I'm sure there's a few posts here already regarding this, but I'm curious to see if people consider insomnia a medical issue?

I used cannabis for about a month straight, probably used less than an oz as i only really smoked in the evenings. I found it the best cure for insomnia out of all that i have tried.

I have no sleep pattern to speak of, i find it very hard to sleep without having to be very very tired, whereas most people i know can fall asleep relativly easy, even if they are not that tired.

I'm not even sure if it has anything to do with a physical problem, but it seems even when i should be needing sleep, my mind still races and this causes sleep problems. When i do sleep it's either for 4 hours or so, or stupid periods of time, as my body tries to catch up on the sleep it's lost.

Take the past few days for instance. I have being having less that 5 hours sleep a night, then today i slept for 10 hours!.

So far i have tried these techniques:

Relaxation - thinking of nothing / relaxed thoughts whilst getting to sleep - helps slightly, but just as i'm about to goto sleep - bam, fully awake again.

Nytol - Very random in its workings, sometimes works when tired, but not very much when fairly awake.

Temazepam - Works good, but as it is an antidepressant it causes problems. I noticed after only trying it a few times that i felt a bit zoned out the day after.

I have also seen my dad who has heart conditions get very depressed, I'm certain this is the cause, as he takes this all the time, whereas it should only be taken for a short period of time. No doubt in my mind that this is one of the causes of depression, even the doctors say this is true.


Cannabis - 70/30 indica / sat mix - Works best out of all of these, on par with Temazepam for the knockout when tired. There were no side effects to speak of, sure it makes you lethargic, but this is easily brushed aside and only really happens if you are slightly tired to start with, so works great in this sense.

I found it made me feel well rested the day after and less on edge. Kicks any depression you may have in the butt, but as the side effects are not prounounced, it is easy to use often, perhaps too often - The user should control thier usage.

I suppose the reason for this post is to say that insomnia is a medical issue, It has caused me so many problems that my university work has suffered big time. I have bags the size of black refuge sacks under my eyes, and i think my mind is getting taxed too much from lack of rest.

I am currantly growing a new batch - B52 (planning on running this out a bit longer than 55 days to bring more CBN into the equsion)

White widow and blueberry - these should have the desired insomnia cures.

I suppose my fear is, if i get caught doing this, the insomnia plee won't wash with anybody, even though it was used in the old days as a very effective / low risk cure for insomnia.

Until then i have to rely on nytol, not a good prospect since my pharmacy housemate tells me it can cause stomach ulcers!

Whats peoples view on this? I know it is nothing compared to the issues that a lot of people deal with around here, but it is a small part of the big picture.

looked at from an holistic point of view you have "unquiet ch'i"..........something that can be easily sorted by a good traditional chinese acupuncturist - it should put any other problems you may have right at the same time too
On a simple everyday basis, don't have caffeine after 6 in the evening - avoid large quantities of alcohol - look at your diet - if its full of fat, sugar and additives, the answer is probably there somewhere! (particularly avoid any "diet" products and ALL artificial sweeteners!) - If your diet is lacking, put it right, but also look at food supplements - (health food shop job) - a good hefty multi vitamin/mineral supplement may help a lot - you could well be short of many things that help you sleep!
For safe relaxants, try the old faithfuls - chamomile, hops and if you need a safe herbal sleeping draught - valerian root (available as capsules) - used for centuries as a good safe "relaxant and nervine"
Being a teensie cynical about allopathic medicine, to a conventional GP you're a pain in the bum, who can be got rid of clutching a script for the latest "miracle sleeper" which will of course turn out to be highly addictive, and cause a multitude of other dire side-effects

try burning Lavender oil on an evening - sounds girly, but works a treat!

ai, heard good things about lavender, might try growing that next!

on the diet front, i've changed from junk food to proper cooked, low fat high protien foods like fish and chicken. I go for 4 miles rides / 2 mile runs almost daily. I take multivits and st johns wort too.

I really don't wanna see the doc about this, like i've said, i saw my dad go from good to bad since he started on these drugs.

That acumpunture sounds crazy to me, it's bad enough me stabbing myself with various instruments of DIY, let alone pay someone to do it!

cheers guys.

Just out of curiousity, is there anyone around here that uses weed for sleep, and mainly for that reason (other than the recreational side of things)?.

Lo Mr. Clark, I use it here and there for a sleeping aid. Sometimes I get these uncontollable 3rd and 2nd winds from out of nowhere and ill be up all night and sometimes the wholeday after.

I say its something with the past head trauma i have exposed myself to. I have a metal plate in my fore-head, and some side effects from the initial injury like mood swings, and a hot temper when provoked really little. When I first started not sleeping it was after i recovered and was out of the hospitl.

I have dealt with all the above issues but sometimes they slip out by accident.

I agree Vlad, good nutrition goS a long way, but its about sleep habits also.

