Due to its relaxing affect, cannabis has long been the go-to sleep aid for medical marijuana card holders and recreational users alike. Even the most persistent insomnia can, in some cases, be improved, if not cured, by indulging in a pre-bed toke. Although there is some contrarian theories, the general consensus is that medical marijuana has an overall positive affect on sleep, especially for those MMJ card holders who use their online medical marijuana recommendations for ailments that reduce their ability to get to sleep such as chronic pain or epilepsy.
It is prudent to first talk about different strains and the different ways in which they promote or inhibit sleep. Sativa strains, such as Amnesia Haze or Sour Diesel, may be among the most popular in the world due to their unrivalled buzz and long-lasting effects but they also act as a stimulant to those who take it, giving them an uplifting and energizing experience. While this can be great for alleviating stress and depression or even helping you overcome your writer’s block, these effects are not conducive to you nodding off with ease. If you’re currently using your California medical marijuana card to obtain sativa strains, then it’s best that you avoid MMJ for at least a few hours prior to your going asleep. On the other end of the MMJ spectrum are the indica strains, such as Purple Kush and Northern Lights, which give you the relaxing, analgesic effects that help ease you off soundly to a great night’s sleep. It is also worth noting that the older your cannabis is, the sleepier it will make you feel. This is because as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) degrades, it is turned into cannabinol which is a much more potent sedative than new medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana can work as a great aid for those with insomnia.
The most noticeable effect that medical marijuana will have on your sleep cycle is that it was dramatically reduce the amount of time it will take you to fall asleep – a phenomenon that has proven invaluable to the millions of insomnia sufferers across the country. The ingredient to thank in MMJ for this amazing effect is THC which has been proven in countless studies to significantly reduce the time it takes for both healthy sleepers and insomniacs to fall asleep. Not only does THC have a direct ameliorative effect on the speed at which you fall asleep it also drastically reduces symptoms of other ailments which inhibit sleep such as PTSD, Multiple Sclerosis, chronic pain etc. It’s important to remember that if you’re consuming your MMJ as edibles, they take a little bit longer to kick in. However, once they do start working you’ll notice that they work better than inhalation methods for making your sleep last longer. As with other issues you may be using your MMJ card to treat, it’s important that you don’t take too high a dose when using medical marijuana to help your sleep cycle or else you may experience a negative impact on exactly the thing you’re trying to treat.
Although 420 card holders will probably notice the affect that MMJ has on their ability to fall asleep the most, medical marijuana most positively affects sleep at stage three. Stage three sleep, also known as slow wave sleep, is the deepest stage of non-REM sleep. During this stage it is hardest to awaken the sleeper as they become dramatically less responsive to external stimuli. Medical marijuana has been observed to significantly lengthen the amount of time that users spent in this stage of sleep. This is incredibly beneficial to the sleeper as the most damaging effects of sleep deprivation are as a result of a lack of Stage Three sleep. Deep wave sleep is crucial to the restoration process that occurs when we sleep thusly those who use MMJ can notice that they feel more restored and rejuvenated when they wake up.
If you have trouble sleeping, medical marijuana could be the answer.
One stage of sleep that medical marijuana is observed to have a negative effect on is REM – although no one is quite sure whether this is really as bad as it sounds. Scientists still aren’t exactly sure what purpose REM serves, making it harder to determine whether going without it is really that bad. Medical marijuana significantly reduces the amount of time users spent in REM. Medical cannabis users report that over time the amount of dreams they have lessens and become less vivid the longer that they consume. This is because dreaming entirely occurs within the REM stage. However, if you no longer need your medical marijuana card and halt your usage, you’re quite likely to experience REM rebound whereby your re-immersion into REM will lead to you having intense, vivid and sometimes lucid dreams.
Another lesser reported positive effect that medical marijuana has on sleep is that it restores respiratory stability by modulating serotonin signaling in the brain. Although this may not mean a lot to those without respiratory problems, to the millions of sleep apnea sufferers across the US it is potentially life changing. Sleep apnea is an affliction that manifests itself with pauses in breathing and shallow breathing during the sufferer’s sleep. According to a 2013 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, “THC stabilizes autonomic output during sleep, reduces spontaneous sleep-disordered breathing, and blocks serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea.” Although this is one small study, the implications of this are huge as it could mean that the millions of sleep apnea sufferers across the country could opt to take an MMJ pill before bed to treat their ailment instead of using a cumbersome mask.
The positive effects that MMJ has on sleep are obvious for 420 card holder. With the advent of easily applying for a California medical marijuana card online, more and more people can benefit from what is being described as the ultimate sleep aid. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who suffer from sleep related issues, you’d be crazy not to avail of this amazing service which will nearly guarantee you the best night’s sleep of your life.