As humans, we spend a third of our lives sleeping – maybe closer to half if you’re 50% koala like me. Chances are you’ve been hearing your entire life that in order to maximize the productivity of your waking hours and stay healthy, you need at least 8 hours of sleep a night. That number can fluctuate slightly depending on your lifestyle and needs, but for the most part, 8 hours has been a pretty consistent variable in most recent sleep studies.
According to a new study by the National Sleep Foundation, that number might actually be closer to 8.5 hours if you really want to maximize the effects of your sleep. In an interview with Quartz, sleep scientist David Gartenberg explains why that extra 30 or so minutes could really make a difference in your quality of life.
He explains that every organism on the planet needs sleep in some fashion for three main reasons: to save energy, to help cell recovery, and help us process and understand our environment. His focus is on the third one, which involves the “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis”:
The “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis” is this idea that during the day, we make all these connections with the world around us. It used to be like, “Don’t go over there—the lions live there now.” Now it’s like, “What did Barbara say to me in the office?” These excitatory connections we make during the day result in the neurons in our brains getting overall higher activation. Then during the nighttime when we sleep, we have a down-regulating process where the things that didn’t really matter to your survival sink to the bottom, and the things that are most relevant to your survival rise to the top. What deep sleep does is all the neural processing, and what REM sleep [rapid-eye-movement sleep] and light sleep do is basically integrate that into your long-term personality and understanding of the world.
So the better quality sleep you get, the less you’ll feel worried about the awkward thing you did in front of that cool person you wanted to impress. The less time you spend worrying about this useless junk that is not integral to survival, the less stress those feelings will put on your body and mind and the better you will feel. See? Life is so easy.
This is also linked to a process called ‘sleep inertia,’ which is the groggy feeling that summons you to the coffee maker when you first wake up. If you wake up during deep sleep, the sleep inertia will be more severe because you haven’t completed the necessary sleep cycles. The inertia is due to a lack of cerebral blood flow from reduced brain activity while you’re sleeping, which can affect your cognitive skills and ability to think clearly for up to 2 hours if you really wake up at the wrong time. According to the study, the goal is to avoid waking up during periods of deep sleep. The longer you sleep, the less likely you are to wake up (or be forced by your alarm to wake up) during deep sleep because you’ve already worked through the proper cycles. According to Gartenberg 8 hours of quality sleep is ideal for healthy sleepers, which means you need to stay in bed for about 8.5 hours to account for time spent falling asleep and waking up. That said, some people’s genetic makeup allows them to get by on less sleep without a problem. Click here to read more about the study and what they recommend you do to determine the right amount of sleep for you.
How Does Cannabis Affect Sleep Cycles?
As with most things in the cannabis world, there is a serious lack of research on how cannabis affects our sleep. If you’ve ever smoked a heavy indica, you’re probably thinking “weed is AMAZING for sleep!” You wouldn’t be wrong – many strains are excellent for promoting sleep, just like some heady sativas are great for boosting your energy and creativity.
You may have also noticed that even though that heavy indica gave you a great night of sleep, you probably had fewer dreams as a result. According to this 2008 study, strains high in THC are known for inducing sleep but reducing the amount of REM sleep you get, which is the period during sleep where you dream. If you suffer from PTSD that causes nightmares, this could help you get a restful night of sleep without trauma-inducing nightmares. This will also increase the amount of “deep sleep” you get, which is considered the most restful.
On the flip side, as nice as a heavy indica can be for a good night of sleep, daily cannabis users have also reported more sleep disturbances than non-users, suggesting regular cannabis use can potentially have a negative impact on sleep. If you’re a regular user who wakes up in the middle of the night unable to get back to sleep until you hit the bong, it might be time for a THC break to help regulate your receptors and allow them to go back to their regular levels. This is good for any cannabis user to do every once in awhile, especially if you’re a frequent or regular consumer.
Clinical Trial for Cannabinoid-Based Sleep Apnea Drug
Earlier this month, Therapix Biosciences announced a clinical trial of the company’s cannabinoid-based technology THX-110 on patients with sleep apnea, which causes breathing to randomly start and stop during sleep. During this trial, 30 participants will receive one daily oral treatment over one month to evaluate its effect on the severity of sleep apnea via a sleep test. This trial will assess the drug’s safety, tolerance, and treatment as well as its performance in adults with sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea affects 12% of U.S. adults and produces an economic burden of almost $150 billion a year, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Cannabis Strains for Sleep
When searching for a cannabis product that will help you sleep, it is most important to seek out products that are lab-tested to ensure you’re buying what it actually says on the label. (That’s why I love NuLeaf Naturals CBD products – everything they sell is lab-tested at Steep Hill labs in California). Unfortunately, a lack of FDA regulations on cannabis products means money-hungry serial entrepreneurs have no problem buying wholesale, slapping on a label, and selling snake oil to make a quick buck in a big industry. That’s not the kind of product you want nor is it the kind of company you want to support.
First, look for strains that are high in CBN, one of the cannabis plant’s cannabinoids known for its sedative and insomnia-fighting properties. According to Steep Hill labs, just 2.5-5mg of CBN offers the same level of sedation as a prescription-grade pharmaceutical. CBN is not found in large quantities in your average strain; it is typically produced as the THC content breaks down, and THC content is what we’re all after anyway, isn’t it?
However – if you have some old ass weed that’s been stored away for awhile, save that for next time you want to smoke and pass out because the CBN content might be high enough to do the trick.
Some community strain recommendations for sleep:
Master Kush – Excellent for sleep and stress relief, but keep a mug of tea nearby for that dry mouth.
Money Maker – This strain is a cross between Master Kush, Hindu Kush, and Skunk No. 1 that’s great for battling insomnia and a lack of appetite. This one will bring on another serious case of dry mouth (and eyes, probably) but they’ll be closed before you realize it, anyway.
The Dawgfather – If pain is keeping you up, let The Dawgfather take over and rock you to sleep. A popular choice among patients with insomnia, chronic pain, Crohn’s, and anxiety, chances are you won’t feel or care about a thing after a couple hits.
Shark Shock CBD – Shark Shock is a combination of White Widow and Skunk No. 1 that’s said to help with insomnia, pain, inflammation, stress, and muscle spasms. If you don’t like the psychoactive effects of THC, the percentage is low and it contains about the same amount of CBD for help with chronic pain.
Animal Cookies – This is the love child of Girl Scout Cookies and Fire OG that’s known for its high-CBN content and relaxing, sleep-inducing effects.
Granddaddy Purple – Granddaddy is a popular staple in many connoisseur’s cabinets for its combination of buzzy euphoric effects and full-body relaxation, making it a great choice for relieving stress and winding down at the end of the day. Make sure to smoke this one before dinner or before your post-dinner snacks to fully enjoy the munchies.
What cannabis products do you use to help you sleep?
Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash
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