Insomnia is a chronic condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Most people will experience the inability to sleep at some stage in their lives, but true insomnia can be a debilitating condition. It can be a symptom of an illness such as stress, heart disease or sleep apnea and can cause health issues such as irritability, poor concentration, stress and even depression. Fortunately, there is a medical marijuana strain that can help!
Insomnia can be divided into three types depending on how long it lasts. Transient insomnia, which lasts less than a week, is the most common type. Acute insomnia tends to last longer than a week but less than a month. It is most commonly linked to stress. The most serious and long-lasting type of insomnia is chronic insomnia, which can cause serious health issues including hallucinations.
The problem is that insomnia is incredibly debilitating. We need sleep to allow our brains and bodies to rest, so if you’re not sleeping properly, your work, personal life and health will suffer. Conventional treatments for insomnia can be problematic as many of the pharmaceutical solutions can be dangerous or addictive and won’t always help in the long term. Other solutions such as meditation, diet or lifestyle changes won’t work for everyone.
This is where medical marijuana can help. In obtaining a medical marijuana card online, a whole new world will be opened to you in terms of managing insomnia. Different medical marijuana strains have different effects, so you’ll need to know which strains are the most suitable for you. If you get it wrong, you could make your insomnia even worse!
Medical Marijuana Strains: Indica vs Sativa
To treat insomnia, choose a medical marijuana strain with higher levels of CBD.
Generally, indica strains are better than sativa strains for treating insomnia. The ways in which you consume the weed are many and varied, but avoiding sativa is recommended if you need to drift off. Sativa strains tend to induce more of a giddy feeling, and this should be avoided if you’re trying to fall asleep. It’s also important to go for an indica strain that has smaller amounts of THC because high THC levels can induce anxiety, which could make your insomnia worse, especially if its roots are in mental illness or depression. It’s also important to choose a medical marijuana strain with higher levels of cannabidiol (CBD) as this has sedative effects and has been shown to work to treat other conditions such as extreme epilepsy and psychosis.
Afghani indica is often recommended as a good medical marijuana strain for those who are suffering from insomnia. This strain characterized by a soft and stress-free high that will allow your mind to wander and your body to relax, encouraging sleep to take hold. It also encourages pain relief, which is good if you suffer from other issues alongside your insomnia. A word of warning: This strain can often encourage a strong sense of the munchies so it can be helpful to keep some snacks on hand or else consume it via edibles to curb your hunger. Being full can also help to soothe you to sleep as the body expends energy digesting. This is why we often feel exhausted after having a big meal.
Choosing the Right Medical Marijuana Strain
If your depression or anxiety is keeping you up at night, a CBD/THC combination can be a helpful treatment.
Sometimes it can be helpful to figure out if your insomnia is a stand-alone condition or a symptom of something larger. Picking strains that can treat the main illness, as well as the symptom of insomnia, can be helpful. The charmingly named Girl Scout Cookies strain contains a combination of THC and CBD that mixes to produce a mildly psychoactive high, which proves very relaxing for the body. It is known for helping to physically and mentally calm users and is also known as a helpful antidote to depression and anxiety, both of which can be the initial causes of insomnia. If your depression or anxiety is keeping you up at night, a CBD/THC combination can be a helpful treatment.
It’s also recommended that you consume your medical marijuana via edibles as their effects tend to be the longest lasting of all the methods of consuming cannabis. If you’re good at baking, the process of cooking your own edibles can also be relaxing enough to help bring on sleepiness. Baking and cooking have been shown to be a therapeutic process, so coupling your medication with an activity that is naturally relaxing can be very helpful in curbing insomnia.
Depending on the cause of your insomnia, there is a medical marijuana strain out there that can help you. It’s very easy to feel as if you’re the only one suffering, but the fact is that the vast majority of adults will suffer from insomnia at some stage in their lives. Medical marijuana can be an effective treatment, and once you’ve found the best medical marijuana strain for you, it won’t be long before you’re counting sheep and fast asleep.