Medical Marijuana as a Sleep Aid for Insomnia Patients in Lake Charles

If you are suffering from insomnia, medical marijuana is becoming a popular alternative medicine to help relieve the symptoms of insomnia. Insomnia is a common disorder that affects how people fall asleep.  People with insomnia in Lake Charles have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or often waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep.  

For people who have trouble sleeping,you should apply for a medical marijuana card in Lake Charles to gain access to medical marijuana products which can help your insomnia problem.You can get better sleep without fearing the side effects. MMJ can help restore a person’s natural sleep cycle because of how it interacts with the endocannabinoid system of the body.

How Medical Cannabis Helps Insomnia

The two main components of medical marijuana are THC and CBD.  THC is tetrahydrocannabinol and has been studied to promote sleep by:

1. Activating the CB1 receptors of the endocannabinoid system
2. Shortens the period of sleep latency,
3. Causing longer sleep for users.
4. Increasing slow-wave sleep, an essential part of cerebral restoration and recovery

It is a chemical in medical marijuana that causes sedative effects.  The other component, CBD or cannabidiol, can also affect sleep.

Both THC and CBD bind to receptors of the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is composed of a network of receptors that react to them when taken into the body.  

It is the endocannabinoid system that functions to regulate appetite, pain, stress, and anxiety responses.  

When these conditions are felt, a person has difficulty falling asleep.  New research suggests that cannabinoid signaling can directly promote sleep because of the effects that it has on the endocannabinoid system of the body.

Using Medical Marijuana for Insomnia Patients

Research is ongoing to learn more about the best medical marijuana strains to use for insomnia and the level of concentration of both THC and CBD in the MMJ products used.  

Although the effect of the cannabinoids in medical marijuana differ, studies show that they can help modify a person’s nightly rest by interacting with the endocannabinoid system, which manages critical functions in our body, including sleep.

Traditional Treatments for Insomnia and Their Side Effects

The most common approaches to treating insomnia are CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and sleeping pills.  

Other patients are recommended to change their lifestyles.
Some sleeping pills have adverse side effects when used for a long time. These side effects include:

• Hallucinations
• Impaired motor skills and lack of coordination.
• Depression
• Predisposition to having dementia

Medical Marijuana As Another Method for Treating Insomnia

When you are suffering from insomnia, you can take medical marijuana whether your insomnia is a coexisting condition with another medical condition or not.  

It especially helps patients in pain who can’t sleep to sleep better because of its analgesic and therapeutic effects.

Benefits of Medical Cannabis for Insomnia

You may experience different benefits from using medical marijuana for insomnia compared to other patients.  

However, common benefits of using medical marijuana include:

• Improve sleep conditions for those who suffer from chronic pain.
• It is a natural alternative, and hence, safer.
• It helps avoid the use of more potent drugs that have more severe side effects.
• It gives a calming and relaxing feeling.
• It may help a person experience longer sleep.

Can Medical Cannabis Help Treat or Alleviate Symptoms of Insomnia?

Yes.  Medical marijuana can help a person suffering from insomnia have a better quality of sleep.  It is used to stop the frustration of not being able to sleep well.

It can be used in the treatment plan for insomnia to help get a good night’s sleep.

 According to Dr. Matt Roman, a medical marijuana doctor, “Medical marijuana is an effective sleep aid because it restores a person’s natural sleep cycle, which so often falls out of sync with our schedules in today’s modern lifestyle”

 A study showed that patients suffering from insomnia who used medical marijuana experienced fewer problems with waking up at night compared with non-cannabis users.

Likewise, the Community for Sleep-Care Professionals reported in April 2020, that there was a high rate of individuals with insomnia who tended to use medical cannabis for sleep.  This was particularly common in individuals with PTSD and chronic pain.

One study published in 2019 found that among cannabis users who said they were using cannabis to improve sleep, 84% said it was “very” or “extremely” helpful.

There is sufficient evidence that medical marijuana is a safer alternative for helping manage insomnia.  It has the potential to improve the quality of sleep.