We’ve all been through a lot in the past couple of years from lockdowns, political unrest, and a steep economic downturn followed by record inflation. So, if some people are having trouble getting to sleep it’s understandable. And, of course, there are other reasons that contribute to sleeplessness including illness and career-related stress. There are lots of sedatives on the market that will induce unconsciousness and plenty of doctors are ready to prescribe them. But is there a better way? In this post, the team at the 710 Pipes online head shop examines whether dry herb vaping is the sleep aid you’ve been looking for.
Can Vaping Herb Help You Get to Sleep?
Cannabis has been known to humans for centuries and used by traditional healers to treat stomach disorders, anxiety, mental and emotional problems, skin problems, and circulatory problems and to help reduce pain associated with injury and illness. Traditional healers, aware of herb’s tendency to enhance the appetite, also prescribed it to those suffering from unhealthy weight loss, and they were never hesitant to prescribe it to people suffering from insomnia or other sleep disorders.
What is it About Cannabis That Promotes Sleep?
Cannabis has been used for centuries to help people get to sleep and modern scientific studies have confirmed the sedative effects of our favorite herb. (Not that anyone at our online smoke shop needed that to be scientifically confirmed.)
To that end, several studies involving patients with chronic insomnia, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions have concluded that endogenous cannabinoids enhance their ability to get to sleep. Further brain wave studies have concluded that cannabis facilitates alpha waves which promote a relaxed mental state. Studies also indicate that cannabis shortens the amount of time people spend in REM sleep, which can be either good or bad, depending on the state of your dreams lately.
So just what are the different compounds in cannabis that help people drift off to slumberland so effectively?
Cannabinoids
We now know that the cannabis plant contains more than a hundred cannabinoids and that there are three that seem to promote a restful state more than the others. Those three are:
CBD
CBD is short for “cannabidiol”. It is a cannabinoid that plays no role in producing psychotropic effects (in other words it doesn’t get you high) but it plays a central role in helping to induce feelings of restfulness and relaxation. In recent years CBD has received a lot of press for its ability to relieve pain, reduce anxiety and promote a calm mental and physical state.
CBN
CBN, or cannabinol, is not as well-known as CBD but relative obscurity does not diminish its powerful sedative capabilities. Those sedatives’ effects are enhanced further by the presence of THC (which we’ll look at in a minute). Besides helping people relax so they can get to sleep, CBN also has potent pain-relieving properties and is believed to be the cannabinoid most responsible for stimulating appetite. So next time you have the munchies thank CBN. Over time THC goes through a natural transformation process and becomes CBN. So you’re likely to find higher concentrations of CBN in cannabis that has been aged.
THC
Tetrahydrocannabinol – known by everyone at our online head shop as THC – is the psychoactive cannabinoid, the one that gets you high. But THC is far from a one-trick pony. Studies indicate that THC also promotes pain relief and is useful in reducing feelings of nausea. To a lesser extent, THC is also believed to promote restfulness, and some recent research indicates it may help normalize breathing during sleep, which could make it a potentially useful tool in the treatment of sleep apnea.
Interestingly, THC is believed to be responsible for shortening REM sleep. This unique property makes it potentially useful in the treatment of PTSD, which is often characterized by intense, disturbing dreams. But whether you use it to reduce the time you spend dreaming or to help counteract the effects of illness or shift work THC, along with the other cannabinoids discussed, are potentially valuable allies in the fight against sleeplessness.
What About Terpenes?
It’s not unusual for customers of our online smoke shop to send us questions regarding different aspects of the cannabis experience. One subject that’s raised pretty often is Terpenes. What are they? Are they friends or foes? And are they useful in the fight against insomnia? Let’s take a look.
Terpenes
If you love the smell of quality herb, you can thank terpenes. Terpenes are aromatic compounds that produce the sweet, sweet smell of herb as well as the more subtle but still important flavor of weed. Different terpene combinations produce decidedly different tastes and smells, and they also influence the way a particular strain affects our mood, energy levels, and ability to sleep. Among the more than 150 types of terpenes, the following are believed to have the greatest impact on restfulness:
Stop by Our Online Smoke Shop
So can dry herb vaping help you sleep? Both scientific research and mountains of anecdotal evidence say “yes”. To make sure you get the most from your dry herb vaping stop by the 710 Pipes online head shop and pick up the latest vaping kit.