Often when I first engage with clients wishing to quit using cannabis products they raise the topic of how to reach a proper nights rest without smoking their regular pre-bedtime ‘joint’ ;.Oftentimes there is evidence to claim that the grim feeling arising from sleep deprivation acts as the catalyst for relapse. Therefore the question for anyone wishing to smooth the passage to becoming free of a dependence on marijuana is: What can be carried out to get that great night’s sleep that seems so elusive?
Why Can’t I Sleep! – Whoever has been by way of a period in their life when they have endured insomnia will vouch regarding affect it is wearing a person’s overall well-being. It is easy to imagine therefore the increased impact that fitful sleep patterns have on those also struggling with the myriad of other consequences arising when breaking from a dependence on cannabis. In my practice as a Cannabis Cessation Specialist the first step is to understand in each individual case to what ratio the issues are physical versus psychological.
For example ‘Bob’, in his capacity as a restaurant Owner, has for many years spent his evenings consuming large volumes of coffee and then returning home and smoking marijuana for 2 hours prior to sleep. Bob’s attempt to quit smoking without adjusting his evening caffeine intake leaves him with a largely physical basis for his insomnia.
In another case ‘Tony’ is now accustomed to using cannabis in the evenings as a means 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.
So what can I do? – Regardless of the primary reason for the sleep issues the kick off point must be a sincere appraisal of exactly what your routine is. It is essential to detail all facets of one’s typical evening activity. So start 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 going to sleep; reading habits; TV time. Then try and apply the next useful rules:
No caffeine after 6.00pm. This implies all drinks containing caffeine and vast quantities of sugar. So beware not merely coffee and various kinds of tea, but additionally avoid most fizzy drinks and hot chocolate products too. Remember plenty of ‘off the shelf’ painkillers are packed high in caffeine so see the label carefully or avoid altogether.
Get ‘ready’ for bed. A routine of dropping 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 to some mood music. Personalized hypnotic suggestion recordings may also be a valuable aid to sleep (avoid the off the shelf mass market products – weed delivery only those produced designed for you are of any value). Computers and televisions are an absolute no in the bedroom. Mobile phones must be left in another room (no excuses on that one – if you need to utilize the alarm function on your cellular 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 burgandy or merlot wine may be seemingly an effective way to doze off but you are simply exchanging one bad situation with another. Choose a green tea extract instead and you’ll take pleasure in the relaxing feeling that arises from a component called Theanine. Needless to say, keep fluid intake in moderation as being forced to wake 3 times in the night to see the bathroom is going to do nothing for the sense of vitality in the morning.
Avoid nicotine. I usually recommend that clients quit all smoking when they’re withdrawing from cannabis use. Night time nicotine acquired through tobacco smoking will sabotage any effort that is made to achieve restful sleep. If you should be using nicotine ‘patches’ within your tobacco smoking cessation (there are better methods for many people) then these should be removed in the early evening – attempting 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 have not been fuelling the body with well balanced meals and providing the proper vitamins and nutrients for melatonin to be naturally produced, then there may well be described as a case for giving your levels a ‘boost’ ;.Make no mistake you need this hormone to sleep. When it is dark (a dark bedroom is really a ‘must have’ for a restful night) melatonin begins to work its magic as part of your brain and allows you to get to sleep quicker and maintain deep sleep longer. Take as a product around one hour before you need to sleep. You’ll feel far more refresh whenever you awake. I will suggest my clients always buy a manufactured melatonin product not one that is labelled as natural. ‘Natural’ melatonin supplements are produced from extracts of the pineal gland of animals (mostly sheep) and should be avoided.
Add exercise to your life. Even it is a brisk walk for twenty minutes the addition of daily exercise will give structure to your internal body clock. The fitter you are the higher your sleep will be. The only real exception to the ‘exercise is good’ rule is late evening high heartrate activity. If the sole time you will get to sort out is in the evening then allow a minimum 3 hours between exercise and sleep, or you’ll be attempting to rest whilst the body remains in a charged state. Needless to say you will find forms of exercise which are ideally suited to making a more relaxed mind and body such as Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi – each is recommended by those clients of mine who have adopted them within their overall commitment to personal well-being.