Daylight Savings 2022 is coming up on March 13th, making our clocks “spring forward” by one hour. During this time of year, many people worry about catching up on sleep and getting enough rest.
At Rev, we’ve found that many patients turn to cannabis when they have trouble sleeping. Many people also turn to melatonin, a supplement known to help people fall and stay asleep. But is it possible to combine melatonin with cannabis for even better slumbers?
Let’s explore the relationship between melatonin, cannabis, and sleep — and how they could combine forces to help you adjust to Daylight Savings!
How does melatonin help people sleep?
Melatonin is a chemical naturally secreted from the pineal gland, which helps humans regulate their circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is essentially your natural body clock — it tells your body when to wake up, eat, fall asleep, and perform similar functions. Melatonin also regulates people’s body temperatures, blood pressure, hormones, and other basic physical processes.
Along with telling your body when it’s time to sleep and wake up, melatonin may also reduce your body’s dopamine levels. By lowering dopamine, which is a natural chemical that makes your body feel more awake and alert, melatonin may further induce rest in humans.
While scientists are still unsure of how melatonin exactly works, we do know that people who don’t naturally make enough melatonin often have trouble falling and staying asleep. By taking melatonin supplements, these people may fall asleep more quickly and have an easier time staying asleep.
Relationship between weed and sleep
Cannabis has a reputation of putting people to sleep, and seeking better sleep is one of the top reasons why cannabis patients turn to this plant for its botanical healing potential. Cannabis has been able to help people:
- Fall asleep easier and more rapidly
- Decrease how often one wakes up after falling asleep
- Reduce or eventually stop the use of strong pharmaceutical sleep aids
It’s thought that these sleep-inducing elements of weed are due to how the plant’s cannabinoids interact with our endocannabinoid system. When cannabinoids bind to the cannabinoid receptors in the human brain, they suppress the brain’s arousal systems and call for the increase of sleep-related adenosine levels. This combination may allow cannabis users to feel more relaxed, sedated, and sleepy.
Along with cannabinoids, certain terpenes present in cannabis — particularly beta-caryophyllene, myrcene, pinene, terpinolene, and linalool — are especially sleep-promoting. Terpenes and cannabinoids also work together, creating an “entourage effect” that can reduce anxiety, distract from pain, and even promote relaxation in cannabis patients.
Using melatonin and weed for sleeping
Is it safe to use melatonin and cannabis at the same time? Yes! You can safely combine cannabis and melatonin to try achieving a better night’s sleep. In fact, THC may even increase the production of melatonin by stimulating melatonin secretion from the pineal gland and potentially enhance its sleep-inducing capabilities.
Cannabis and melatonin may also help patients get a full night of sleep by allowing all parts of your sleep cycle to occur. Melatonin and cannabis affect your sleep cycle in opposite ways:
- Melatonin is thought to increase the amount of time spent in REM sleep, where brain activity is high. Vivid dreams usually occur during REM.
- Cannabis is thought to increase slow-wave or deep sleep, and decrease REM sleep.
Taking melatonin and cannabis together may cancel out these sleep cycle changes, promoting a holistic sleep cycle that helps you get the best rest possible.
How do I take melatonin and cannabis for sleep?
When ingesting melatonin and cannabis together, it’s best to take both at similar times. You should take melatonin an hour or two before bedtime, and it’s best to take cannabis for sleeping around that time as well.
There is no single recommended melatonin dosage, since different people naturally secrete different levels of melatonin. Patients can take as little as .5 mg or as much as 5 mg of melatonin, and there are extra-strength supplements available with 7 or 10 mg melatonin. Cannabis dosage will depend upon your previous and current cannabis intake.
Sleep better during Daylight Savings with Astaria
As an alternative to taking melatonin and cannabis separately, you can take a cannabis edible that has weed and melatonin all rolled into one — such as Astaria Hibernation Fruit Chews!
These vegan-friendly, gluten-free fruit chews promote restful and well-rounded sleep by combining a low dose of melatonin, CBD, and THC with sleep-inducing terpenes myrcene and beta-caryophyllene.
Astaria Hibernation Fruit Chews currently come in a soothing Blueberry Basil flavor. Keep your eyes peeled for Astaria Cherry Hibernation Fruit Chews, coming to Rev shelves soon with a tart and CBN-infused twist!
Sleep like a bear with Astaria Hibernation Fruit Chews, and catch up on all your sleep this Daylight Savings. Find them on our online menu and order for delivery or in-store pickup!
One Response
Thanks for the advice on this! Getting the right sleep is so important