Is cannabis the secret to a good night’s sleep?

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Cannabis is becoming more popular, leading to its presence in many aspects of daily life. Medicine, fitness, beauty, recreation, are all touched by the plant. What about sleep?

Everyone loves a good night’s sleep. Waking up refreshed and ready for the day ahead not only feels good to the body but also to the brain. A good night’s sleep improves mood and clears the mind.

After a night of tossing and turning we expect quite the opposite of refreshment.  Our heads are heavy. Our minds are cloudy. A good mood is too difficult to conjure up. That feeling of being hit by a train keeps us from accomplishing the things we need to do to live our best.

It’s why a good night’s sleep has become a priority around the globe. A good rest keeps us feeling our best every day. And because cannabis has become such a large part of modern reality, it’s best to know why it may benefit your sleep.

We can’t get enough sleep

Most people around the world don’t feel like they get enough sleep. This is especially true during the working week. A report on relaxation, shows 51 percent of adults around the globe believe they get less than their ideal amount of sleep. Eighty percent of these adults report they used weekends to catch up on dreaming.

The ideal amount of sleep for an adult is seven to nine hours. This sleep can be incremental or all at once. An average person falls outside the ideal range getting anywhere from 5.5 hours to 10 hours of sleep a night.  For some places, the report shows people average a breath more than 6.25 hours.

Sleep-deprived people operate on the lower end of the range. They don’t sleep enough because of busy schedules and modern life. This lack of sleep causes health problems.

Scientists attribute a multitude of health issues are due to a lack of sleep, including diabetes, obesity, and increased incidences of cardiovascular morbidity among others.

Almost two decades ago The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised the pandemic of problematic sleep. Today, things have only gotten worse. 

Now, there are more people who get much less sleep than they need. Sleep seems to be the trade-off for modern life with many options. 

The difference with sleep deprivation

The modern work-life schedule is hectic at best. We’re up early and in bed late. We stay connected to everyone everywhere at every hour of the day. We have more information coming from our pocket-size computer than entire libraries.

We can travel anywhere. Have wild adventures. Try new things. Raise a family. Work from home. We can literally have it all. But the cost is our sleep.

Cannabis in the modern era

Our modern era has witnessed the birth and development of the marijuana industry. We’ve watched cannabis moved from the illegal market to the mainstream.

Cannabis is everywhere. In every industry.  It even comes in many different forms.

There’s medical marijuana relied upon by hundreds of millions around the world. There’s recreational marijuana for the spirit of fun. Its ability to elevate mood, heighten senses, relax the mind and the body makes it popular around the world.

The relationship between cannabis and sleep

There are several systems in the human body. One of these systems is called the endocannabinoid system or ECS. The ECS plays a role in regulating various essential functions of the body. Two of these functions are sleep and mood.

The human ECSs made up of three parts. Endocannabinoids, endocannabinoid receptors, and enzymes. All three work together to regulate functions such as sleep.

There are two endocannabinoids produced by the body. These bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors in the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems. They’re able to regulate the functions of the body through the CNS. According to researchers sleep, liver function, and stress response are linked to the ECS and the cannabinoids in the body.

THC and CBD (cannabidiol) are the two main cannabinoids found in cannabis. THC is the cannabinoid responsible for the psychoactive effects of marijuana.

Studies show when marijuana gets ingested, the THC binds to the CB1 receptor in the human body.  When bound to the CB1 receptor THC acts as an agonist. It begins a physiological response. For example, a person begins to relax after ingesting cannabis. Scientists think the binding of cannabinoids to CB1 is responsible for an improvement in sleep.

The improvement in sleep may otherwise be due to taking time to reflect.

Taking a marijuana break

Today’s fast-paced life allows little time for reflection. Marijuana enables a person time to reflect. Through reflection, our capacity to understand ourselves and the world around us grows.

Marijuana use relaxes the mind and body. However, there are species more likely to induce a sleepy state of mind than others.

Finding the right strain is an important part of marijuana treatment. Indica marijuana strains are best known for their relaxation and sleep-inducing power.  

It’s important to know unlike alcohol, there is no hangover when using marijuana. Waking up feeling refreshed the next day is normal for marijuana consumers. Begin getting better sleep by speaking with an educated professional. They can show you the right marijuana treatment for your needs.