Often when I first engage with clients wishing to give up using cannabis products they raise the main topics how to reach an effective nights rest without smoking their regular pre-bedtime ‘joint’ ;.Oftentimes there is evidence to claim that the grim feeling arising from sleep deprivation acts while the catalyst for relapse. And so the question for those wishing to smooth the passage to becoming without any a dependence on marijuana is: What can be done to obtain that great night’s sleep that seems so elusive?
Why Can’t I Sleep! – Whoever has been by way of a period within their life when they’ve endured insomnia will vouch regarding affect it has on a person’s overall well-being. It is easy to assume which means increased impact that fitful sleep patterns have on those also experiencing the myriad of other consequences arising when breaking from a dependence on cannabis. Within my practice as a Cannabis Cessation Specialist the first step is to understand in each individual case from what ratio the issues are physical versus psychological.
For instance ‘Bob’, in his capacity as a cafe Owner, has for many years spent his evenings consuming large volumes of coffee and then returning home and smoking marijuana for 2 hours just before sleep. Bob’s attempt to give up smoking without adjusting his evening caffeine intake leaves him with a largely physical basis for his insomnia.
In another case ‘Tony’ is becoming accustomed to using cannabis in the evenings as a way of expelling the huge stress he feels whilst performing his job as a Stockbroker. When he doesn’t smoke in the evening his anxiety levels raise to this kind of height that dispelling active thoughts linked to work becomes impossible, as does then sleep.
Exactly what do I do? – Regardless of the primary reason for your sleep issues the starting point has to be an honest appraisal of just what your routine is. It is essential to detail every part of your typical evening activity. So begin by assessing your own personal situation and remember to add; your mood patterns; food intake; exercise; alcohol consumption; any brain energizing intensive computer gaming; the conventional period of time between going to sleep and sleeping; reading habits; TV time. Then try and apply these useful rules:
No caffeine after 6.00pm. This means all drinks containing caffeine and vast quantities of sugar. So beware not just coffee and various types of tea, but additionally avoid most fizzy drinks and hot chocolate products too. Remember plenty of ‘off the shelf’ painkillers are packed saturated in caffeine so read the label carefully or avoid altogether.
Get ‘ready’ for bed. A routine of drifting off to sleep before the T.V. then waking in the early hours and trudging upstairs to bed won’t give you the quality unbroken sleep period that you’ll require to feel fresh and energized in the morning. So set a time (no later than 11.30 is a great general rule), brush your teeth, climb into your chosen sleep clothes and hit the bedroom.
Clear the mind and relax into sleep. 15 minutes reading whilst during intercourse is acceptable, as is listening with a mood music. Personalized hypnotic suggestion recordings may also be an invaluable aid to sleep (avoid the off the shelf mass market products – only those produced specifically for you’re of any value). Computers and televisions are an absolute no in the bedroom. Cell phones have to be left in another room (no excuses on this one – if you need to use the alarm function in your cell phone then go buy yourself an alarm clock. In terms of sleeping with it under your pillow – forget it!)
Don’t swap dope for booze! Yes two bottles of red wine may seem to be a good way to doze off but you’re simply exchanging one bad situation with another. Opt for a green tea instead and you’ll enjoy the relaxing feeling that comes from a factor called weed delivery toronto Theanine. Of course, keep fluid intake in moderation as having to wake 3 times in the night time to visit the bathroom is going to do nothing for your sense of vitality in the morning.
Avoid nicotine. I usually recommend that clients quit all smoking when they are withdrawing from cannabis use. Evening nicotine acquired through tobacco smoking will sabotage any effort that’s made to get restful sleep. If you are using nicotine ‘patches’ as part of your tobacco smoking cessation (there are better methods for many people) then these should be removed in the early evening – trying to sleep with nicotine pouring into the body is hopeless, and the bizarre dreams that patch users report offer no assistance to those seeking sleep.
Correct your melatonin levels. When you yourself have not been fuelling the body with healthy foods and providing the correct vitamins and nutrients for melatonin to be naturally produced, then there might well be considered a case for giving your levels a ‘boost’ ;.Make no mistake you’ll need this hormone to sleep. If it is dark (a dark bedroom is a ‘must have’ for a restful night) melatonin begins to work its magic as part of your brain and enables you to get to sleep quicker and maintain deep sleep longer. Take as a supplement around one hour before you need to sleep. You’ll feel a lot more refresh whenever you awake. I would suggest my clients always buy an artificial melatonin product not just one that’s labelled as natural. ‘Natural’ melatonin supplements are produced from extracts of the pineal gland of animals (mostly sheep) and should really be avoided.
Add exercise to your life. Even it is really a brisk walk for twenty minutes the addition of daily exercise can give structure to your internal body clock. The fitter you’re the greater your sleep will be. The only exception to the ‘exercise is good’ rule is late evening high heart rate activity. If the sole time you will get to work out is in the evening then allow the absolute minimum 3 hours between exercise and sleep, or you’ll be trying to rest whilst the body continues to be in a charged state. Of course you can find kinds of exercise which are ideally suited to making a more enjoyable mind and body such as Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi – all are highly recommended by those clients of mine who have adopted them as part of their overall commitment to personal well-being.