Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) rose to prominence for its psychedelic properties.
THC is one of the 120+ naturally occurring compounds in marijuana, technically known as phytocannabinoids. It’s the principal compound in cannabis responsible for the plant’s mind-altering effects. That’s a sharp contrast from its equally popular cousin, cannabidiol (CBD), which is predominantly marketed as a healing drug.
But unknown to many, tetrahydrocannabinol also boasts powerful health benefits. Research has shown that the compound may treat a range of common ailments, including certain sleep disorders.
THC is available in diverse formulations, too. Many wellness enthusiasts prefer consuming the substance via fancy edibles like gummies.
This post examines whether using tetrahydrocannabinol gummies may improve your sleep quality.
Ways THC Gummies Might Promote Sleep Quality
1. Shortening Sleep Latency
Sleep latency is the duration it takes to fall asleep after getting to bed and turning the lights out. According to sleep experts, healthy people should be able to drift to sleep within 5 – 15 minutes.
A longer sleep latency can upset your circadian rhythms, predisposing you to various sleep disorders.
Using THC gummies for sleep has been shown to shorten sleep onset time, as per 1970s trials. While tetrahydrocannabinol is probably best known as a stimulant, administering the compound in measured doses can mellow you down.
THC gummies enable you to drift off to sleep much sooner by quelling bedtime anxieties. The net effect is a longer sleep time.
2. Treating PTSD
Reducing your sleep onset time will have minimal impact if you end up getting fragmented sleep, which is often due to underlying medical conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is one of the most bothersome anxiety disorders. Among its signature symptoms are flashbacks and nightmares.
If you’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, it’s exciting to know that you can boost your sleep quality by supplementing with tetrahydrocannabinol gummies.
One study found that THC addresses PTSD’s most problematic symptoms, including agitation and nightmares. That’s likely due to the compound’s calming properties and inhibitory role on REM sleep.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the sleep phase during intense dreaming. By shortening REM sleep, THC consequently minimizes the number and intensity of disruptive nightmares.
Taking THC gummies at bedtime lets you slip into sleep much faster while keeping you rested for longer hour blocks – a double threat you won’t find in conventional sleep medications.
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3. Improving Breathing During Sleep
PTSD isn’t the only sleep-disruptive problem to beware of. There’s also sleep apnea, a condition marked by the alternate stopping and restarting of breathing during sleep.
Sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep quality by cutting the supply of oxygenated blood and essential nutrients to the brain. Note that the brain and other vital organs never go on leave even during periods of tranquil rest.
If untreated, sleep apnea could lead to grogginess, persistent fatigue, and diminished concentration. All these can adversely impact your daytime productivity.
Some research suggests that administering tetrahydrocannabinol may improve breathing during sleep. Again, this has much to do with the compound’s calming properties.
4. Pain Alleviation
Pain and insomnia are ugly cousins. Persistently aching muscles, throbbing headaches, or stiff joints can impact your sleep quality in diverse ways.
First, pain sensations prolong your sleep onset time.
Sore tissues can cause sleep to elude you for most of the night. By the time you finally doze off, your circadian rhythms will already be thrown off balance.
Pain is also a leading cause of fragmented sleep. The situation could be worse if you suffer from other underlying conditions like PTSD.
Fortunately, pain relief is one of tetrahydrocannabinol’s primary therapeutic applications. THC gummies combat pain by activating certain pathways in the central nervous system (CNS) that block the transmission of pain signals.
By desensitizing these pathways, pain signals are registered in the brain as less intense than they truly are.
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Compounding THC’s Sleep-Aid Benefits
Most THC gummies don’t only contain tetrahydrocannabinol. Instead, they’re enriched with a number of other sleep-aiding compounds, such as reishi mushroom.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is highly prized for its calming properties. Some randomized controlled trials found that the mushroom may improve sleep quality without triggering severe adverse effects.
Reishi’s sleep-aiding abilities are largely attributed to polysaccharides. These compounds enhance access to calming neurotransmitters, including serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and tryptophan.
THC sleep gummies may also contain melatonin, a natural hormone secreted by the pineal glands, which regulates our sleep-wake patterns.
Melatonin’s production typically peaks at night and reduces during daylight hours. However, the hormone’s secretion declines gradually with age, underscoring the significance of supplementation.
Making the Most of THC Gummies
Proper timing and dosage are critical to maximize the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol.
A good practice is to administer THC gummies around 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. This enables the product’s active ingredients to kick in when you’re ready to sleep.
As for the dosage, start small and work your way up incrementally. This lets you enjoy the health benefits of THC gummies while avoiding any adverse events.
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Wrap Up
Supplementing with tetrahydrocannabinol may treat sleep disorders far more effectively than many conventional pills.
Although THC can make you trip, it poses fewer adverse effects than regular sleep medications. Besides, marijuana’s high is perfectly manageable provided that you moderate your doses.
One way to modulate THC’s effects is by co-administering it with CBD. Better yet, you could consult a licensed medical marijuana doctor for professional dosage recommendations.
