Sleep Problems
What Happens When We Miss Sleep?
A long-term lack of sleep weakens the immune system, lowers sex drive, creates memory and concentration issues, and increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and high blood pressure.
Mood changes are also a common consequence of sleep deprivation and can happen very quickly. A new study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine conducted an experiment involving 147 individuals and found that sleep restrictions increased anger and frustration in a short space of time. Participants were randomly assigned either to maintain their regular sleep schedule or to restrict their sleep by about five hours across two nights and were then exposed to irritating noise.
The experiment found that well-slept individuals adapted to the noise and reported less anger after two days. In contrast, sleep-restricted individuals exhibited higher and increased anger in response to the noise, suggesting that losing sleep undermines emotional adaptation to unpredictable and frustrating experiences. Sleep also benefits the mind by helping the brain process new skills, cement memories, and clear the waste and plaque that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In a small study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers found that losing just one night of sleep led to an increase in beta-amyloid, a protein in the brain associated with impaired brain function and Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers scanned the brains of 20 healthy participants, aged 22 to 72, following a full night’s rest and after a night of sleep deprivation, which amounted to about 31 hours without sleep, and found that Beta-amyloid increased by about five percent in the participants’ brains after just one night. These changes occurred in brain regions that included the thalamus and hippocampus, which are especially vulnerable to damage in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
How Much Sleep Is Enough?
We’re all familiar with the hallowed eight hours but somewhere between seven and nine hours tends to be the average. Genetics generally determine how much we need and how we respond to sleep deprivation, and there are even some individuals with one specific mutation in the gene DEC2, which plays a role in the body’s circadian timing system, who feel rested after just six hours. Quality of sleep is as important as quantity, and a good quality night’s sleep requires waking up no more than once in the night and falling asleep within 30 minutes of being in bed.
What Keeps Us Awake?
Being in a heightened state of alert during the day can make switching off at night very difficult and chronic periods of stress that can create sleep deprivation tend to be encouraged by the stress that sleep deprivation creates, creating a vicious circle of insomnia. It will come as no surprise that stress and worry-related sleep peaked during the lockdown and a new study by the Economic and Social Research Council-funded Centre for Population Change at Southampton University found that the life-changing mix of social isolation, loss of employment, financial problems, illness, fear of getting infected and the pressures of juggling work and home-schooling all contributed to collective sleeplessness. It also found that those who were affected more include women with young children, key workers, and people of BAME heritage.
Other causes of sleep problems include depression, PTSD, medication, which can disturb your sleep-wake cycle, physical pain, Restless Leg Syndrome, caffeine, and a loud environment.
How Can Medical Cannabis Help With Sleep?
Research published in The Permanente Journal in 2019 investigated whether CBD, the non-active compound, could improve sleep and reduce anxiety. The study involved 72 adults with 47 experiencing anxiety and 25 suffering from poor sleep. They were each given 25mg of CBD in capsule form each day, and within the first month, 79.2 percent of the patients reported lower anxiety levels and 66.7 percent reported better sleep. One-fourth of participants reported worsened symptoms, which reflects how unique individual needs are when it comes to medical cannabis. In these situations, a low dose of THC might help too.In terms of sleep quality, research suggests that THC may help with sleep apnea, a sleep condition that creates frequent obstructions of breath. A 2013 study measured how the cannabinoid dronabinol, which mimics THC, improved Sleep Apnea, and 15 out of 17 study participants reported improvements after 21 days of treatment.
Other Sleep Tricks?
Have a tech-free bedtime. This means no laptops, televisions, or phones in the hours before you go to bed. Research has found that suppressed levels of melatonin are due to exposure to the blue light that emits from your phone.
Create a regular, calming bedtime routine, which could include warm baths, reading, gentle yoga, or meditating.
Exercise for at least 20 minutes during the day but nothing too rigorous in the hours before bed.
Download one of the many sleep apps on the market. Slumber app offers a collection of sleep-inducing stories, meditations, nature sounds, and background effects. Fall asleep to the sound of waves, waterfalls, and rain from Nature Sounds or make your own sounds with White Noise Lite.
To improve your sleep quality, consider other natural remedies like Melatonin, 5-HTP, and valerian root supplements.
Further Reading
How and where to safely buy RSO medical cannabis oil online
Introduction to Medical Cannabis
Help and Advice
If you need advice or help with Medical Cannabis, please use the contact form provided. We try to answer all emails within 24 hours and are happy to help and advise on all aspects of Medical Cannabis treatments in complete confidence.
Disclaimer: Please note that whilst we consider ourselves subject matter experts regarding Medical Cannabis, we are not medical professionals. We are a Medical Cannabis information resource, educating and helping those in need. Whilst we are very strong believers in the benefits of Medical Cannabis, there is still limited evidence that Medical Cannabis can treat/cure all the illnesses we discuss on our website. We recommend you do as much research as possible, and where practical seek professional medical advice before proceeding with Medical Cannabis oil.