The world is suffering from the coronavirus outbreak right now. This is a tough time for everyone, but there are people who are experiencing more problems than others. Many of us are suffering from mental health problems, and one such problem is not getting enough sleep. We all know the importance of getting enough sleep, as it is crucial for us to stay healthy. But, can terpenes help in inducing sleep?
Cannabis is known as a great antidote for insomnia. Medical cannabis is widely used for various health conditions and symptoms associated with them. These include stress, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, insomnia, and more. With a medical marijuana card, you can buy and consume medical cannabis for your condition. You must be familiar with cannabinoids like THC and CBD, and how these two can help you in different ways, especially in inducing sleep. But you might not be familiar with terpenes that also play a crucial role in inducing sleep. 420 doctors will tell you that these are the same compounds that provide cannabis its dank aroma.
There are many terpenes isolates or profiles that are known to induce sleep and have anti-anxiety or calming effects. There are certain cannabis strains that contain terpenes best for sleep. Many terpenes are also marketed as sleep aids but do not cause the same kind of sedative effects as the terpenes found in cannabis. Many terpenes help in managing pain and inflammation, which can be the cause of lack of sleep. The best way to use terpenes to induce sleep is to terpenes found in cannabis. But there are over 200 terpenes that can be found in cannabis alone, so it becomes very difficult to find the perfect isolate or profile for yourself. But, you can find the right blend if you know what terpenes you need to look for.
But What Are Terpenes?
Terpenes are tiny and powerful aromatic compounds that are highly active. They provide the unique taste and aroma to plants and fruits. They also protect plants from pests and predators. Terpenes are one of the compounds that add to the healing properties of cannabis and can affect your mood, sleepiness, energy, and alertness. People have been using cannabis to induce sleep for centuries, and one of the main reasons behind this is terpenes. When after smoking lavender you feel tension free, that is terpenes at work. According to various scientific studies, terpenes can have various benefits. Some of them are:
- Managing pain
- Reducing inflammation
- Lowering anxiety
- Offer the feeling of calmness and relaxation
- Enhancing alertness and cognitive performance
- Making it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep
The terpenes that you find in cannabis and other plants have different effects. Different terpenes impact mood, sleep, and cognition distinctively. While some are stimulating, others are sedating. The different effects of cannabis strains are also determined by their terpene profile. Learning about how terpenes works and which terpenes are the best for inducing sleep can help you use them more effectively.
Terpenes And Sleep
You can find terpenes in cannabis as well as in other plant sources. Either way, you can reap the benefits of these potent molecules for sleep. Research has proven that different terpenes offer natural sedative and hypnotic effects.
You must have heard this word, sedative. There are many terpenes that have sedative properties and calming effects. You need to understand that not every sedative acts in the same way. But, many do have the same basic properties. Sedatives can quiet nervous system activity, and promote calmness, relaxation, and drowsiness, helping to induce sleep. A sedative can also reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and maintain that sleep for the night. There are also natural compounds with hypnotic effects. These hypnotics can directly induce sleep. While you can find hypnotic and sedative effects separately in natural compounds, some natural compounds have both effects. Many terpenes also have anxiolytic properties, which means, they can help in reducing anxiety, tension, and indirectly benefiting your sleep.
There has been an increase in the popularity of cannabis in the last 2 years, mainly because of its therapeutic benefits. It can help in boosting your performance, improving your health, and aiding your sleep. And now the attention is being paid on terpenes and how they deliver their benefits. Scientists are focusing on learning about the mechanisms by which terpenes help in providing relaxation, relief from pain and inflammation, lack of sleep, and mood disorder. One way in which terpenes can work is when the body activates its own GABA system. GABA is an amino acid that the brain produces naturally. It works as a neurotransmitter and facilitates communication among brain cells.
GABA is the body’s most important inhibitory neurotransmitter, which reduces the activity of the central nervous system and neural cells in the brain. This way GABA helps in initiating sleep, reducing anxiety, managing mental and physical stress, inducing calmness, and stabilizing mood. Now, cannabis has terpenes that can affect the activity of GABA, and hence help in managing stress and anxiety, promoting a stable mood, and helping with sleep. This helps cannabis get a place in the list of sleep-promoting supplements that affect the brain’s GABA activity.
The terpenes specifically in cannabis have been proven to enhance and modulate the effects of cannabinoids. And cannabinoids can help people with a range of health conditions, including psychological diseases such as anxiety and depression, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. They can also help in seizure disorders, various forms of cancer, and chronic pain.
Some of the best terpenes for inducing sleep and relaxation are:-
- Pinene
- Myrcene
- Caryophyllene
- Limonene
- Terpineol
- Terpinolene
- Linalool
- Phytol
Conclusion
When it comes to inducing sleep, it becomes important for you to identify the strains that contain terpenes that can provide relaxation or sedation. Terpenes can promote sedative effects as well as relaxation. So, if you are finding it difficult to fall asleep or sleep through the night, terpenes can be a good all-natural alternative to sleep aids.
