Can THC Help with Insomnia?

I love sleeping. But sleep doesn’t always love me back. It’s a terrible feeling to lay in bed, bone tired, and to be unable to drift off. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had trouble falling asleep when the time comes to finally rest my weary head. I’m not the only one who has this problem. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 30 to 35% of adults have experienced symptoms of insomnia and 10% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia symptoms. So what’s a person to do? If you’re one of those people who struggles to shut things down at the end of a long day, you may have considered using a cannabinoid like THC to help. Still, it makes sense to have some questions, especially if you’ve never tried cannabis before. In this article we’ll go over what insomnia is, how it’s diagnosed, and if THC can help. Let’s get started.

Insomnia and Its Effects

You’ve almost certainly heard of insomnia and, according to the AASM, there’s a 1 in 3 chance that you’ve experienced its symptoms. Medically, insomnia is a disorder that interferes with the amount of sleep a person gets at night, as well as the quality of that sleep. This can involve one of or a combination of three symptoms:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Trouble staying asleep
• Waking up too early

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While anyone can develop insomnia symptoms, there are some variables that can contribute to causing it. These factors include:

• Age – Insomnia can occur at any age, but the likelihood of developing symptoms increases as you get older.
• Genetic history – Sleep patterns and predispositions can run in families, including susceptibility to insomnia.
• Occupation – Working irregular shifts or nights can lead to disruption of the sleep cycle and development of insomnia symptoms.
• Sleep environment – Environmental factors like excessive noise, light, or uncomfortable temperatures can contribute to insomnia.
• Lifestyle – Keeping an irregular sleep schedule, use of substances like caffeine and alcohol at night, and screen usage like television and mobile devices can all contribute to the development of insomnia symptoms.
• Chronic pain – Those who suffer from persistent aches and pains can have their sleep disrupted by the discomfort it causes, making it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
• Anxiety – The burden of runaway thoughts doesn’t just affect our thinking as we navigate our day-to-day life, being unable to escape the worry and stress associated with anxiety can make sleeping more difficult.

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Diagnosing and Treating Insomnia

Before beginning treatment for insomnia, it is important to first meet with your doctor or physician that specializes in sleep to receive a diagnosis. While some cases of insomnia may require an overnight study of the patient, usually a doctor will just have you self-report the symptoms you’re experiencing. According to the Sleep Foundation, a person is diagnosed with insomnia if they have experienced one of the three main symptoms we discussed earlier for at least three months, despite having suitable conditions for sleeping. It’s also common for a doctor to check for one or more of the following daytime symptoms:

• Lethargy or malaise
• Impaired attention, concentration, or memory
• Negative interpersonal consequences
• Irritability
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Behavioral problems like impulsivity or hyperactivity
• Increased risk of accidents
• Lack of motivation

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Once an individual has received an insomnia diagnosis, there are a variety of treatment options the patient and their physician can employ to try to alleviate the issue, depending on what your doctor believes is the underlying cause. Treatments include:

• Sleep education – By gaining a better understanding of healthy sleep habits and those behaviors that can intrude upon our ability to sleep, patients can often work towards better sleep. This includes learning about sleep patterns, dietary decisions, and hygiene habits associated with sleep.
• Stimulus control – When a person has insomnia, laying in bed hoping for sleep can lead to anxiety that exacerbates the problem. Stimulus control is a set of steps aimed at reducing this anxiety. This can include only laying down when you are tired, only using your bed for sleep and sex, getting up from bed after 10 minutes of not falling asleep, and only returning to bed when you feel tired again.
• Relaxation – Using relaxation techniques can help prepare the body and the mind for bedtime. Sleep experts will encourage those with insomnia to explore meditation, muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises.
• Biofeedback – A more advanced therapy related to relaxation techniques is biofeedback. Biofeedback therapy is a mind-body technique where monitoring equipment is used to track a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. The therapist or patient then use these metrics and attempt to control these functions through mental techniques.
• Medication – There are also a range of medications that a doctor or sleep therapist could prescribe to help those struggling with insomnia, particularly for those who struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep. There is potential for adverse side effects from sleep medication, so it is vital that you only take sleep medication that has been prescribed to you and in the manner that is recommended.

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But what about cannabis and other THC products? If you’ve ever smoked weed before, you may have noticed that sometimes it can make you feel very relaxed or maybe even drowsy. Can It be used to help with insomnia? To better understand the answer to this question, let’s first look at what exactly THC is and how it does what it does.

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What is THC?

Tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, is an organic compound known as a cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are naturally occurring chemicals that are produced in plants, animals, and even your own body. Hemp and cannabis plants are particularly known for their wealth of cannabinoids. While cannabis contains well over one hundred cannabinoids, THC is the one of the most abundant, and the most psychoactive. This means that THC is a mind-altering compound, and that it’s going to get you high. 

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How Does THC Work?

Understanding how THC will get you high requires some basic knowledge of a network of compounds, receptors, and enzymes known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). You can get a full breakdown of what the ECS is and what it does here. For our purposes, we’ll go over the basics. Throughout your body and brain, there are receptors known as CB1 and CB2 receptors. When internal processes get out of balance, the body creates its own cannabinoids (known as endocannabinoids) and sends them to these receptors to either activate or deactivate them and bring the body back into balance. 

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Ingesting cannabinoids that were not created by the body can supplement the ECS and intensify the effects of activating or deactivating endocannabinoid receptors. CB1 receptors are densely populated throughout the brain and central nervous system. This means they play a big part in managing things like pain, focus, memory, appetite, and (you guessed it) sleep. Because of its chemical structure, THC binds easily with CB1 receptors, which is why ripping a bowl can leave you feeling euphoric, creative, hungry, or drowsy.

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Can THC Help with Insomnia?

One way to answer this question is to simply ask the people who use it, and the Sleep Foundation did just that. The survey they conducted amongst users of THC found that 70% of casual users reported using THC to help them sleep. As we mentioned before, one of the precursors of insomnia is chronic pain, and the survey also found that 85% of users who used THC for pain relief reported that it helped them sleep. 

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While survey users about their experiences makes for great anecdotal evidence, what about some hard science? Well, it turns out that we’ve got that too. The first and most common symptom of insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, and a study done in 2004 found that THC is helpful in inducing sleep and reducing sleep onset latency. But it does more than just help you reach dreamland, a review of studies compiled in 2019 also found evidence that cannabinoids could also reduce sleep disturbances, help you stay asleep longer, and improve the quality of sleep. In fact, a 2008 study found that using THC will increase the amount of time you spend in the deepest stage of sleep, which is called Delta Non-REM sleep. During this stage of sleep, your body works on tissue growth, tissue repair, and cell regeneration. 

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Additionally, insomnia is recognized by multiple states as a justifiable reason to be issued a medical marijuana card, allowing patients to seek relief for their insomnia symptoms by providing them access to cannabis.

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When it comes to using THC to treat insomnia, it’s not exactly a one-size fits all situation. Because of the different chemical compositions that different cannabis plants can possess, marijuana can have strain-specific effects. Making the right strain decision can be the difference between a good night’s sleep and another long night.

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Picking a Strain

As we mentioned before, cannabis has hundreds of cannabinoids, and they work together along with essential oils called terpenes in what is known as the “entourage effect”. These combinations, and how they interact with a person’s individual biochemistry, are what give strains their unique effects. While the rules of how a strain will affect you are not hard and fast, there are some general guidelines we can apply. When it comes to recreational or medicinal marijuana, we talk about three types of strain: indica, sativa, and hybrid. Each has its own effects, which mean each can be suited for a different time of day.

• Indica – These strains tend to have a broader, less localized experience known as a “body high”. Their effects can be relaxing, pain-relieving, and sedative.
• Sativa – These strains can have more attenuated effects, often called a “head high”. The experience can be inspiring, energizing, and motivational.
• Hybrid – These strains seek to get a balanced combination of the effects of both sativa and indica strains by breeding the two strains together.

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So, when choosing a strain to help with insomnia, it’s best to stick with indica or hybrid. You can even experiment with different strains and record your experience in a cannabis journal to find the perfect strain to help you sleep better and longer.

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It’s also worth noting that THC gummies and edibles don’t have strain specific effects because of how the cannabinoids are processed during cooking, which you can read all about here. The effect of edibles is going to be dependent upon how it interacts with your unique internal makeup. This means gummies might be a good choice for some with insomnia, but not so much for others.

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Wrapping Up

Insomnia is incredibly common and even more inconvenient. It doesn’t just affect sleep; the lasting effects can stretch out into all aspects our waking lives as well. Searching out a safe and effective way to improve your sleep quality is an admirable goal, be it through behavioral techniques, medication, or the wonders of THC. If adding cannabinoids to your sleep routine is something you are interested in, but the depth and breadth of products available is intimidating, don’t you worry. The Green Dragon has a team of educated and helpful professionals ready to help you find the perfect product for you. Just reach out through our contact page or leave us a note on the message board below and we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction. Soon you’ll be sleeping so tight, the bed bugs won’t even be able to imagine having the audacity of trying to bite.

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