How to Sleep Like A Baby Again
Get the rest you’ve been dreaming of with a better wind-down routine and a nighttime blend of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids.
Let’s get straight to the point: sleep is really important. How much sleep you get and the overall quality of that rest impacts your energy levels, mental health, and immune system. While sleep may seem pretty straightforward, there’s actually a lot going on internally while you dream. But sadly, sleep doesn’t always come easily. According to the American Sleep Association, over 50 million U.S adults report having trouble falling asleep, restless nights, or poor sleep habits.
The search for quality Zzzs without the morning grogginess of sleep medications has led many to turn to an all-natural sleep aid: cannabis. The right blend of cannabis cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN helps you to relax, release stress and fall into a deep sleep. Calm your mind with the cannabis dose that works best for your body with the specially formulated midose. HUSH vape pen - a natural blend of terpenes and cannabinoids that help you drift off to dreamland. With a perfectly balanced ratio of 60%THC, 15% CBN, and 15%CBD, HUSH helps your body and mind relax, and provides the sleep support you need. Adding cannabis to your bedtime routine can turn restless nights into a restful slumber. So you wake up feeling refreshed and fully rested.
Getting Enough R’n’R
Yes, it’s nice to have energy the next day, but why is sleep so important for your health? Sleep is an essential element of keeping your body healthy and resilient. Your body is in active recovery as you snooze - filtering out toxins, reducing inflammation, and bolstering your immune system. While you’re busy dreaming, your body produces proteins called cytokines - which are crucial for blood cell and immune cell activity. These little protein heroes help regulate your immune system by targeting infections and reducing inflammation in your body.
If you’re someone who struggles with falling asleep, you know not getting enough rest can be stressful. But the irony is, too much stress can then lead to trouble falling asleep. So how do we avoid this sleep-loss cycle? It all comes down to cortisol - our favorite stress hormone. Cortisol isn’t inherently bad. In fact, cortisol is what kicks in when we are faced with an outside threat or stressful situation we need to overcome - like a big work report or the sound of a smoke alarm. Your body has a natural cortisol rhythm, which is healthy and necessary for survival. The problem is that everyday life can sometimes become too stressful, pushing your body into constant fight-or-flight mode. This raises your overall cortisol levels, leading to chronic stress and, you guessed it, trouble falling (and staying) asleep. Lack of adequate sleep wears your body down and has been tied to depression, anxiety, hypertension, obesity, and a weakened immune system.
As I mentioned before: sleep is really important. But getting a good night’s rest can be tricky. No matter how tired you are, sometimes the minute your head hits the pillow your mind is suddenly spinning in circles. The good news is, cannabis can help.
Cannabis for Better Sleep
One of the very first benefits of cannabis that was heralded in the mainstream was its ability to help those suffering from insomnia and PTSD. Cannabis has helps people many relax and fall asleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, “around 70% of young adults that casually use cannabis report that they do so to help them sleep.” Incorporating cannabis into your regime can help you fall asleep faster.
How? Do you ask? The cannabis plant is special in its unique ability to interact with your body’s own internal cannabinoid receptors, called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Your ECS is responsible for regulating bodily functions like mood, hunger, memory, and yes, sleep. Different cannabis cannabinoids influence your endocannabinoid receptors in different ways. The most popularly known cannabinoids can help you get a full night’s sleep.
CBN
Cannabinol (CBN) provides pain relief, reduces inflammation, and seems to be especially helpful when it comes to sedative effects - especially when combined with other cannabinoids and terpenes. The two cannabinoids CBN and THC are closely tied together. In fact, CBN is created when THC is exposed to light and air. As THC oxidizes it turns into CBN. Both CBN and THC are also able to bind with your endocannabinoid system receptors to provide direct therapeutic benefits.
CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) is probably the most well-known cannabis cannabinoid besides THC. And for good reason! CBD is amazing at reducing inflammation and elevating your mood without THC’s “high” side effect. In fact, CBD counteracts that “high” feeling. Because of this, the ratio of CBD to THC can tell you a lot about the degree to which a product may have a psychoactive effect. One of the best things about CBD is that it boosts the level of the “bliss molecule” Anandamide in your body - helping you wake up feeling good and refreshed.
