Seniors Now Turning to Medical Marijuana Instead of Pharmaceuticals to Improve Sleep

Sleep is Vital Component of Health Needed to Maintain Highest Quality of Life

Sleep is a vital component of health that is needed to obtain your highest quality of life. It’s third on the list of needs, including oxygen, water and sleep. A significant number of seniors are now using alternative sleep aides and at the top of the list is medical marijuana.

Poor sleep has been associated with many disease states such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, strokes, auto-immune disease, hormone imbalance, erectile dysfunction and dementia.

Good sleep hygiene is needed to maximize sleeps effectiveness to prevent disease. Ideally, you should go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. The room should be dark and cool.

Many items can negatively impact your sleep: 

Caffeinated products should be discontinued by noon. Alcohol is toxic and causes you to awaken about 3 am and may have negative health effects on your brain, liver, stomach, and other organ systems.

Blue Light from cellphones, computers, and tablets may stimulate your brain (I call it digital crack cocaine for the brain) and interferes with the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Do not use any of these devices within one hour of bedtime. TV is acceptable as an alternative, but reading a book is best.

Sleep Apnea reduces the quality of one’s sleep and the quality of one’s sleep is determined by whomever has the worst sleep in the bedroom.

If you or your partner snore, it is suggested that that person get a sleep test (your primary doctor can order a home sleep test). 

Medical Marijuana may be helpful in obtaining better sleep

Some people have trouble falling asleep, some staying asleep, and some have both issues. Each route of medical marijuana has its own advantages. Inhalation has an onset of seconds to 15 minutes but only lasts 1-2 hours.  Sublingual takes 15-30 minutes for onset and lasts 4-6 hours.  Edibles are digested and onset is 1-2 hours and have a duration of 6-8 hours. 

A combination of routes may be used depending on what challenges and medical conditions a patient is experiencing. This is nature’s route to a good night’s sleep, in lieu of sleeping pills. 

Concierge Compassionate Care was created an innovative approach to medical marijuana. 

This all-inclusive medical cannabis program allows each patient to obtain the maximum benefit from their medical cannabis therapy with an emphasis on patient education and increasing the patient’s quality of life, not just getting “a card.”

The State of Florida qualifying conditions are: cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, ALS, Crohn’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), chronic non-malignant pain, a terminal condition, and illness in same kind or class.

Other conditions that may qualify are: ADD/ADHD, anorexia, anxiety, arthritis, autism, neuropathy, auto-immune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, dyskinesia, dystonia, fibromyalgia, insomnia and sleep issues, migraines and headaches, muscle spasms, musculoskeletal pain, neuropathy, psoriasis, restless leg syndrome, social, tourette’s, ulcerative colitis, and IBS.

For information regarding a medical marijuana card certification with qualifying conditions in the state of Florida, call 321-288-3873 or visit zcmmj.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Back by popular demand, Dr. Paul Weisman is excited to return to the Space Coast to provide adult and pediatric medical marijuana certifications and education after establishing practices in Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida. After retiring from emergency medicine, Weisman created Concierge Compassionate Care, an innovative approach to medical marijuana. CCC is a comprehensive, all- inclusive medical cannabis program, that allows each patient to obtain the maximum benefit from their medical cannabis therapy. For information regarding a medical marijuana card certification with qualifying conditions in the state of Florida, call 321-288-3873 or visit zcmmj.com.

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