Before plunging into the effects of marijuana on our REM sleep cycles, it is important to understand what Rapid Eye Movement is all about.Our brains move through five different cycles during sleep and one of those is known as REM.
Let’s Look At The REM Facts:
- Our brains are almost as active while in the REM stages of sleep as when we are up and about and active
- Our breathing becomes fast and irregular
- Scientists believe that REM sleep helps to consolidate our memories
The REM sleep stage is reached within 90 minutes of nodding off and this cycle is repeated throughout the night. In fact, the REM accounts for 20% to 25% of an adult’s sleep cycle.
We do most of our dreaming during REM sleep which is believed to impact on our ability to learn and on our memory and mood behaviors.
Psychologist John Cline, who is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says clinicians are fully aware of the fact that many psychiatric patients use marijuana. He refers to a study into marijuana usage and its impact on sleep cycles that was conducted in the 1970’s and which found that deep sleep was initially increased with the use of cannabis but that its effect dissipated with repeated use.
Cline, who is an assistant clinical professor at Yale’s Department of Psychiatry, says continued research is being promoted by a number of organizations and that new information about the potential therapeutic benefits of marijuana and sleep disorders is being gleaned.
Prescription Drugs Do Not Improve The Quality of Sleep
Cline points to the fact that many medicines that are taken to induce sleep, such as benzodiazepines, may immodestly increase sleep but fail to enhance the quality of sleep. He compares benzodiazepines to alcohol, pointing out that while liquor may help one to fall asleep, it does nothing to enhance the quality of that sleep.
Cline Says Marijuana Can Be Classified As Follows:
- A hallucinogen, a psychedelic, or a drug
- Cannabis causes an altered state of mind
- It results in mild euphoria, relaxation and enhanced sensory experiences
- It can cause distressing and unpleasant side-effects such as anxiety and paranoia
Every time marijuana is purported to improve our health, be it for sleep or life-threatening illnesses, there are those critics who will shout it down and this pattern will continue until such time as enough money is spent on research, research and even more research.
No One Has Died From A Marijuana Overdose
However, one thing is patently clear. Until now this federally illegal substance has never been recorded as the cause of a single fatality. Ironically, the same cannot be said for legal booze which is responsible for killing 88 thousand people in America every single year. And, when it comes to prescription drugs, that figure is even higher!
Weed Is An Effective Sleeping Aid
Scientific evidence to date shows that marijuana is an effective sleeping aid. Its reaction to the body’s endocannabinoid system relieves stress and induces a sedative-like effect. Furthermore, studies show that marijuana is less addictive and more effective to treat sleeping disorders than many prescription drugs.
Research also claims that because cannabis blunts the human response to dopamine, (a compound present in the body that acts as a neurotransmitter and a precursor of other substances including adrenaline) it decreases REM sleep. This means that people who use cannabis on a regular basis spend less time dreaming. Secondly, cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that are present in marijuana increase levels of a chemical known as adenosine, whichpromotes sleep.
More studies are also being conducted into marijuana’s cannabidiol compound, known as CBD, which counters THC’s stimulating effects and is believed to be an effective sleep aid. CBD is being used in an increasing number of pot-based medications designed to treat sleeping disorders.
Conclusion
Once you sift through all the jargon it becomes clear that marijuana, in whichever form, is being promoted as a sleeping disorder medication and is rapidly gaining acceptance by thousands of insomniacs worldwide.
The country now has untold numbers of weed delivery services, none more so than in California. Whether you choose to smoke it, eat it, inhale it or apply it as a topical cream, marijuana delivery Santa Barbara, for example, provide a wide range of stock to meet your needs.
Sleep well!
This is pretty obvious