Success with 1:1 ratio of ***:THC for sleep problems

[Willyt]

Like many on this forum, I struggle mightily with sleep problems - in my case, the inability to stay asleep throughout the night. A poor night’s sleep often ruins the next day to the point where I often feels like sleep is more important than testosterone.

I have tried numerous sleep drugs, supplements and home remedies. The only consistently reliable solution has been Ambien, but I find that there is major rebound effect - i.e., my sleep is even worse when I stop taking it.

The Concept Behind 1:1 Ratio of ***:THC
I have been experimenting for several months with marijuana edibles containing a 1:1 ratio of *** to THC and have been having some success. It was a pleasant surprise. Although I always loved the smell of raw weed, I never liked the high that came along with it, preferring booze instead. However, the addition of *** apparently mellows out the flightier high of THC, hence the 1:1 ratio.

“A 1:1 dose of ***:THC can induce a state of mind where you feel really good, but without too many racing thoughts or jittery impulses. On the cellular level, cannabidiol (***) confounds the action of THC, blunting the trippy effects of the main active molecule. Eating edibles with a one-to-one ratio of THC to *** brings you the best of both worlds, taking the edge off while leaving you in control, blissful and relaxed.”

Protocol:

• Timing - 2-3 hours before bedtime. Any later and I feel dizzy when laying down for sleep.
• Days per week - I currently only use edibles on weekend nights to counteract the sleep-wrecking effects of alcohol. Some use edibles every night, but the downside in my experience is that you are not very sharp in the morning so it could affect your work on weekdays.
• Dose - Usually 5mg. This is considered a moderate dose with slight buzz, but not high. Pleasant feeling watching a movie and then heading to bed.
• Sativa versus Indica - There are various schools of thought on which marijuana strain is better for edibles and for sleep. I have found that a blend of the two works best for sleep although many people prefer indica-only. You may have to ask the manufacturer which strain they use to make their edibles because you can’t always find the information on the label.
• Edible form - I prefer chocolates over candies, but that is personal preference
• Brand - Coda has become my go-to. Very tasty chocolates with seemingly consistent levels of the 1:1 ratio and using the sativa-indica blend mentioned above.

If you are fortunate to live in a marijuana-legal state, you may want to give the 1:1 edibles a shot for sleep. It gets me past the dreaded witching hour of 3AM for a solid 7-8 hours of sleep. Still a work in progress as always.

 

[DorianGray]

Careful with the sugar content in some of the edibles. Hope you're brushing and flossing before retiring after ingesting the goodies. No need to exchange a sleep problem for a dental one.

 

[ERO]

Willyt-

Thank you for sharing this! I have had the same issues for over a decade. I go to sleep fine, but often wake up far to early with my mind racing due to a cortisol surge (Verified by 4 tube test) and I find that a edible right before bed helps me sleep through the night and not feel "drugged" or "hungover" in the AM like sleeping pills or too large a Melatonin dose will do.

 

[Willyt]

Interesting ERO. I wonder if cortisol spike is what wakes me up at that wretched hour. Do you feel disoriented at all if you take it immediately before bed (versus 2-3 hours before)?

 

[ERO]

If I take it 2-3 hours before bed it's all metabolized away by 3:00-4:00am when I tend to wake and not be able to get back to sleep. If I take it right before I brush my teeth and go to bed I can usually sleep until 6:00 or 7:00 or occasionally later on a weekend.

 

[DorianGray]

A suitable brownie washed down with some chamomile tea before bed sounds appealing.

 

[davidrn]

For those so inclined, there is another choice. I use a locally produced (OK, I buy my MJ from a guy at my gym) *** stronger tincture, it has less THC than the OP wrote about. I use aprox 2/3 rd of a dropper an hour before bed, and it helps me sleep. It also has helped me keep my CRP below 1.0 for almost 5 years. (Have RA) When I started using a tincture, it was alcohol based, my new guy uses MCT (coconut) oil.

 

[TestOneTwo]

I find that while both THC and *** seem to be helpful for falling asleep at least THC screws with my deep sleep. I think it’s because how it affects my HR. It’s always higher when I have an edible. Also, there’s a rebound effect when frequently used. They even did a study confirming that but I can’t find it at the moment. I’d say use it occasionally but it’s not an effective long term solution.

 

[Willyt]

I find that while both THC and *** seem to be helpful for falling asleep at least THC screws with my deep sleep. I think it’s because how it affects my HR. It’s always higher when I have an edible. Also, there’s a rebound effect when frequently used. They even did a study confirming that but I can’t find it at the moment. I’d say use it occasionally but it’s not an effective long term solution.

Interesting TestOneTwo - I haven’t yet experienced the rebound effect, but that maybe because I only use it on the weekends. Agree that sleep does not seem as deep, but I’ll take it over waking up at 3AM!

 

[DarrinC]

For those so inclined, there is another choice. I use a locally produced (OK, I buy my MJ from a guy at my gym) *** stronger tincture, it has less THC than the OP wrote about. I use aprox 2/3 rd of a dropper an hour before bed, and it helps me sleep. It also has helped me keep my CRP below 1.0 for almost 5 years. (Have RA) When I started using a tincture, it was alcohol based, my new guy uses MCT (coconut) oil.

For me, between 5:1 and 10:1 ***:THC works best for sleep. The opposite for day time relaxation. And Indica works better than Sativa where they show the strain of the origin.

 

[drkelp]

Same issue wake many nights at 3 if not before. Almost never sleep pay 5ish. Wear an Apple watch, Fitbit, and an Oura ring. *** in high doses doesn't affect at all. THC has my mind spinning not conducive to sleep. Tried every ht gaba precursor modifier in the world. Melatonin works on sparse occasions it wakes me too if taken often. I've chalked it up to aging but keep searching.

