And while grogginess, exhaustion, and under-eye bags are some of the more noticeable signs of a bad night’s sleep, persistent sleep issues can have serious detrimental effects on your general health: According to the Sleep Foundation, chronically inadequate sleep can raise your risk for heart disease and depression, weaken your body’s natural defenses, and even reduce the effectiveness of some vaccines.
If you experience insomnia like many people do, you could turn to melatonin or perhaps a glass of wine to help you fall asleep. However, neither choice is ideal: Leaning toward alcohol dependence may have harmful, long-lasting implications (younger women are dying at shockingly higher rates from liver disease), and doctors point out that melatonin may not be suitable for everyone.
Is there a different vitamin for sleep that would be better? Okay, perhaps. Come the goodies.
How Do Edibles Work?
While the term “edible” might draw up an image of a college party with kids sharing a pan of weed-infused brownies, an edible is simply any ingested item (be it a gummy, capsule, tincture, or other food product) containing one or more cannabinoids with the intent of providing a therapeutic dose to help whatever’s ailing you — i.e. stress, pain, or insomnia. CBD, THC, or CBN are some of these cannabinoids (chemicals present in cannabis plants).
Here is a brief description of each:
- Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a chemical that has a reputation for reducing inflammation and anxiety without making you high.
- Tetrahydrocannabinol, or delta 8 gummies as it is more commonly known, is the psychoactive, intoxicating substance that makes you high and has been proved to ease chronic pain.
- The least researched of the three compounds, CBN (short for cannabinol), is derived from THC, making it moderately psychotropic but not as strong as THC. According to Benjamin Caplan, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician, cannabis physician, and founder of CED Clinic in Massachusetts, “CBN is generally accepted to be one of the more sedating compounds, but consumers also find THC and CBD helpful for sleep, depending primarily on the ultimate cause of the insomnia.” “Compared to THC, CBN is said to be significantly less euphoric.
- Because of this, both those who enjoy THC and those who do not frequently find it to be more appealing,” he continues.
- Both the indica and sativa marijuana plants come in different strains.
Sativa is thought to be more energetic than indica historically, which has a reputation for being more sedating. However, the two strains don’t actually differ much in terms of potency when it comes to edibles, according to Stacia Woodcock, Pharm.D., a dispensary manager at Curaleaf at the time this article was first published. Which cannabinoid—THC, CBD, or CBN—is present in what you’re consuming is more indicative of how it will affect your experience.
So, Can Food Aid My Sleep?
The quick response is: It depends on who you ask.
When it comes to treating his patients’ sleep disorders, Dr. Caplan is a big advocate of cannabis: “I have watched low-dose edibles help tens of thousands of patients discover restful sleep that most of our common prescriptions couldn’t achieve, and without unpleasant side effects,” he notes.
Smita Patel, D.O., a specialist in neurology, sleep medicine, and integrative medicine, agrees with the statement. According to her, “[research] on cannabis and sleep disorders suggests that] THC may shorten the time it takes to fall asleep when you first go to bed and CBD may have therapeutic potential for treating insomnia.” For instance, participants in a 2019 study who struggled with anxiety or sleep issues received daily doses of 25 to 175 mg of CBD. A month later, 80% of participants indicated their overall anxiety had decreased, and nearly 70% said their sleep quality had improved.
ICYDK, your body actually has an endocannabinoid system that is designed to take cannabis in. Whether or not you consume cannabis, this system, which is essentially a component of your nervous system, contains endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes. Together, these three elements help your body with a variety of processes, including pain treatment, stress release, and, conveniently, better sleep. According to Elizabeth Ardillo, Pharm.D., head of medical education at Green Thumb Industries, “the human body has an endocannabinoid system that works to provide an overall sense of well-being, including quality sleep.” According to research, using cannabis can improve sleep quality by interacting with endocannabinoid receptors to lessen pain perception, reduce tension, and calm restlessness.
Naturally, not all research on cannabis and sleep is favorable. According to a research review from 2017, CBD may occasionally function as a stimulant and keep you up, while frequent usage of THC may interfere with sleep over time.
Dr. Caplan advises that these research should be interpreted cautiously. “The data on cannabis and its effects on sleep, like much of the existing data about cannabis, must be read with a critical eye,” the author cautions. “It comes with the baggage of a historical mountain of studies that were biased against positive effects and a decades-long systematic anti-cannabis agenda,” he says. (See: Drug, Medicine, or Something In Between? for more information. Here’s What You Really Need to Know About Marijuana)
How to Use Foods to Improve Sleep
So, should you think about popping an edible before going to bed? First off, it’s advisable to avoid if you have a liver issue. All cannabinoids are metabolized in the liver, according to Dr. Caplan, therefore anyone using cannabis who has liver issues should seek medical advice.
Beyond that caution, though, the experts consulted said there’s typically little danger in experimenting with edibles for a couple of nights to see how they influence your sleep. But before trying any new supplement, it’s always a good idea to speak with your doctor, and after taking it, you should never operate any heavy machinery (like a car). (Although there isn’t an official database of medical professionals who have prescribed cannabis, you can use online resources like Leafly’s tool to find a physician.)
