Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and restarts during sleep. Having sleep apnea, which causes you to wake up feeling fatigued even after a full night’s sleep, may be the cause of your snoring. According to Mayo Clinic, there are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea and complex sleep apnea.
Cannabis might be effective in stabilizing respiration and reduce apnea. According to one study cannabis “has potent suppression of sleep-related apnea by both exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids”. In addition, Dronabinol, a THC medicine an antiemetic and appetite stimulant reduces AHI (apnea-hypopnea index) by approximately a third over 3 weeks of oral administration.
Types of Sleep Apnea
As mentioned above, there are three different types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The more common kind of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the muscles in the throat relax.
- Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea develops when the brain fails to communicate properly with the muscles that coordinate breathing.
- Complex Sleep Apnea
Complex sleep apnea syndrome, sometimes called treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, is a condition that develops when an individual has both obstructive and central sleep apnea.
The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for sleep apnea (continuous positive airway pressure). A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask is worn over the nose and/or mouth to gently breathe air into your airway, allowing for a more regular rate of breathing.
If you wish to use cannabis to treat sleep apnea, you should consider utilizing one of the following cannabis strains that have been shown to be effective in the treatment of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders:
Grape Ape
This hybrid strain has the genetics of Afghani, Mendocino Purps and skunks. Grape Ape is a cannabis strain with calming effects which is excellent for treating anxiety and sleeping disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea. Its main terpenes are myrcene, caryophyllene and pinene.
Lemon AID
A 1:1 THC:CBD strain, Lemon Aid has 7% of THC and 7% of CBD. In addition, Lemon Aid is a very popular strain for medical use. You can use Lemon AID for treating anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia.
Woody Kush
Also known as Woody Harrelson Kush, Woody Kush is a highly psychoactive cannabis strain with 20% of THC. This relaxing cannabis strain is commonly used to treat insomnia and muscle pain. Its main terpene are limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene.
9 Pound Hammer
A THC dominant strain, 9 Pound Hammer, has the genetics of Gooberry, Hells OG, and Jack the Ripper. 9 Pound Hammer is a cannabis strain with calming effects with long-lasting effects. This strain is popular for medical and recreational use. Furthermore, it is very rich in myrcene, with caryophyllene and pinene as its two other main terpenes.
Carnage
An Indica dominant strain, Carnage is rich in THC (20%) with relaxing effects. Furthermore, Carnage is well-known for its powerful sleep-inducing properties.
Maple Leaf
This Indica strain has 15% of THC and 1% of CBG. Maple has calming effects and it is used for both medical and recreational use. In addition, it can combat insomnia and help relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea. Its main terpenes are myrcene, pinene and caryophyllene.
Ogre
This potent cannabis strain is very rich in THC (20%). Ogre is an award-winning strain with excellent medical properties. It’s ideal to help with stress, anxiety, insomnia and pain. In addition, you can use Ogre to help you reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Its main terpenes are myrcene, caryophyllene and limonene.