Weed does help shit loads when i cant sleep, still to this day, but i would like to say that insomnia is a sickness, and weed is only gonna cover up the symptoms, Not cure them. And like other sleep aids you could become dependent.

Following my doctors advise, I totally switched my diet, and got into a habit of sleeping. Thats the most important thing. You have to get yourself to want to sleep. Yeah maybe your saying to yourself "dam i wanna go to bed or dam i need to go to bed", but thats not what im talkin about. You need your body to get into the function of a sleep pattern/habit. A lot of it is in the mind, ive come to learn. Try to get into a cycle of sleeping, wear yourself out, try to be twice as active, maybe smoking a lil before hand so you can sleep if ya cant. Then after you get into the cycle try not to depend on weed to sleep (or the amount of weed/lessin the amount). Seems like you dont smoke that much, and you smoke to sleep neway right? So this could only help the situation.

Well theres my two pence. IM NO DOCTOR, SO ILL CLARIFY THAT RIGHT NOW. Your case could be diff from mine so im not gonna carve my words in stone. Im very interested in this. I would say i use weed for med purposes more then rec purposes although none of my med probs are really that severe (anymore).

Seems to me youve done the right things physically, so menatally you need to equal what you have done physically. Could have something to do with your metabolism also........i dunno thats what my doc said, but that wasnt the cause in my case.

make sense? sorry bout the rant

Keep it green man
FTM

cheers for input buddy. My parents keep raving about "routine" and all that. Believe me i have tried it, when i was working for the council (yes, binman) during the summer to earn a little cash, i had to be up at about 6 every morning, in for 7. I did this for weeks on end, but my sleep pattern was still crap, i mean i would be up till 2 odd every night still.

I find going for a run an hour or so before you wanna sleep helps a lot, still not on par with weed. I'm thinking both combined would be best. Hopefully the 2 mile run would cancel out the smokes harm too.

if you don't fancy acupuncture, do at least look at one or the other of the alternatives - they find safe and gentle ways to remedy imbalances such as the one you are suffering from - there's loads to choose from - aromatherapy, reflexology, shiatsu, reiki, homoeopathy, herbalism. nutrition therapy...........
And as for the last thing run, my suggestion woud be to leave at least 2 hours after a run like that, to allow your body metabolism to "wind down" in preparation for sleep - presumably you've already tried things like warm milky drinks, and a small carbohydrate snack shortly before bed?

great wisdom vlad........



FTM

There's some good advice here...

only thing I can add is: BudBuddies produce some excellent cannabis capsules & they're excellent as an aid to sleeping!
I'm living proof of that.


dikki

Mr Clark, I feel for you M8; and yet I am envious! 4 hours? Luxury bud, trust me! I have just completed another night of 1 hour, another hour and a half and then an hour of dozing. Not bad for me!
But this brings me to another question - is there any physical problems? They can wreek havock with sleep
On the sleep front : Can you sleep in the day? Or are you at work etc? Only I catch up by way of daytime snoozes here and there ("Homer's in his chair" ). I have to, and it does do the job.
Hope you find something to help.

yep, usually grab a nap if i do feel tired. When i feel tired i try make the most of it, i know i probs won't get much sleep later on.

But I'm sure ill be quite happy when my new batch comes through!

will look into getting some lavender tho.
Cheers

good stuff lavender oil - it's so effective for inducing sleep, nowadays some of the more enlightened nursing homes use it instead of dangerous chemical drugs........
When buying it, make sure its a real 100% pure one - it ain't cheap at around £4 for a small bottle, but it lasts well as you only use "drops"........try a few drops in your bathwater, about half an hour before bed, and either bung a few drops into some water in an aromatherapy vapouriser - or just put a saucer of water on top of a radiator with some in it............or just put a few drops on your pillow!........
In aromatherapy, Lavender is viewed as a great "balancer" and "soother" - exactly what you need! - good luck!
ps chemists sometimes stock the cheaper "spike lavender" - not the same thing at all - would probably keep you awake!
pps very useful to have in your pocket - it is a "cicatrisant".........it promotes fast healing, and is also antiseptic - ideal for immediate application to any cut or wound, and wonderful for burns!
ppps As with all substances, check first that you aren't sensitive to the oil - rub a drop onto your inner forearm - if it hasn't gone red within an hour or two, you should be fine - a sensitivity to it is rare, but possible (better safe than sorry)

pppps - its even more expensive, but if you want a really good alternative essential oil to try, either on its own, or in conjunction with the lavendar, is German Chamomile - you may have to pay around a tenner a bottle, but it is amazing stuff- a thick (naturally) blue essential oil - wonderful for allergies, digestive upsets, and another great "calmer"
The general rule in aromatherapy is that you'll be "drawn" towards the oils that will benefit you most - if you like the smell, it'll probably help - if you give it a niff, and your stomach revolts, it ain't for you!

