Marijuana withdrawal insomnia effect and solutions

One of the most unpleasant being marijuana withdrawal insomnia. During this time it can be very difficult to fall asleep or get proper sleep.

There currently isn’t medicine that is especially for treatment of marijuana addiction, but there is research being conducted and certain medications have been tested that can help suppress the reported withdrawal symptoms of marijuana.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, while there are no medications to treat marijuana addiction-a laboratory study showed that the combination of cannabinoid agonist with lofexidine showed improved sleep,and reduced cravings.

Getting Help with Marijuana Withdrawal Insomnia and Other Symptoms

If you or a loved one have tried quitting marijuana smoking,only to return to using it again due to withdrawal symptoms, treatment for addiction may help.To learn the options available for treating and coping with marijuana addiction and/or withdrawal contact an addiction specialist that can provide you with the information you need to successfully stop smoking marijuana.

>> Marijuana Withdrawal Timeline <<

Medical Solution For Marijuana Insomnia

If marijuana insomnia’s driving you crazy, you may want to consider the short term use of the sedating antihistamine diphenhydramine the active ingredient in medications like Benadryl,Simply Sleep,Tylenol PM and others.

However, if insomnia doesn’t resolve within a day or two – continuing to grope for the Benadryl isn’t going to do you much good since you’ll grow tolerant to the sedating effects of this medication very quickly within a couple of days.

Pros

It works well, over the very short-term, to get you to sleep
You don’t need a prescription to buy this medication

Cons

It won’t work for more than a couple of days. Research shows that people grow tolerant to the sleep-inducing properties of diphenhydramine very quickly. In fact, in one experiment it sedated no better than placebo after only three days at recommended dosage.1
The sleep you get on diphenhydramine isn’t really very restful or refreshing.2
And you may find the side effects bothersome.

Common side effects include:

Feeling drowsy the next day
Fuzzy thinking
Dizziness
Sluggish ‘drunken’ movements
Blurry vision
Dry mouth and throat3

Want to know more about diphenhydramine? – Check out medline all the technical info.If you’re suffering from insomnia as a result of marijuana withdrawal, there may be some hope.

A study out of John Hopkins University School of Medicine found that Ambien CR was effective at reducing sleeplessness in those coming off the drug.

Otherwise known as extended-release zolpidem, Ambien CR improved sleep quality in daily marijuana users who stopped taking the drug,and it appeared to come without any significant side-effects or cognitive impairments.

What Cause Insomnia?

Insomnia doesn't come uninvited and there must be a cause for it to turn up at your bed step.Short-period stressful event such as preparing for examinations, slogging on home work from school, rushing out business projects, interviews, or trying to land a dream job etc.

Consistent mental or emotional conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, panic attack or hyperactive mind due to worrying unduly about your future, dwelling too much into past experiences and feeling remorseful about what you've done in the past, or constantly in fear of death (particularly for elderly).

See through the below points and see if any fits your cause.

Worrying about having acne on face and skin or massive hair loss.
Pain or discomfort due to some temporary but severe illnesses or injuries such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), heart burn due to acid reflux, headache, migraine, back pain, elbow pain, and shoulder pain etc.
Jet lag or working in late shift that in turn disrupts your normal sleep pattern.
Disturbances in the sleep environment such as noise, light or extreme high or low temperature due to sudden climate change.
Your child keep coming in and out of your bed throughout the night disrupting your sleep.
Sleeping in a different environment or bed.
Poor sleep habits, such as watching TV in bed or going to bed at irregular hours.
Excessive daily intake of alcohol or stimulants like coffee or cigarettes.
Hungry stomach right before sleep.
Lack of regular exercise.
High-intensity workouts or other hyper-activities 1-2 hours before bedtime.
Existing medical health problems such as breathing or heart problems, hormonal or digestive disorder, or chronic pain (from migraine or arthritis etc).
Side effects from certain drugs.
Sleep apnea.
or others

Which of the above trigger(s) your insomnia or bad sleep nights?

Besides the cause, duration of insomnia also determines whether you belong to the Acute or Chronic group.

Acute means that your insomnia gets initiated by some short-term stressful events or pain due to some temporary injuries, etc. As soon as that event or pain ends, your insomnia stops. Your insomnia symptoms can last for a few days to a few weeks, depending on the duration of event.

However, acute insomnia may develop into chronic insomnia that can plague you for few months to years if the symptoms persist after the event or you didn't deal with your sleep disorder properly... especially when you believe taking drugs can quickly treat your insomnia.

True, sleep medication may bring short-term relief for insomnia, but they'll lose their effectiveness after a few weeks.Worse, you may get addicted to the drugs. If addiction takes place, you'll experience withdrawal symptoms once you stop the medication.

Symptoms include depression, dizziness, memory lapses, nausea, and hallucinations or even aggravating your sleep disorder.On top of that, sleep drugs may not really get you down to deep sleep.

5 Tips for Coping with Marijuana Withdrawal Anxiety

Most of these symptoms will reach a peak within about 72 hours following the last time that marijuana is used and will subside on their own within a week or so. However, coping with marijuana withdrawal anxiety can be both challenging and stressful for the user.

Be Patient

Remember that the anxiety that you are feeling as a result of marijuana withdrawal will likely subside within about a week so if you can be patient, and keep reminding yourself that the symptoms will not last forever, you can get through this. It can be difficult to be patient when all you can think about is how irritable and upset you are, but patience will help you come out on top of this problem.

There are a number of steps that you can take to calm yourself down when anxiety spikes as a result of marijuana withdrawal. Consider herbal teas that provide a calming and soothing effect when you’re stressed out. You may also consider a hobby that is calming or a relaxing exercise such as meditation or yoga to help sooth yourself and overcome the anxiousness that you are feeling.

If you already suffered from anxiety prior to becoming addicted to marijuana then chances are you will need medication in order to fully relax and overcome the anxiousness that you are feeling. Seek help from your doctor who may prescribe Xanax or valium or another anti-anxiety medication to help ease the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal.

Seek Support

A support group can go a long way in helping you to overcome anxiety associated with marijuana withdrawal. There are many options available including online support groups, Marijuana Anonymous and other 12 step programs that provide supportive care for people just like you.

Get Active

Marijuana withdrawal will only be as bad as you allow it to be so don’t be afraid to get active. If anxiety is preventing you from feeling at ease, start exercising to both take your mind off of the symptoms and to allow yourself to relax when the exercise is done. Not only can exercise help to alleviate anxiety, it can also help to improve your sleep patterns later in the day because you actually allowed your body to become tired.

Of most importance, remember that the anxiety that you are feeling as a result of marijuana withdrawal will not kill you and it will not last forever. You can get through this!

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