Ever since entering my fifties, I’ve had difficulties sleeping.
Even when I’m extremely tired, I lay down in bed and remain awake.
It takes me hours to finally fall asleep. I’ve tried reducing my screen time right before bed. I avoid the computer and television. I drink herbal tea and go through a series of relaxation techniques. I’ve invested into room darkening curtains and a sound machine. I spent quite a bit of money on a new mattress and better pillows. I added rather expensive bamboo sheets that are wonderfully soft. None of those ideas have helped me sleep. Not only does it take an extremely long time for me to fall asleep, I wake up continually during the night. I then get up in the morning feeling tired. My muscles ache and I suffer from headaches. It’s difficult to be productive when I’m not getting enough sleep. A friend of mine suggested that I try cannabis. While I’m not willing to risk the harmful side effects of prescription medicine, I have no problem with plant-based medicine. Cannabis is a natural remedy. There are none of the long-term risks of pharmaceuticals. When I visited the local cannabis dispensary, the budtender was very helpful. She explained that the products are divided into three categories. The sativas are generally associated with an uplifting, more cerebral high. The indicas are focused more on a relaxing, full-body high. The hybrids are a combination of the two and offer more diversity of effects. She recommended that I look into indica strains to help me sleep. I have experimented with different consumption options. I like that a drop of a tincture under my tongue provides simplicity and quick onset of effects. I often choose edibles because I can easily cut a gummy in half for a very low dose. I eat half of a gummy before bed, and although the effects can take an hour or so to fully set in, they last for hours as well. Edibles help me to sleep through the night.