Here are five suggestions for choosing (and utilizing) foods for sleep.
Choose the Proper Product
There are several edible options available with a variety of substances, but Dr. Caplan prefers oil-based solutions because they have a tendency to be digested more slowly by the body, lasting longer and having a soothing impact. So how can you tell whether your product contains oil? Simple: The food that marijuana is coupled with has a fat or oil foundation instead of a sugar base (like in gummies), such as chocolate or coconut oil.
In terms of the THC, CBD, or CBN type found in the consumable, Ardillo advises trying items that have a combination of THC and CBN. While every individual is unique, she says, edibles containing THC and CBN can help provide an undisturbed night of sleep without the sluggish sensation brought on by many drugs.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all states permit the legal purchase of cannabis without a medical card. But, as Dr. Caplan points out, you can buy CBD almost anyplace. “Only two states remain, Idaho and Nebraska, without some type of state-sponsored access to cannabis, and CBD is legal and available by mail throughout the United States,” he claims. Check your state’s regulations before using cannabis for recreational purposes if you don’t have a prescription or medical card because they vary from state to state and are fast changing. (Read more here: How to Buy the Best CBD Products That Are Safe and Effective.)
Prepare for the Test
How can you get the most out of your food while making sure everything runs well before bed? According to Dr. Caplan, it’s a two-step technique that’s fairly easy. Even if your consumable is oil-based, choose an oil-based meal to accompany it (again, because fats are digested slowly), then set a timer. “A timer is the best preparation for an edible. The most typical trap for inexperienced consumers is the delayed onset, according to him. Why? According to Dr. Caplan, this is because edibles can take up to 60 minutes or longer to take action (as opposed to cannabis that is inhaled, which starts working right away).
According to Dr. Caplan, other items you eat concurrently with or right before consuming an edible can also have an impact on that timing. Expect the food to take longer to sink in and have a shorter effect if your meal is high in carbohydrates but low in fat. He argues that an edible that is consumed with a meal that is high in fat and oil will probably take action more quickly and linger longer in the body. No matter what kind of food you have, wait until 30 to 60 minutes before night to consume your consumable.
And when it comes to hydration, Dr. Caplan notes that “Cannabis, in general, can be somewhat dehydrating, so it’s always wise for the cannabis consumer to be mindful of adequate hydration — but no extra special hydration plan is necessary.”
Observe the Dose
According to Dr. Caplan, when it comes to edibles, a little goes a long way. “Many newcomers to edibles make the mistake of taking a larger amount than the body may need, and the extra THC can feel like an unwelcome and long-lasting roller-coaster ride,” he cautions. He counseled patience. Consumers “all too frequently forget that there is a lengthy delay before edibles kick in,” the author claims. He continues, “These undesirable effects can result from impatience and the decision to take more.”
Even if you consume too much cannabis, you won’t get the same type of hangover that you would from drinking alcohol, but Woodcock advises giving the edible 6 to 10 hours to work its way through your system. She advises trying your first edible for sleep before a morning when you have nothing urgent to do because everyone’s experience varies.
If you decide to use a THC-containing edible, start with 2 to 3 milligrams. According to Dr. Caplan, this lower dose range frequently produces a modest euphoric effect without being overpowering or unexpected. (FYI: You might need to cut whatever meal the THC is packed in into halves or quarters, depending on how the edible is packaged.) It’s OK to increase the amount to 5 to 10 milligrams on consecutive nights if you continued to have problems falling (and keeping) asleep, even with an edible as a help, he says.
And what if, no matter how much you take, you genuinely don’t feel anything? According to Dr. Caplan, “oddly, there exists a cohort of individuals who, regardless of the dose they take, seem to never experience the effects of edibles, even though they may readily experience the effects of lower-dosed inhalation choices.” Edibles may not be the best cannabis product for you in such situation.
Analyze the Label
According to Dr. Caplan, “there are countless options [for edibles] that are available online and can be shipped to [a person’s] home.” He advises consumers to search for something on a product’s label known as a Certificate of Analysis (or COA), which essentially indicates the product has been lab-tested and won’t contain hazardous toxins.
Know the legalities in your state before buying THC-containing edibles. Federal law prohibits the use of cannabis, and certain states have varying laws on what you can and cannot acquire online.
Don’t Depend on Edibles Every Night
According to Dr. Patel, you should only use edibles for sleep as a temporary supplement, just as you shouldn’t take melatonin every night (to avoid dependence). You should combine other activities that encourage a lifestyle that promotes excellent sleep, she advises, in order to sleep well.
Dr. Patel advises speaking with your doctor right away if you experience more than a mild amount of restlessness and think you may have insomnia. Don’t solely rely on edible cannabis (or another supplement) every night, he adds. Numerous studies have demonstrated that marijuana’s habit-forming properties could cause long-term usage to have a detrimental effect on sleep, according to the author. In other words, you’ll build up a tolerance, and the effects won’t have the same effect on you.