Smoking marijuana before going to sleep is a very common practice among users. A ritual. A fixed appointment that cannot be missed. But what are the effects of cannabis on dreaming?
Sacred moments. A few shots are enough. In the dark, in silence. Small puffs that gently accompany us under the sheets. That help us let go. Pure physical and mental relaxation. But smoking cannabis it affects our dreams. Let's see how.
Why do I stop dreaming when I smoke weed?
Consumers who regularly take cannabis claim to dream less or at all. And once you stop using weed, the dreams come back. Vivid, intense, even more powerful dream activities. But why?
We can divide sleep into two large phases. REM sleep and non-REM sleep. And, according to statistics, about 80% of dreams develop during REM sleep.
It seems that cannabis inhibits REM sleep. According to one study, conducted in 2008, those who smoke marijuana regularly spend less time in REM sleep than non-smokers. The result is a lower possibility of dreaming.
I stop smoking and the dreams come back
"When I stop smoking marijuana the dreams come back." A statement made repeatedly by those who suddenly end their relationship with weed. And poof. Catapulted back into the world of dreams.
A phenomenon related to the so-called "REM bounce". A mechanism adopted by the body to recover lost REM sleep. Same thing for alcohol. Alcohol that can suppress REM sleep. As well as the consumption of sleep medications.
From the Dutch neurologist and sleep researcher Hans Hamburger: “By taking a substance that inhibits an inevitable phenomenon for a while, it will return with more force in the absence of the triggering substance.”
How does CBD affect dreams?
CBD is the recurring choice of countless people. It cuddles us before going to sleep, giving us a deep sleep, quality and a consequent more energetic awakening.
CBD helps us by acting precisely on the REM phase, making us slip quickly into the NREM phase (Non-REM), i.e. one characterized by a deeper sleep. Could this be the reason for long, dreamless sleep?
A article of 2007, regarding the effects of cannabidiol on sleep, suggests that CBD could increase or decrease the duration of the REM phase, based on dosage.
A world yet to be discovered
We don't know for sure how cannabis affects our dreams. Dreams which, in the same way, are an ocean floor still full of mysteries to be discovered.
In the meantime, tell us your experience. Are there periods in which you smoke and stop dreaming and, conversely, when you stop smoking do the dreams come back insistently? Let us know.
Author: Raffaele Migliucci
