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Pills?? Oils? I'm looking for something that helps me sleep through the night but doesn't make me feel groggy in the AM. Carol Z.
I know what you mean. I’ve developed insomnia in the last few years. Don’t like the usual sleep meds. Sometimes they don’t work, and sometimes they work too well and keep me dozy the next day. Weed works better but you have to find the right kind for you, which may take some experimenting.
As far as being groggy the next day, THC I think is the issue. If you have too much, it’ll knock you out at night ok but it makes you really out of it the next day. I think I’ve heard a lower percentage than 20% is good, but it depends on your tolerance. I love Kiva's Camino gummies and I eat one before bed and sleep through the night.
How you take it depends on your preference. You can smoke it but if you are worried about the health effects, then vaping, tinctures under the tongue, pills, oils, and even edibles might work. But with edibles, you’ve got to be careful because they take longer to work. It’s sometimes hard to time it right so you aren’t left tossing and turning before they kick in. Maybe if you take an edible an hour ahead of time, you might get close to dosing yourself at the right time.
As well you have a choice of strains for better sleep. I tend to like Indica strains and some hybrids since they mellow me out. Sativa tends to wind me up (though there might be something out there that works). I sometimes vape it, but I prefer tincture drops under the tongue or pills because they are easier for me as part of a regular bedtime routine.
I hope that helps.
Lextext2
Good question. Sleep disorders are a big issue in this country. The American Sleep Association points out that 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep disorder; almost 38% reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once in the preceding month, and 4.7% reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving.
If you want to learn more about using cannabis to help with sleep issues, just drop the word “insomnia” into the HelloMD search box and you’ll find a lot of articles and advice on the subject, sometimes including product recommendations. For example, our article “Top 5 Cannabis Products to Help You Stay Asleep”. Or if you like tea, Kioko’s cannabis-infused tea might do the trick; its tea bag is water-soluble, carries an exact dose, and uses only organic ingredients. Kikoko’s Tranquili-Tea contains 3 mg of THC and 5 mg of the non-psychoactive cannabinol CBN.
For my part, I like combining cannabis terpenes and vitamins to help with insomnia, as well as issues like stress and pain. Using linalool together with Vitamin D is one combo that may help you get better sleep, with no next-day grogginess at all.
Also, you may want to check out the HelloMD YouTube channel. For example, we have a video of me interviewing Carrie Tice, founder of Octavia Wellness, on seniors using cannabis for insomnia.
Peter S.