Cannabis and sleep go together like pillows and blankets. Here’s a few things you should keep in mind when using the herb to help you rest.

The Fresh Toast – Medications have side effects, so what about something natural. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when using cannabis for sleep

Despite being used as a sleep aid, NyQuil is not one. It is a popular assistant, but even with a virus it shouldn’t be used more than 7 days.  While roughly 50–70 million Canadians and Americans have ongoing sleep disorders, a little help is needed. Melatonin is also popular, if you are the someone where it works, you can take it nightly for one to two months. Melatonin can also take up to 1-2 hours to kick. Prescribed medications have a high potential for causing dependency. This not only can lead to addiction, but can stop working and leading to more insomnia. So what about something else natural.

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Marijuana can be a great tool for sleep. While more research is being done, there is evidence people with varying degrees of insomnia shows how effective marijuana can be for sleep.  But even for the occasionally sleepless night do to stress, minor pain, or other issues. It can work.  And it doesn’t need to be built up into your system, it works and then fades away. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when using cannabis for sleep.

Dosage

Dosage, along with your level of experience with marijuana, matters when it comes to using the herb before bed. If you smoke too little, you might feel no effects. If you smoke too much, you might find yourself tossing and turning with weed-induced paranoia. If it’s your first time using marijuana for sleep, try your best to create a relaxing environment and avoid overstimulating yourself with too much screen time or alcohol. Pace yourself with your marijuana intake and be aware of your body and its cues; you’re better equipped to jump into bed once it feels right.

Method of consumption

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The way in which you consume marijuana will affect how fast or intense your reaction will be. If you consume an edible, be sure to give your body time to experience effects. If you’re vaping, smoking or using an oil, there’s more control and less planning necessary.

The type of cannabis matters

Whether you’re consuming a product THC or CBD based, or you’re consuming sativas or indicas, it’s important to know all the types of cannabis provide different effects. Indicas are the strains which tend to affect the body in relaxing and heavy ways, producing sleepy effects. Still, it doesn’t mean a sativa strain or a hybrid won’t make you feel sleepy. Marijuana is a trial and error type of substance; try different options and keep track of what works for you and what doesn’t.

Marijuana hangovers

If you’re not much of a night time marijuana consumer, the groggy feeling you might experience when you wake up can be puzzling. Although not as strong or common as regular hangovers, weed hangovers exist. Although not completely understood, these are more likely if you’ve been consuming low quality marijuana. To cope with them, be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy goods and monitor your cannabis intake through the day.

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Changes in sleep and dreams

One of the most noticeable effects cannabis has on sleep is the lack of dreams. This is due to cannabis limiting REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep where dreams are likely to occur. Scientific studies have found REM sleep is important for learning and resting. There’s much we don’t understand when it comes to the relationship between cannabis and sleep. It’s important to monitor your marijuana usage and your sleep habits, especially if you feel like the sleep you’re having is not restful or good for you.