Have you thought about taking marijuana edibles to help your sleeping disorder? Here's what you need to know.
Here at MarijuanaDoctor.com, we love sharing good news with our patients. Today we have good news especially for our patients suffering from sleep disorders: You can now buy marijuana edibles in Florida. And edibles just might be the ideal cannabis product for patients having difficulty sleeping.
A good night’s sleep is among the top requirements for good health. Lack of proper sleep can result in developing a whole host of other health issues from lethargy and fatigue to anxiety and depression. Not getting enough sleep can also affect your ability to focus during the day and hamper cognitive abilities.
In short, insomnia and other sleep disorders can create a downward spiral of health issues and adversely affect all aspects of day-to-day life.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 50 to 70 million U.S. adults, or about a third of the population, suffer from sleep disorders.
Traditional over-the-counter and prescription sedatives are essentially a brute force method of inducing unconsciousness. Taking “sleeping pills” has numerous drawbacks including grogginess the following day.
Moreover, when patients stop taking these over-the-counter and prescription sedatives, they often suffer from nightmares and even more severe insomnia. These pharmaceuticals can also produce a tolerance buildup, dependence, and withdrawals when treatment is ceased.
Fortunately, many patients suffering from sleep disorders are finding relief with medical marijuana, and, in particular, marijuana edibles. Although there can be some unwanted side effects with medical marijuana, when used properly these can be minimized or even eliminated.
Causes Of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders can have a wide variety of causes. Some are the result of an imbalance in brain chemistry, while others are the result of issues such as chronic pain or other maladies.
When patients have trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, or not feeling like they get enough sleep with no clear underlying causes, physicians call the condition insomnia. However, the term insomnia also refers to sleeplessness as a symptom of other known issues.
Some of the most common causes of sleep disorders include:
- Chronic pain - can make it very difficult for patients to get comfortable enough to fall asleep.
- Nightmares - can be caused by PTSD and other psychological issues as well as the use of certain medications.
- Sleep apnea - obstruction of airways during sleep.
- Restless leg syndrome/Whitmaack-Ekbom’s syndrome - a form of anxiety that manifests as restlessness in the legs.
Treating Sleep Disorders With Medical Marijuana
Numerous studies in both laboratory and clinical settings have shown promising results in the use of medical marijuana to treat sleep disorders. There also exists a mountain of anecdotal evidence from patients who have found some measure of relief.
One extensive study was undertaken by the Canadian Forces Health Services Operational Trauma and Stress Support Centre in Ottawa, Canada to determine the efficacy of marijuana in treating sleep disorders. The results of this study suggest that marijuana could not only help patients get to sleep faster but also alleviate nightmares, especially for medical marijuana patients suffering from PTSD.
Another study done back in 2011 suggested that medical marijuana helps insomnia patients fall asleep faster. In fact, patients reported falling asleep an average of 30 minutes faster. In their report, researchers wrote: “We noted a significant decrease in reported time to sleep after the use of cannabis in both those with and those without reported sleep difficulties.”
And of course, the evidence for marijuana’s ability to treat anxiety and reduce pain is overwhelming. We won’t get into these studies here, but if your sleep problems are the result of chronic pain, you should check out this article on the use of medical marijuana for treating chronic pain. And if you’re suffering from an anxiety disorder, you may want to read this article on using medical marijuana to treat anxiety.
In addition to research into the use of medical marijuana to treat sleep disorders, a 2017 review of multiple studies on cannabinoid therapies suggested that cannabidiol (CBD) might provide relief from REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Patients who have an interest in trying CBD oil to treat sleep disorders are encourage to pay a visit to our sister site, CBDdoctor.com.
How Medical Marijuana Edibles Help Patients Sleep
The resinous female flowers of the cannabis plant produce two types of active compounds that can help treat sleep disorders — cannabinoids and terpenes.
How cannabinoids help with sleep
There are two major cannabinoids and some minor cannabinoids that are just now coming to the forefront of cannabis therapy.
The two most common cannabinoids found in medical marijuana are CBD and THC. There are also some lesser-known cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN which are becoming more common and might also help treat sleep disorders.
Cannabinoids found in medical marijuana work in conjunction with the body’s own natural cannabinoids to bring balance to several bodily functions. The system of cannabinoid receptors found throughout the body is known as the human endocannabinoid system or ECS.