 

[DorianGray]

Same issue wake many nights at 3 if not before. Almost never sleep pay 5ish. Wear an Apple watch, Fitbit, and an Oura ring. *** in high doses doesn't affect at all. THC has my mind spinning not conducive to sleep. Tried every ht gaba precursor modifier in the world. Melatonin works on sparse occasions it wakes me too if taken often. I've chalked it up to aging but keep searching.

Have you tried the combination of melatonin, L-theanine and GABA?

 

[backdr10]

I’ll throw my opinion into the discussion and hope it is of some help as I instruct other physicians on the use of cannabis in the treatment of varying disease process including oncology . Being a doc , I also suffer from one of the worst cases of sleep apnea that any pulmonologist has seen . The diagnosis was prolonged and led to heart failure at 47 along with orthopnea. I half ass sleep with a bipap in a recliner and on some days function like the walking dead - so I can most definitely sympathize will your issue . I too instruct on integrative natural medicine use and have some success with pharmagaba among other pharmaceutical grade nutraceuticals - mostly sold to docs . *** is the neuroprotectant that binds to the cb2 receptor site Throughout the body including a bit in the brain protecting against the damage that Thc causes after binding to the cb1 receptor mainly in the brain. *** - when real and tested and quality - has a direct affect on the immune system and inflammatory cytokines throughout body . In some patients it has a relaxation effect but in others it has an excitatory effect and can cause allergic or cholinergic like stimulation and anxiety . So you are right with the 1:1 ratio as pot / indicas that are bred with Higher content of thc give a higher high but cause more brain cell destruction without the protection of ***. I completely understand the desperation as I still seek the perfect answer but sleep is a very complex and A Multifactoral issue. Many patients that have used even the 1:1 ratio of cannabis long term have attempted to stop cannabis use for one reason or another and I have had to deal with their psychiatrists because of what happens next. Pot initially will help with sleep but secondary to its effects on the hippocampus / amygdala and frontal lobe over a period of time it will cause damage and sleep will become next to impossible to obtain. I have had patients unable to sleep more than 2-3 hours after stopping pot and even with the use of a variety of prescription meds they can not sleep and become psychotic . As a last resort, pot is reinstated and immediately they sleep and return to functional status. The endocannibinoid system goes into a state of overt deficiency after long term use and sleep becomes difficult to attain . Also, pot has an inverse relationship with testosterone production and has a feedback loop with many other hormones while interacting with many drugs. If you find a quality - real source of *** you need to be careful with interactions with any drug that utilizes the p450 detox pathway through the liver as this will change the metabolism of either the drug or *** and cause a problem with dosages . I hope you were tested for sleep apnea . Anyways , I do understand your problem completely And glad you are getting some relief with your protocol but I would take frequent breaks with cannabis use . Just a thought .

 

[TestOneTwo]

Interesting TestOneTwo - I haven’t yet experienced the rebound effect, but that maybe because I only use it on the weekends. Agree that sleep does not seem as deep, but I’ll take it over waking up at 3AM!

Weekends only would help. Def stick with indica strains rather than sativa. Overall though it’s probably not going to be a great long term solution, sorry. Most sleeping aids aren’t long term. If I need to sleep badly I take 1-2 benadryls and/or a scoop of a a supplement called Anesthetized. It’s pretty good, gives you some nice deep sleep but not for long term use either. What also works wonders and that’s kinda interesting is taking a NSAID before bed. Based in my own and the observations of friends it would seem that one big reason for bad sleep can be inflammation/pain. Who would have thought? Obviously, that also is not a long term solution but at least it can help get you a good nights sleep every now and then. I might add that all the traditional herbs and substances that are usually being used for sleep don’t do anything for me and some of them actually keep me up. Some people have weird reactions to certain antihistamine type aids. I for instance happen to run into serious depression the next day when I had Unisom while I’m totally OK with Benadryl. Used it twice and regretted it twice. It’s that bad I wouldn’t take it again if you paid me, even though it actually works rather well.

 

[drkelp]

Have you tried the combination of melatonin, L-theanine and GABA?

I have indeed. Gaba used to work I have several forms even a sublingual spray. Like melatonin I can use occasionally but often backfires sadly. I do use alot of theanine, it's one of my faves. Thanks for the thoughts

 

[Creeskan]

I struggle with the same problem as you.

 

[xcpatr922]

I used Medterra Sleep (***+THC) with very very low THC, it worked for me. *** sleep only no longer working. But I don't use it everyday. Another day I just use Melatonin, another day I use unisom,etc. Also I found sleep quality is directly correlated to Ferritin level in my case. I usually sleep between 8-9 and wake up between 5-6.

 

[Vince]

I use pure essential Night Caps - Indica (100mg). They really relax my body and mind. Makes it easy to sleep.

 

[Jhony23]

Great suggestion! Thank you so much! I know lots of people that consume cannabis products to fight their health conditions. Mine’s not sleeplessness but chronic pain. Luckily chronic pain(in my cade leg pains) is another condition *** can release me from. As you mentioned, the smell of raw weed is great, but the high that comes along with it isn’t always welcomed)) I will definitely try the 1:1 experiment to diminish THC’s effects by adding ***. Does anybody use Parsl - Cannabis Tracking Software with Automated Compliance before purchasing a cannabis-related product? If not, get to it!! You’ll get the whole history of a *** brand, along with its reviews, to assure yourself the products you choose are worth it.

 

[xcpatr922]

Do you smoke or just eat the edible ? I'm only taking the ***** and lotion, even wife likes it.