Insomnia plagues millions of Americans and can be exceptionally frustrating and stressful. The experience of lying in bed night after night, desperately wanting to fall asleep but unable to do so, is a serious issue that affects all areas of life. Especially during stressful times, both personal and communally, trying to cope while exhausted is challenging. In fact, fatigued individuals have far less capacity to face hardship and uncertainty in a rational manner.
Research on utilizing cannabis to relieve insomnia is limited due to federal regulations; still, studies indicate the effectiveness of marijuana in regards to improving sleep. Cannabis typically helps people cope with insomnia in a quicker and less-addictive fashion than many over the counter or prescription medications. Medical cannabis is often recommended for a wide variety of chronic conditions but has also asserted strong anecdotal evidence of insomnia relief. As the substance becomes more mainstream and continues to enjoy growing acceptance as a natural and safe alternative to “traditional” medications, people living with insomnia may be able to experience more restful nights.
How Can Cannabis Help You Cope with Insomnia?
Getting sleep is imperative for the overall health and wellness of our bodies. If you’ve ever experienced sleep deprivation, you know how destructive it can be, affecting emotions, logic, and clear thinking. Sleep deprivation has been proven just as dangerous as alcohol for motorists, as a lack of sleep also impairs judgment and reflexes.
There are several main differences between using an over the counter sleep medicine versus using cannabis to help with sleep issues.
- One of the most significant factors that set the two apart is that cannabis doesn’t seem to have the addictive qualities as other sleep medicines. Millions of people have become addicted to some degree to their sleep medicine over the years. This can cause even more sleep and medical issues when they need to come off these addictive drugs.
- Treating insomnia with cannabis helps calm the nerves and the brain, resulting in a more relaxed body and the ability to drift off into a stable and welcoming sleep. Most patients report feeling restored and rested in the morning, without a feeling of grogginess.
Typical Issues Arising from Insomnia
- Difficulty Sleeping: Insomnia disrupts the individual’s natural sleep cycle, making everything fall out of synch. Cannabis helps to restore the sleep cycle
- Sleepiness During the Day: Obviously, those who are not sleeping at night will feel sleepy and tired during the day. While marijuana has a reputation for causing fatigue or extreme relaxation, some chemovars will energize and invigorate the user, allowing them to face their day effectively – and hopefully rest better at night.
- Lack of Focus: Cannabis can assist an individual with both concentration and focus, which are typically adversely affected when someone is overtired. A recent study outlined the capability of medical cannabis to help with the concentration of the participants.
- Headache: A loss of sleep from insomnia often leads to chronic headaches, compounding the patient’s suffering. Headaches interfere with healthy daily life, making simple tasks or work duties difficult. Medical marijuana has been proven to assist with headaches in many subjects.
- Anxiety or Depression: Cannabis is well-known for alleviating anxiety and depression, which can be a side effect of not getting adequate sleep.
If you are struggling with insomnia and the adverse side effects of fatigue, medical cannabis may be your answer. Call Dr. Daniel P. Stein at Neurology of Cannabis today for a consultation.