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What I think I already know about insomnia:
THC helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.
- It’ll also interfer with REM, so you may not dream at high doses.
CBD soothes anxiety and calms the euphoric effect of THC.
CBN is the cannabinoid holding the most potential as a sedative.
Terpenes enhance the action of cannabinoids, directing the effect you’ll feel.
- Myrcene is the most valuable for sleepiness.
- Linalool and Citral are also sought after for sleep meds.
- Primary insomnia is isolated from other conditions.
- Secondary insomnia is related to an underlying disease state that’s causing the insomnia. To attempt to treat the insomnia without treating the underlying cause feels a little short-sighted.
Dosing Guidelines
For a patient with primary insomnia a medicine with a balanced ratio (1:1, THC:CBD) will usually do the trick. A capsule containing between 5-15 mg of each major cannabinoid, taken about an hour before bed, is the standard beginning point.
Accompanying concerns
Insomnia typically comes with depression or anxiety attached.
- A patient with depression may need more THC in the ratio profile. Try 1:1, and if after 3 days there’s no noticable difference, increase THC values to 2:1. Give it a week before making other adjustments. Every human body is different.
- A patient with anxiety will typically respond to daytime dosing of CBD, and abrupt, anxious awakenings will soften as the patient tunes in the dose.
Try not to take high-CBD meds after early evening if anxiety plays into the patient’s insomnia. CBD can be alerting.
That’s all I can think of for now.
What I’m learning about insomnia: Additional info from The Cannabis Pharmacy:
Insomnia is always one of the chief reasons consumers list as the reason they chose cannabis as a medicine.
THC’s metabolites are what produce sleepiness, and it usually hits about an hour to 90 minutes after administration.
* Plan ahead to have the metabolites mesh with your desired sleep time.
* This is terpene-dependent. Choose medicines high in myrcene, linalool, or citral. A medicine high in limonene or pinene, for instance, won’t put you to sleep.
* Too high a dose will interfer with sleep and leave you feeling slightly tired upon awaking.
CBD is more of an alerting molecule, and it might be wiser to stop using it at 5 PM to cut down on the possibility of it interfering with sleep.
* At first CBD may feel too alerting, but after a few daily daytime doses anxiety and stress levels will begin to soften and there’ll be fewer Early Morning Wakings.
THC will stimulate initially, then build up metabolites that’ll begin signaling sleepiness.
* If vaping or smoking to help fall asleep, time that dose about an hour out from bedtime.
* To assist restful, sustained sleep try an edible with 5 - 15 mg of THC about 30 minutes before bedtime.
* A vaporizer with high THC meds next to the bed for the occasional start awake can be a godsend. One or two puffs and you’ll fall back asleep.
**Side note**
Occasional recreational users report that cannabis interferes with their sleep patterns.
Regular medical patients (and I’m assuming regular consumers) report easier to access, increased, more restful sleep.
Using cannabinoids creates increased waste material for the body to eliminate. The last step performed by the enzymes is to make the disassembled cannabinoids more water-soluble. It’s of utmost importance to maintain a healthy “Inner Sea.”
CBD spray was more effective in treating insomnia than the placebo, but less effective than THC.
THC/CBD combinations appear to be more effective than isolates of either cannabinoid.
It appears CBD will help a fatigued patient sleep, but once they’ve caught up and feel rested CBD may be too stimulating.
Try a daytime high-CBD tincture or capsule for longterm stress relief.
Inhaled (smoked or vaped) cannabis has almost immediate effects, within seconds.
Great for breakthrough pain, anxiety, depression, or spasticity.
* That fast-onset of relief comes at the price of a smaller therapeutic window. After an hour or two the effects wane, which is why you take an edible an hour or so before bed.
Sublingual or sprays take 20 minutes, on average, to take effect.
THC is effective against anxiety and rumination (excessive worrying or feelings of low self-worth) at doses as low as 1 - 5 mg, taken sublingually.
* For greater effectiveness, swallow and send it through the gut.
I’d figure add that 20 to the 90 used as the guesstimate on metabolite buildup sufficient to cause sleepiness?
A THC dose of 5 - 7.5 mg, taken an hour before bedtime is a good sweet spot for many patients.
* If you increase that dose, do so slowly, no more than 2.5 mg per increase. Stay at any new dose 1-2 weeks, if possible, to get an honest evaluation of effect.
Insomnia is frequently an unhappy accompaniment to antidepressants. If you’re good on the antidepressants, but have trouble sleeping you may want to discuss the possibility with your doctor that the two conditions are related.
High-myrcene varieties Purples that also carry high expressions of linalool are sought after (i.e. Bubba Kush, Hindu Kush, Grape Ape, Purps).
THC helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.
- It’ll also interfer with REM, so you may not dream at high doses.
CBD soothes anxiety and calms the euphoric effect of THC.
CBN is the cannabinoid holding the most potential as a sedative.
Terpenes enhance the action of cannabinoids, directing the effect you’ll feel.
- Myrcene is the most valuable for sleepiness.
- Linalool and Citral are also sought after for sleep meds.
Myrcene + CBN = great sleep meds
Insomnia comes in two forms:
- Primary insomnia is isolated from other conditions.
- Secondary insomnia is related to an underlying disease state that’s causing the insomnia. To attempt to treat the insomnia without treating the underlying cause feels a little short-sighted.
