THC, CBD, and the science of sleep
However, various factors, including differences in state laws regarding legal use, make it difficult to study the effects of cannabis on sleep.
Recreational cannabis can contain varying levels of THC, and the actual doses used and resulting effects are often unclear, making it difficult to analyze self-reported data. increase. Clinical studies with his pharmaceutical-grade THC are more controlled, but the chemicals used in lab studies are often different from the products people actually use. increase.
“When you look at research studies using recreational marijuana, you don’t know what’s in marijuana in terms of concentrations of different compounds and ratios to each other. It’s very difficult to replicate these findings.” is an addiction specialist at the Mayo Clinic.
Another problem is that much of the cannabis research that collects data on sleep comes from patients with cancer and other chronic diseases. However, these findings do not provide insight into how the drug helps sleep in healthy people.
“There are subtle indications from these studies that cannabis products may improve sleep, but it’s specifically in the context of these conditions,” Cora said. Maybe they slept better, so it’s very difficult to extrapolate from this that the general population will sleep better.”
Daily Marijuna Use and Sleep
Most experts agree that THC can promote sleep, but how well THC works depends on the specifics of your sleep problem and how experienced you are with the drug. . in fact, daily users of cannabis They typically report more sleep disturbances than regular users.
The problem may be that regular users have developed tolerance to the drug. That means you may need higher doses to get the same effect as someone who rarely uses it. Sleep problems can also be caused by cannabis withdrawal.
Anastasia Suraev, a research fellow at the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapies, said: “Like alcohol, cannabis may improve sleep, especially when used for short periods of time. The company said it receives consulting fees from the cannabis industry.
“With regular use, [cannabis] Not only can it lead to tolerance and dependence, but it can also lead to disruption of sleep architecture, which can make sleep worse in the long run. We are still trying to identify and clarify.”
Ryan Vandry, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said people who use cannabis products for sleep should look at them like they would any other sleeping pill. I was. Usually with sleeping pills, patients are rarely prescribed the drug for more than a few weeks at a time, he said.
“When you take the drug every night, you become dependent on it to help you fall asleep,” VanDry said. Trying to fall asleep without the drug will make it worse than it started.”
Suraev also stressed the importance of educating people on how to safely wean off cannabis and THC-containing products. “Stopping abruptly can make your sleep worse,” she said.
How the drug is taken can also affect how people with sleep disorders respond to cannabis.of Controlled clinical trial In the lab, giving vaporized THC to infrequent cannabis adults has stronger and faster effects.Although the study didn’t focus on sleep, Vandry says it’s reasonable to extrapolate the findings to sleep.
“If you’re trying to induce sleep, inhaling the drug gives you an immediate peak of drug effect,” said Vandrey. “But with oral formulations, it can take him an hour to he three hours to reach peak drug effect. Topical administration takes even longer.”
It’s a common belief among cannabis users that different strains have different effects, and dispensaries say strains known as sativa are more energizing, while strains called indica are more calming. might argue. Sativa is a tall, slim plant with light green leaves, while Indica is a short, bushy plant with dark green leaves.
Anecdotal evidence about the differences between indica and sativa is not supported by science and is “essentially meaningless,” says Vandrey. , when asked what effect Expect Indica vs Sativathey would definitely say use indica for relaxation and sleep and sativa for focus or energy, he said.
“I wonder if it’s a true pharmacological difference in the genetic plant lineage, or based on the marketing that the industry uses, what users expect is the kind of experience they’ll have when using that product.” “I don’t know if there are any,” he said.
using cannabis to help sleep
If you want to try using cannabis for sleep, experts recommend starting with a low dose and slowly increasing it until you feel it works or you experience side effects. Start slowly and go slowly.”
CBD may also be another option for inducing sleep, with less risk of dependence and withdrawal. Researchers warn that this compound may also interact with other medications a person may be taking, so it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it.
For many people, melatonin is a good sleep option.
When Cora talks to his patients, he mentions cannabis compounds as potential treatments. tend to lead them towards an approach backed by
“There are a lot of good evidence-based treatments for a variety of sleep problems, and this should be the first thing you use,” he said. , CBD, or any combination will have beneficial effects. But we don’t have that yet.”