Cannabinoids produced by our bodies are technically referred to as endogenous cannabinoids, or simply endocannabinoids, while those produced in marijuana are known as phytocannabinoids. Supplementation of the ECS with phytocannabinoids can help to boost, modulate, or balance bodily functions.
It’s important to point out that every patient is different as is every case of sleeplessness. While one patient might benefit from CBD, the non-intoxicating cannabinoid, another might have better results with THC or a combination of the two.
For example, patients suffering from sleeplessness attributed to anxiety disorders might benefit most from CBD, while patients suffering from depression might benefit more from THC. And patients dealing with pain might benefit from using edibles with equal amounts of CBD and THC.
Most often a combination of the two is ideal. However, finding the right ratios of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids might take some experimentation to produce optimal results.
Your medical marijuana doctor can help you determine which cannabinoids are most commonly used to treat the specific conditions from which you, personally, are suffering.
How Terpenes Help With Sleep Disorders
Another class of active compounds produced in medical marijuana is known as terpenes. These volatile oily compounds are what give marijuana its distinctive aroma. As with cannabinoids, terpenes have been used for millennia to treat all ilk of medical conditions including sleeplessness.
In fact, terpenes are so powerful, that the mere whiff of certain terpenes can help induce relaxation. Whereas cannabinoids are measured in terms of percentage of dry weight (making up as much as 25 percent or more of the flowers), terpenes are measured in parts-per-million (PPM).
It’s important to keep in mind that there are scores of different terpenes. Not all of them are good for treating sleep disorders, and in fact, some might induce wakefulness. For this reason, it’s crucial to choose a product that either does not contain terpenes or contains terpenes conducive to the condition being treated.
The combined effect of the cannabinoids and terpenes found in any particular medical marijuana strain is known as the entourage effect. Patients are advised to work with their medical marijuana doctor to determine whether or not terpenes should be included in their therapy and which terpenes are recommended for the patient’s condition.
Budtenders, the experts that work at medical marijuana dispensaries, can also be helpful in choosing a product with the ideal mix of cannabinoids and terpenes.
Using Marijuana Edibles To Treat Sleep Disorders
Medical marijuana patients have a variety of delivery options from which to choose. So why would a patient prefer to use marijuana edibles over these other methods such as smoking, vaping, tinctures, etc.?
There are a number of reasons that edibles are a good choice for patients with sleep disorders. For example, smoking and vaping medical marijuana are both suspected of contributing to lung problems such as chronic bronchitis and asthma-like symptoms.
Another benefit of edibles is that their effects are often more potent and longer-lasting than most other delivery methods meaning the patient can potentially spend less money on their medicine.
Also, edibles generally contain a specific dosage of cannabinoids whereas determining dosage can be difficult for inhaled delivery methods. The use of edibles makes it far easier to determine an exact dosage. For example, if one piece of a cannabis-infused candy contains 10 milligrams of THC, and the patient wants to take 50 milligrams of THC, they need to consume five pieces.
Are There Any Risks To Using Marijuana Edibles?
Although there are numerous benefits to using edibles to treat sleep disorders, there are also some risks associated with edibles. Most notably, it's far easier to become over-intoxicated when consuming THC-infused edibles. Because the effects take time — anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours — patients often consume additional edibles thinking that they haven't taken a high enough dosage.
Ideally, patients should consume the lowest dosage that provides relief from their symptoms. It’s advisable to start with smaller doses in the first few days and work up to an ideal dosage. Be sure to discuss dosage with your marijuana doctor.
How To Get A Medical Marijuana Card In Florida
MarijuanaDoctor.com is Florida’s leading provider of medical marijuana card recommendations. Our helpful doctors and staff really care about our patients and we want every one of them to enjoy the finest treatment available.
With just a phone call, you can schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified marijuana doctors to determine if you are eligible.
Our dedicated and experienced staff can also walk you through the registration process and help you find a trusted medical treatment center (MMTC) where you can purchase marijuana edibles in Florida.
Making an appointment with one of MarijuanaDoctor.com’s leading medical marijuana board certified physicians is simple. Schedule an in-person appointment online at www.MarijuanaDoctor.com or call (844) 442-0362 and speak to one of our friendly patient care specialists.
We have assisted over 30,000 patients like you receive compassionate, affordable, and convenient care and we look forward to helping you get some sleep!