Dosing Guidelines
For a patient with primary insomnia a medicine with a balanced ratio (1:1, THC:CBD) will usually do the trick. A capsule containing between 5-15 mg of each major cannabinoid, taken about an hour before bed, is the standard beginning point.
Accompanying concerns
Insomnia typically comes with depression or anxiety attached.
- A patient with depression may need more THC in the ratio profile. Try 1:1, and if after 3 days there’s no noticable difference, increase THC values to 2:1. Give it a week before making other adjustments. Every human body is different.
- A patient with anxiety will typically respond to daytime dosing of CBD, and abrupt, anxious awakenings will soften as the patient tunes in the dose.
Try not to take high-CBD meds after early evening if anxiety plays into the patient’s insomnia. CBD can be alerting.
That’s all I can think of for now.
What I’m learning about insomnia: Additional info from The Cannabis Pharmacy:
Insomnia is always one of the chief reasons consumers list as the reason they chose cannabis as a medicine.
THC’s metabolites are what produce sleepiness, and it usually hits about an hour to 90 minutes after administration.
* Plan ahead to have the metabolites mesh with your desired sleep time.
* This is terpene-dependent. Choose medicines high in myrcene, linalool, or citral. A medicine high in limonene or pinene, for instance, won’t put you to sleep.
* Too high a dose will interfer with sleep and leave you feeling slightly tired upon awaking.
- A morning dose of CBD can often offset this lethargy.
CBD is more of an alerting molecule, and it might be wiser to stop using it at 5 PM to cut down on the possibility of it interfering with sleep.
* At first CBD may feel too alerting, but after a few daily daytime doses anxiety and stress levels will begin to soften and there’ll be fewer Early Morning Wakings.
- Starting awake or waking up anxious happens because of cortisol spikes from the adrenal system. (Dr. Frankel)
THC will stimulate initially, then build up metabolites that’ll begin signaling sleepiness.
* If vaping or smoking to help fall asleep, time that dose about an hour out from bedtime.
* To assist restful, sustained sleep try an edible with 5 - 15 mg of THC about 30 minutes before bedtime.
* A vaporizer with high THC meds next to the bed for the occasional start awake can be a godsend. One or two puffs and you’ll fall back asleep.
**Side note**
Occasional recreational users report that cannabis interferes with their sleep patterns.
Regular medical patients (and I’m assuming regular consumers) report easier to access, increased, more restful sleep.
BE PROPERLY HYDRATED
Using cannabinoids creates increased waste material for the body to eliminate. The last step performed by the enzymes is to make the disassembled cannabinoids more water-soluble. It’s of utmost importance to maintain a healthy “Inner Sea.”
CBD spray was more effective in treating insomnia than the placebo, but less effective than THC.
THC/CBD combinations appear to be more effective than isolates of either cannabinoid.
It appears CBD will help a fatigued patient sleep, but once they’ve caught up and feel rested CBD may be too stimulating.
Try a daytime high-CBD tincture or capsule for longterm stress relief.
Inhaled (smoked or vaped) cannabis has almost immediate effects, within seconds.
Great for breakthrough pain, anxiety, depression, or spasticity.
* That fast-onset of relief comes at the price of a smaller therapeutic window. After an hour or two the effects wane, which is why you take an edible an hour or so before bed.
Sublingual or sprays take 20 minutes, on average, to take effect.
THC is effective against anxiety and rumination (excessive worrying or feelings of low self-worth) at doses as low as 1 - 5 mg, taken sublingually.
* For greater effectiveness, swallow and send it through the gut.
I’d figure add that 20 to the 90 used as the guesstimate on metabolite buildup sufficient to cause sleepiness?
A THC dose of 5 - 7.5 mg, taken an hour before bedtime is a good sweet spot for many patients.
* If you increase that dose, do so slowly, no more than 2.5 mg per increase. Stay at any new dose 1-2 weeks, if possible, to get an honest evaluation of effect.
Insomnia is frequently an unhappy accompaniment to antidepressants. If you’re good on the antidepressants, but have trouble sleeping you may want to discuss the possibility with your doctor that the two conditions are related.
High-myrcene varieties Purples that also carry high expressions of linalool are sought after (i.e. Bubba Kush, Hindu Kush, Grape Ape, Purps).
Gardengirla, you have my wishes for your best course! Every individual has a different circumstance and no one has a lock on the reality of each of our conditions. My father survived cancer 20 years after the time he was told less than six months to live without agressive chemo and radiation. He went salmon fishing in Alaska, instead.
He used neither cannabis nor radiation, taking only a pill a day for a year, that his doctor suggested may help. I am sure it was his positive attitude that cured him enough to live nearly 94 years! Whatever diet, supplements, exercise or surgery,try to feel good about that day as it was created by your positive will! The harmony of all creation is powered by positive good will! I myself would be very thoughtful about including multiple approaches, including mainstream treatments, along with cannabis, most likely. Feeling better is a true measure of efficacy, so if fishing makes me feel better, that is good medicine for me! Living is the ultimate measure of efficacy. Your balance of life's forces often is the synergist effect to all medicines that allows them to work for us. 
If it gets to be too much you can ask me to tone it down, and I will, as much as I can. 
Such incredible bullshit that we'd have to undergo the side effects pharma drugs bring with them while we outlaw the true components. We have quite a way to go, don't we?