Sleep issues are one of the most common reasons people choose to smoke or consume weed. As a long-time everyday smoker, you would think cannabis would have already weaved into my night routine, but no. Did I smoke every night? Yes, but I wasn’t intentional about it.
Since my brief t-break, I’ve practiced intentionality in my wellness routine. I have always struggled with sleep, from spending hours tossing and turning to leaving the TV on all night to having a lackluster nighttime skincare regime to under and oversleeping.
It’s bad. Medical professionals advise me to get this under control. It impacts my mental and physical health in ways that can impede my day-to-day. Naps can break me; if I’m fatigued, I’m cranky and tend to overindulge in habits that don’t serve me.
It’s annoyingly all connected.
So.
I’ve spent the last month trying to take ownership of my nights – endeavoring to spend them nurturing myself, gently guiding myself into rest that is as interrupted as I can. And as a cannabis lover, I’ve found ways to make weed a part of my process in the following methods.
Skin Care
My skin has always been sensitive, and I’ve struggled to stick to routines. My skin exploded as I transitioned into my 30s and out of hormonal birth control – Painful hormonal cystic-like acne. It was terrible, but I was blessed to be able to financially invest a year with a skin care professional where I developed a regime that cleared my skin up.
Since getting it under control, I’ve been experimenting with affordable skincare products I can get in the store and different CBD-infused facial oils. CBD has become increasingly more popular, especially the hemp variety, for skin care as it has the potential to be anti-inflammatory and moisturizing. The Undefined Glow oil is the one I’m currently using.
Having oil added to the nighttime routine makes me feel like I’m treating myself and has also helped keep my skin light and refreshed through the night. I wake up feeling just a little extra taken care of.
Cannabis Gummies
Adding gummies to my routine has resulted in mixed results. I’ve had a habit of increasing the dosage over a few days and then ending up so stoned I couldn’t sleep. Has that ever happened to you?
This last month I’ve stuck with one edible a night, which seems to be a much more effective practice. I’m currently using the Kanha, Tranquility sleep-inducing gummies. They are 5 mg CBD, 5 mg THC, and 5 mg CBN. Out of all the cannabinoid combo sleep gummies I’ve tried, I come back to this one occasionally.
But I also like Wyld’s strawberry CBD 20:1 gummies. Those are delightful and helpful as well.
Infused Tea & Honey
I love to start each morning with a hot cup of coffee; something about the mug and its coziness. So I thought a nightly cup of tea might be another comforting beverage to end my day. You can get fancy with tea, but I just got a non-caffeinated variety pack from Walmart.
Chamomile is the most commonly recommended option, and there were a few sachets of that variety in my pack. A study on 80 women postpartum found that drinking chamomile tea as a supplement helped improve their sleep quality. All the types in my box were delicious, so follow your taste buds.
To help the sleep train get moving, I added some infused honey. I got a sample of these 10mg infused honey packs from a company called Radibles, so I stirred on in for a little extra mellowness. It is the perfect sweet kick and has been so yummy!
I haven’t found more of that brand, but Kikoko and Potli also have infused honey products. Kikoko also has infused tea packets if that are good too. You can also get crafty and make your own, but I haven’t traveled that route yet.
A couple of hits to end it right.
There’s something zen about sparking a joint or lighting a bowl. Sometimes I roll or pack my own, and sometimes I’m a lady of convenience, a preroll princess.
I just enjoy this little moment of inhaling to end my night. It’s usually a segway into a journal writing session, a little stretch, or just some good ol’ evening Netflix.
Some cultivars I’ve been smoking at the end of the night lately are Coastal Sun’s Fatso and Garlotti prerolls and Wave Rider’s Blueberry Pancakes.
Non-infused nighttime routine habits I’m experimenting with
These habits have also been some of my favorite parts of the night.
Limiting screen time
I’m one of those who like to fall asleep to the noise of the TV. It never bothered me to have it on all night, but it started waking me up in the wee hours, so I now utilize that sleep timer button. I also let my phone sit a little further away, so I’m forced to stay away from it while I fall asleep, but I also have to get up to turn off my alarm.
Lavender Pillow Mist
I love Pacifica products and saw this Lavender Moon Body & Pillow mist on the shelves at my local Target, so I brought it home to try out. I love a good spray of this on my sheets right before bed. It’s so relaxing to inhale as my head hits the pillow.
Is weed helping me to sleep better?
Yes, when I’m intentional with it. This routine has me at about 15mg of THC, 5mg CBD, 5mg CBN, and whatever I get in the smoke sesh. For me, this is on the lighter end. I can comfortably consume up to 50 mg of THC. This lighter dosage, added to some other healthy habits, has allowed me to feel much more rested when I wake up. I don’t toss and turn as much, and I no longer wake up in the middle of the night.
I’m sure this will change in a month or two, as I love to try new edibles with different dosages and different cultivars with different effects. But that is the beautiful part about California cannabis - the plethora of options.
As I’ve aged and learned more about how cannabis interacts with my body and lifestyle, I’ve realized I can’t consume the ways I used to. I have to really think about what I’m consuming, how much, where I’m at, and what I need to do, especially if I want to develop good habits that will positively affect my overall well-being.
How you choose to infuse cannabis into your nighttime routine will be specific to what your needs are. I invite you to be open-minded and flexible in your search for which product or combo of habits that will suit you best.