I am an agnostic, dyslexic insomniac who lies awake every night wondering if there really is a dog and a large pipe before I go to bed cures the sleepless nights.

best cure for insomnia is not to sleep

Ingesting cannabis seems to be the most effective method of administration for an aid to sleep

When ingested cannabis is processed via the liver and produces a metabolite 11-Hydroxy-THC,

11-Hydroxy is not produced when cannabis is inhaled and it is 4 times more psychoactive than Delta9-THC,

Ingested cannabis can take up to 2 hours for the full effects to be felt and the effects are more pronounced and longer lasting if taken on an empty stomach

try a long hot bath just before bed. works for me zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ok, from my experience weed does help sleep alot. Have been an insomniac for 2 years now, dont get much sleep. But as much as weed helps it can be a problem as well. Smoking every night before bed is nice and does help you sleep, but you quickly become dependant on it(well i did) and then at times of no weed you really cant sleep! Like cold sweats and really intense short dreams, wide awake untill the early hours turning and turning and turning... That happens when i dont have weed anyway, and im currently trying to cut down a bit as it cant be good to be that dependant on Ganja! I have been a cannabis smoker since i was 15 and i love it.... one thing i have noticed - I havent actually been ill for the last 3 years(touch wood!), not even a cold or cough.... Now is that wierd or what!?? Down to the weed? Just a thought!

Insomnia - I so know where you're coming from there I had difficulty sleeping anyway because of my pins-and-needles and cramps/twitches, but this went through the roof in November when I came off Clonazepam after a year on the stuff. I thought I could just stop it all at once and did so (have since read how dangerous it is to do this with benzos - oops!) Probably unsurprisingly I've had insomnia ever since, although it has now thankfully improved from 1 or 2 hours a night to 6 or 7 hours of disturbed sleep.

I personally find that smoking weed too close to trying to sleep can make matters worse as it makes my mind race. Ingested weed definately helps sleep, it certainly did for me but I also found that a tolerance develops after a while. I had been taking cannabis capsules every night, but found that their sleeping effects got less after a few months, and I needed to take time off them to get the desired effects again. So it's probably best to use ingested weed as something to get a decent pattern going in the first place.

Lavender is definately good, and it's currently hugely reduced in the Holland and Barrett sale from over £6 to £2 something - bargain! Other than that I think you just have to be patient and persistent in getting a good routine going, frustrating though it is.

Apparently there was a program on telly a few nights ago with Prof. Robert Winston with a revolutionary new method of sleeping - unfortunately I missed it

msmj

SEXERCISE works everytime!

@ klump

I know cheese is supposed to give you nightmares, but I've had the best sleep in months........winstoned and rested

Never really believed that cheese thing. Had many a cheese binge with no nightmare after

i mean, how can cheese be phychoactive?

Depends how long you leave it for
Regards
Storm

Great thread, have picked up some great ideas.

I tend to go through the day at 100 miles an hour and don't know when to stop, I then find it very difficult to wind down and sleep. I was hoping the results of my first grow would have helped, it did the reverse and made my mind more active.

Trying a strain with more indica in it this time, hopefully that'll help me wind down and get to sleep better.

Good luck mr clark in finding an answer, if you try some of the other methods let us know how you got on?

I had acupuncture for ankylosing spondylitis. Help with pain but little for condition because there is a physical calcification of bones. After acupuncture my sleep was very deep and nourishing.

Apparantly there is some truth in it.... goes like this if I can rememember :

Milk is hard to digest for the adult stomach (something to do with lactose/lactin content). Cheese is made from milk.... so if you eat cheese or drink milk before you go to bed then the digestion process prevents you entering deep sleep, keeps you only just asleep which is where dreams occur. Apparantly.

So why have warm milk to help you sleep?

maybe it's just for kids who are better designed to digest milk.

....or maybe it's all a load of bollocks!

sorry

....I'll get mi coat
B

Drinka Pinta Milka Day!

There is...
A protein in milk: hydrolysate, which after 12 years of research by the french (and others) has what is called a peptide. Which is renowned (In the nutritional community) as having very effective relaxing qualities.

Milk also has Melatonin in it, which is the brains way of telling us its night time.

There is milk that is on the market with increased leves of melatonin as we speak...simply called 'night time milk' - The cows they use to produce this milk are milked at night, when a cows melatonin levels are high. Hence the increased level of Melatonin in the 'night time milk' compared to regular 'milked this morning milk'

And you should heat your milk up, because like Blab says, the lactose in the milk is hard to digest for most humans. Heating it up increases the gut's chances of digesting it quicker.

If I dont have any herb to lull me to sleep, I normally warm some milk up, and go chill with my thoughts....
Works everytime, and much better than sweating yoself to sleep when I have no herb!!

The power of the mind ay.....wicked