7 Cannabis Strains for Better Sleep

For people who have difficulty sleeping, life can be miserable. Whether it’s trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep or suffering from chronic nightmares, sleeplessness is a common problem that many Americans deal with. Unfortunately, according to the Sleep Foundation, “one of the primary causes of excessive sleepiness among Americans is self-imposed sleep deprivation.”

They also suggested that most people believe pharmaceutical sleep aids are overused and/or misused. In a country that is already inundated with pharmaceuticals, it’s good to know that cannabis helps people sleep better at night. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best marijuana strains for sleep.

Before we dive into the best strains for sleep, be sure to consider the fact that cannabis affects everyone differently. For example, while one strain may work great for you, it may not be the best for others. Trial and error is really the only way to find the perfect strain for your own individual needs, so be sure to experiment with what is most effective for your individual needs. To get you started, here are some of the top marijuana strains that have proven to work well for others as sleep aids.

Afghanica is an ideal strain for home growers who don’t want a difficult plant to cultivate. Besides its relative ease to grow, it’s also a wonderful strain for people who suffer from sleep deprivation. Afghanica has an earthy essence that leaves people relaxed and ready for a chill night by the hearth.

The sticky, dense buds produced by Afghanica take on the potency of its Skunk lineage. It’s a powerful strain with high THC and CBD content – not to mention its dense terpene structure. The compounds act together to help people sleep at night; when vaporized, it’s especially useful for falling asleep quickly.

Sweet and musky smelling, Blackberry Kush is a perfect strain to help you fall asleep. For starters, smoking it delivers a uniquely smooth drag – with a light taste and smooth ingestion, it’s great for consuming before bed time, too. What’s more, it calms the stomach and puts the body at rest, making it easier to sleep. Some report feelings of hunger after the calming sensation; so, if you don’t like eating before sleep, this might not be the ideal strain for you. Other than the occasional urge for a midnight snack, Blackberry Kush is a reliable strain to relax your body, calm your mind and put it all to rest when the time comes.

A compound-rich strain excellent at helping people sleep, Chocolate Chunk looks a bit like a Christmas tree up-close with frosty trichomes and hairy orange pistils that give it a fun appearance. True to its name, this strain is wonderful when baked down into a midnight cookie before bed. Its effects, once felt, take over the entire body and mind. It’s a calming and releasing experience that lets sleep-deprived people drift quickly off into slumber through the night. If a more rapid consumption method is desired, Chocolate Chunk presents a creamy pull through a joint or pipe that won’t overwhelm the senses in a time when they need relaxation.

Nothing puts a person to sleep like Lavender. Even its namesake has a relaxing and peaceful aura. Bred from the Afghani lineage, Lavender is best used in a vaporizer to release the crisp scent and light taste. Don’t let its delicateness fool you, it’s potent cannabinoid profile makes it ideal for helping people sleep through the night without waking up. Lavender is an extremely relaxing strain that calms the entire nervous system. If eaten before bed, long lasting sleep in ensured as the compounds leave your sleepy body in a tranquil state. Mixed with lavender essential oils or incense, count on this strain to aid in a good night’s sleep.

After a long, hard day’s work, it’s best to give your body what it needs. When Phantom Cookies are infused into butter and made into real cookies, it’s hard to tell which is better. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing evening and a good night’s rest, the cookie baked with Phantom Cookies is the way to go. Phantom Cookies delivers a powerful body relaxation that works quickly and effectively. With a few hours of a relaxed body and the healing process brought in, people are able to fall asleep quicker and sleep longer through the night.

The Church has a special relationship with soil; it grows best in what’s most natural to cannabis. As a result, it produces a plant that specializes in grounding its consumers. When someone is tired but can’t fall asleep because their thoughts are racing with the day’s events, a vaporized hit of The Church will bring them back to a peaceful mind. The Church is a formidable strain and needs little help maintaining its natural defenses as it grows. Therefore, it’s an accessible plant, easy for someone to cultivate that needs something to help them sleep without requiring an expertise in growing cannabis.

A strain thought to have been smuggled out of the Middle East in the 1980s, Purple Indica is also hailed by many as the parent to many other popular purple strains. Though it’s last on the list, it may be the most effective at inducing sleep in some people. Whether smoked, vaporized, eaten, or other methods of consumption, Purple Indica is heavy hitter and knocks its consumers out. With relaxation at an all-time high and anxiety at an all-time low, users of Purple Indica find no trouble getting to sleep at night and staying asleep until daybreak.

What strains do you consume when you need help falling asleep? Share your favorites with the community in the comments!

Photo Credit: Ty Carlson (license)