When medical marijuana producers finally get their supply into dispensary stores, patients will be able to access low-THC cannabis oil to treat an array of conditions, including intractable pain, PTSD, inflammatory bowel disease and more. But did you know that in addition to helping to relieve symptoms of Georgia’s qualifying conditions, medical marijuana can help you get a better night’s sleep?
We all know what tossing and turning through the night can do to derail your day, but regular sleep deprivation also has major health consequences. Insomnia and poor sleep quality are linked to heart disease, kidney problems, neurological problems, and many more.
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for the body and the mind; and Georgia patients who get a medical marijuana card can use cannabis to help ensure better rest for a more refreshed day and healthier quality of life!
In this article, we’ll cover how medical marijuana can help you get better sleep, and how you can use cannabis to improve your sleep schedule.
Medical Marijuana & Sleep
Sleep is Critical for Good Health
Sleep is an important part of life. It helps us recover and relax, it gives our bodies time to process the day and our diet, and it gives us the ability to re-energize ourselves for a fresh start to the next day.
Without sleep, your body would fail to perform all the necessary functions that are required for daily life, and your risk of mortality increases when you are chronically sleep deprived.
A healthy sleeping schedule promotes a healthy life, and it’s a good starting place when many things feel off or when we feel particularly unwell.
Cannabis Before Bedtime
There are many ways that cannabis affects your sleeping, and you can leverage the effects of medical marijuana to help you get the rest you need for a healthier life. Certain compounds and terpenes in cannabis promote sleepiness, and certain strains can make you fall asleep fast.
It’s important to note that everyone’s biology is different, and not everyone will react the same to cannabis before bed. Some patients may find that cannabis works very well in putting them to sleep and sleeping through the night, while other patients may find although they fall asleep faster, they wake up more often during their sleep.
Another controversial topic with cannabis is REM sleep, and studies suggest that high doses of THC before bed may reduce REM sleep, while at the same time inducing faster sleep.
How Cannabis Promotes Good Sleep
Cannabis May Help Regulate Your Breathing While You Sleep
Patients who suffer from sleep apnea are familiar with the more severe side effects of breathing problems while you sleep. A 2013 study showed that a synthetic copy of THC called dronabinol improved respiratory function in 15 out of 17 patients with sleep apnea.
Additionally, a 2002 study showed that THC could help regulate respiratory function by signaling for more serotonin in mice, though clinical trials for humans are pending.
Cannabis Could be Good for Insomnia & PTSD
Medical marijuana shows a lot of promise as an alternative treatment option for patients with conditions like insomnia, chronic pain, or PTSD. Studies have shown that cannabis can help you fall asleep faster, and for patients with conditions that keep them up at night, getting to sleep fast is a challenge.
For patients suffering from lack of sleep because of pain or mental health problems, quality of sleep will be heavily determined by if they fall asleep at all, or when they do. Lying in bed for hours waiting for sleep—or worse, waiting for sleep with anxiety, can be detrimental to quality of sleep and quality of life.
Cannabis may help patients get to sleep more quickly, allowing for a better night’s sleep overall.
How to Use Cannabis for Better Sleep
Start With a Plan for Better Sleep
The keys to a better night’s sleep likely won’t lay solely on the shoulders of cannabis alone. Getting the rest you need means making it a priority in your life, which will probably require a good plan and a good routine.
Keep a consistent bedtime, avoid caffeine and sugar in the evening, keep the screens off and out of your bedroom, consider blackout curtains for a darker environment, and make sure your cannabis is handy.
Choose Your Strains Wisely!
For cannabis used right before bed, choose your nighttime strains wisely. The last thing you want is to be extra wired right before bed, so be sure to avoid most sativas and stick with indicas or indica-dominant hybrids.
Indicas are regarded as the best strains for inducing sleep because of their heavy physical effects and drowsiness.
Choose Your Terpenes Wisely!
Terpenes and the entourage effect will play a huge role in how well a strain puts you to sleep. You’re looking for strains with terpenes like linalool, myrcene, humulene, beta-caryophyllene, beta pinene and terpinolene. These terpenes have known sedative and antianxiety effects that help bring a calm experience on.
When paired with a low-THC indica-dominant strain, a strain with a terpene profile based on those terpenes will promote fast sleep and heavy drowsiness, and it’s best to leave these strains for the nighttime because of that.
While cannabis may not be the sole factor in getting you a good night’s rest, when used appropriately, cannabis may offer the extra step to relief that you need when looking for a better night’s rest.
Get Your Georgia Marijuana Card
Georgia is currently working to open dispensaries that will carry low-THC cannabis oil for patients with medical marijuana certifications.
Reserve your medical marijuana evaluation appointment online today, and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Feel free to give us a call at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia
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