After a long day, the sleep we need is priceless. But for those with insomnia, each night brings anxiety and restlessness. This debilitating condition has knock-on effects beyond not sleeping and can greatly reduce people’s quality of life.
Fortunately, as understanding of the condition has grown, so have the insomnia treatment options available to those who have sleeping difficulties. Nowadays, there are multiple types of treatments available to help lessen the worst effects of insomnia.
One of these treatment types is medical cannabis, which is gaining interest thanks to its effects. At Lyphe, we offer those who are eligible access to medical marijuana, which can transform their relationship with insomnia.
In this blog, we’ll be looking at insomnia, its causes, and how natural treatment options can help those with the condition.
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is when you experience issues in how you feel or operate day-to-day because you are not sleeping well or enough. The severity of insomnia can vary, with some only experiencing minor inconvenience and others suffering severely from it.
Insomnia can also affect a wide range of people, but those who are light sleepers, drink alcohol, or have fear or anxiety about sleep, are particularly predisposed to having it.
Because people’s sleeping patterns are so different, so too are the symptoms.
Having trouble sleeping is a big, obvious symptom. This can vary, however, from not being able to fall asleep in the first place, to waking up in the middle of the night and falling back asleep (the most common symptom of insomnia), or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep at all.
These symptoms can have knock-on effects, too. Delayed response times, trouble remembering information, and mood changes are all signs that someone might be experiencing insomnia.
If these happen for long enough, it may be that the person suffers from chronic insomnia. This needs to be diagnosed and looks at circumstances, frequency and duration (chronic insomnia has to last for at least three months).
What Causes Insomnia?
The variety of people who suffer from a poor sleep-wake cycle means it is hard to pin down an exact cause. However, there are several factors which can cause insomnia or make people more susceptible to suffering from it.
Poor mental health is a huge driver of insomnia. People already suffering from stress, depression, and anxiety find that this affects their sleep, leading to what we’d characterise as insomnia. Medical conditions such as ADHD, menopause, and thyroid issues can also contribute to poor sleep patterns.
Additionally, hormonal shifts that can occur during pregnancy or menopause can make the treatment of insomnia in females more complex. For menopause-related insomnia, making the sleep environment cooler and taking natural supplements can offer relief.
A poor lifestyle that involves the heavy use of drugs or alcohol will also contribute to bad sleep health, as can environmental factors such as poor sleep schedules or overuse of screens. The blue light that they emit disrupts circadian rhythms, especially when used before bed. If the room in which you sleep is not designed to do that, people are more likely to experience insomnia.
Common Treatments for Insomnia
While insomnia can be an awful thing to have to go through, modern medicine has advanced to offer those with it plenty of different types of treatments to help mitigate their lack of sleep.
For instance, there are plenty of over-the-counter sleep medicines as well as prescription sleep aids that can help people get the number of hours of sleep they need. However, it is worth noting that prescription pills are only prescribed for serious cases of insomnia, as they can become addictive.
Talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can also help those with the condition understand the thoughts and behaviours that keep them from sleeping. Done with a therapist, understanding how your brain operates can unlock new ways of dealing with the worst of insomnia’s effects.
Simple lifestyle changes often have great effects for those suffering with mild insomnia. Regular exercise, a reduction in screen time before bed, and good sleep hygiene can all make a difference. Additionally, keeping sleep diaries can help identify triggers or patterns to poor sleep.
While there is no ‘cure’ for insomnia, it is a condition that, for many people, can be treated effectively and quickly with just a few changes to lifestyle and routine.
Natural Insomnia Treatments
As well as traditional treatments, there has been a growing take-up of more natural remedies to help people sleep.
Starting with simple things such as having the correct sleeping environment, in other words, a room that is suitably dark with no distractions and at the right temperature.
Beyond that, practices such as mindfulness and meditation can also be effective ways of calming and centring the body, preparing it for a restful night.
Herbal supplements are very popular too. Valerian root and chamomile are two supplements that can be taken before bed, which reduce tension in the body and the time it takes for people to get off to sleep.
Medical Cannabis and Insomnia Treatment
In recent years, the emergence of medical cannabis as a viable, natural treatment for insomnia has grown. Many patients report improved sleep patterns due to the way medical cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system.
The compounds in medical cannabis – THC and CBD – bind with CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain, which alleviates pain and, for insomnia sufferers, induces relaxation.
The effects of this are backed up by a sleep study, published by the National Institutes of Health, which found that 39% of patients who used medical cannabis were able to reduce or stop using their prescription medication. An even greater percentage from the same study, 71%, reported improvements in their sleep.
As well as insomnia, medical cannabis can be helpful for other conditions, from anxiety through to chronic pain, because of the way it binds with the receptors.
As with any treatment, there are cautions and considerations to be aware of. Every person with insomnia will react differently to treatments and it’s important to understand the pros and cons of them all.
The team here at Lyphe is committed to providing patients with access to medical cannabis so that they can address the variety of conditions that it can aid. We collaborate with eligible patients to develop a personalised treatment plan that can help address the insomnia issues they’re facing.
Can Insomnia be Cured?
Insomnia is not ‘curable’, but it is very manageable, and people can live perfectly normal lives and have a normal sleep pattern.
This applies to both types of insomnia – chronic and acute. Chronic insomnia is defined as lasting for three months or more, whereas acute insomnia happens for three months or less, usually a matter of days or weeks. Chronic insomnia treatment may require more consultation with medical professionals.
As we’ve discussed, CBT, lifestyle changes, and medications (both natural and traditional) can all work to treat insomnia and can even help mitigate the condition over a longer period.
When to Seek Help
If you have been having trouble sleeping for days, weeks, or more, and it is affecting your day-to-day life, it might be time to seek treatment for insomnia.
Bouts of insomnia can have a big effect on your daily life, causing poor mental health, delayed responses, and general fatigue. If you’re experiencing these things, seek clinical advice from your GP.
At Lyphe, we can support your journey to better sleep thanks to our medical cannabis treatment plans – should you be eligible, we’ll be there to offer ongoing support. In just a few steps, you can be on the way to enjoying better overall sleep hygiene.
Take the Next Step
So, if you’re ready to learn more about our natural medical cannabis treatment plans and how they can help you enjoy a better night’s sleep, be sure to check if you’re eligible today.
With relief from only £17.99 a month, we’re confident we have the plan for you.
Understanding Insomnia and the Role of Medical Cannabis
Exploring Alternative Stress Treatments with Medical Cannabis
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Disclaimer
The content provided on this blog is intended for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. We strongly advise readers to seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns.
To reflect its medicinal nature rather than recreational use, we prefer the term ‘medical cannabis’ over terms such as ‘marijuana’, “grass”. or ‘dope’ which may carry negative connotations.
The opinions expressed in the blog belong to the respective authors, who are not medical professionals, and may not necessarily align with those of Lyphe Clinic. Lyphe Clinic does not endorse any specific products or services mentioned, except those provided through Lyphe Clinic.
Readers should be aware that the legality of medical cannabis varies by location, and this disclaimer may be subject to periodic updates.
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