THC
Last, but certainly not least, the most infamous cannabinoid: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The most bountiful cannabinoid in the cannabis plant, THC works so well within your body because of its natural ability to bind with your endocannabinoid system receptors. While THC’s claim to fame is the psychoactive side-effect that can make you feel “high,” there’s so much more to THC’s benefits - including its sedative properties. For those suffering from PTSD, THC is helpful because it reduces the amount of time spent in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) - the time of sleep when you dream. New research even shows THC may help improve obstructed breathing while you’re sleeping.
Sweet Dreams Are Made of Terpenes
There are over 100 different types of terpenes found in the cannabis plant. Each terpene comes with its own superpowers to help support your health and contribute to the holistic physiological benefits of cannabis. This is because terpenes work best when in tandem with cannabinoids - commonly referred to as the Entourage Effect. You get the full therapeutic benefits of nature when cannabinoids and natural terpenes are working together.
Linalool is floral terpene commonly found in flowers like lavender. Not only does linalool have a lovely scent, but it also possesses natural anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, and pain relief properties. The addition of linalool to your evening can help calm the mind, boost your mood, and combat restless nights. Linalool has a natural sedative effect on your body, helping to relax your muscles. This is especially helpful for those of us with restless leg syndrome or physical pains.
Myrcene is a terpene we love, especially at the end of the day. An antioxidant, some of myrcene’s special characteristics include anti-inflammatory and anxiety-reducing properties. What makes Myrcene so great for your nighttime routine is its sedative powers. Studies have found that cannabis strains with higher levels of myrcene are more likely to make you feel mellow and sleepy - aka, the reason we love indica cannabis strains.
Our sleepy-time midose. HUSH blend combines cannabinoids with the sedative terpenes linalool and myrcene, to help count fewer sheep and catch the most Zzzs.
Healthier Sleep Habits
Now that you know how to harness the powers of cannabis to improve your sleep, here are a few other tips to help you catch the train to sleepy town.
Create An Electronic-Free Zone
While it’s tempting to try and squeeze as much out of your day as possible, giving yourself a full hour or two to unwind can really help calm your brain and senses. For some, falling asleep with the TV on, listening to a podcast, or scrolling on their phone in bed doesn’t impact their ability to fall asleep. But for others, these sensory stimulants may seem like they are a fun way to relax, but in actuality are preventing your body from relaxing. Most phones allow you to turn off your blue light, which is a good compromise. But sometimes the body needs a total break from stimulation in order to get the hint that it’s time for bed.
Try putting away all your electronics at least 30 minutes before you get in bed. This creates space for your mind to be present. Take a moment to check in with how you’re feeling, where you may be holding tension or worry, and actively focus on letting go of the day. Rather than watching TV, try writing in a journal. A free-flow writing session may be just what you need to let go of something that bothered you about the day or process any anxiety about the next day.
A Wind Down Routine
A moving meditation can help calm the mind and get you to feel more in touch with your body. Maybe an evening walk will help settle your thoughts. Try letting go of body tension with a few stretches. Or perhaps creating a meditation practice is just what you need - with soothing mantras to help you feel more centered.
Take deep breaths - breathe in through the nose for a count of 10 and out through the mouth for another count of 10. Add a thoughtful intention by thinking of a word or phrase while you breathe in, or an essence that you would like to invite into your life, like “I am calm.” Then breathe out what you want to let go of as you exhale, like “I release worry.”
Tune in To Something Relaxing
Get in the mood for dreaming with calming tones. Different sound frequencies impact your brain in unique ways. A new form of sound wave therapy called binaural beats is a growing treatment for reducing anxiety and stress, and may also be helpful in calming the mind as you wind down. How? Your left and right ear perceive the same frequency slightly differently. The binaural beat is formed by what your ears hear as the frequency difference between the two waves entering each ear. If your right ear registers a tone at 300 Hz and the left ear registers one at 310 Hz, the binaural beat would be 10 Hz. The delta binaural frequency at 0.5-4 Hz has been linked to helping support deep, dreamless sleep. It may be helpful to experiment with different Hz playlists, to see which one resonates with your body and mind.