Sleep is essential for your mental and physical health. Adults need about 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Unfortunately, quality sleep is becoming a problem for more and more men and women. More than one-third of Americans struggle with insomnia at some point, and about 10-15% of adults have chronic insomnia.
Everyone struggles to fall asleep at times, which can make it hard to know if you’re battling insomnia. Here are some symptoms experienced by people with insomnia:
- Difficulty falling asleep at night
- Waking up during the night
- Waking up too early
- Feeling sleepy, fatigued, or not feeling well-rested
- Experiencing mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, or depression
- Difficulty remembering things, paying attention, or staying focused
- Frequently worrying about sleep
- Having more accidents or making frequent mistakes
If this list looks familiar, it might be time to explore using medical marijuana. Nelson Kraucak, MD, and our skilled care team at HealthCare Partners Family Medicine want to help. Dr. Kraucak prescribes this natural remedy for many health conditions, including insomnia.
How does medical marijuana work?
Medical marijuana is a natural remedy capable of treating a wide range of health conditions, such as chronic pain, seizure disorders, and anxiety problems. The reason it can treat so many conditions is because different chemicals compounds in marijuana can affect different brain functions.
You’ve probably heard of the most common chemical compounds: CBD and THC. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the chemical found in the marijuana plant that induces a feeling of calm. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, induces feelings of euphoria because it triggers the release of dopamine in your brain.
Because CBD and THC offer different benefits, Dr. Kraucak prescribes specific formulations to energize, calm, or sedate based on your unique symptoms.
How can medical marijuana treat insomnia?
Treating insomnia with medical marijuana works best by taking advantage of both CBD and THC. CBD reduces anxiety and promotes relaxation. As such, it can significantly enhance your quality of sleep. THC, on the other hand, can help you fall asleep faster. Combining these properties can help restore your natural sleep cycle.
Medical marijuana can also enhance sleep quality by shortening the stage of sleep known as rapid eye movement, or REM, thus allowing you to spendmore time in a stage of deeper sleep. Researchers believe the most restful and restorative sleep occurs in the deeper sleep stage.
Furthermore, since the majority of dreaming occurs in the REM stage, if you suffer from nightmares, you may have fewer of them since this stage of sleep is reduced.
To learn more about medical marijuana and to explore various treatment options, book an appointment online or over the phone with HealthCare Partners Family Medicine today.
