime to get quality sleep. Notably, the decision now becomes a personal choice if you’ve got a sleep disorder. You can check if using cannabis will work for you, but remember to use moderate doses when consuming marijuana.  Thanks for reading Should You Smoke Marijuana before Going to Bed?