Featured Image Caption: Best Terpenes for Sleep
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Wake up and smell the terpenes.
While most people would describe any aroma at first smell, it’s actually terpenes at work that gives off its fragrance. Terpenes are chemical compounds responsible for how things smell. Terpenes are abundant, most especially in hemp plants, but they are also found in other plants, herbs, even fruits, and all over in nature!
They are also used for industrial and commercial purposes and can be found in wine, aromatherapy, and perfume. Have you noticed how a particular smell stimulates your brain, or maybe a combination of two or more fragrance makes you sleepy and relaxed? Those are terpenes at work.
Which One is Right for You?
Currently, there are about 20,000 terpenes in nature, and more than 200 of them are in hemp plants. Most hemp strains are classified into two: Indica and Sativa. Indica strain is mainly used for relaxation and sleep promotion, while Sativa is generally a mood energizer. Recently, terpenes have become a more common way to describe a strain.
Nowadays, most hemp is a hybrid of the two. For this purpose, we will only be discussing different types of terpenes for sleep and relaxation purposes.
For centuries, hemp plants are used as a sleeping aid due to their relaxing and sedative effects. Studies have shown that hemp shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and lengthens the deep sleep cycle thanks to its active ingredient, Cannabidiol (CBD) compound that brings various effects.
Take note that some terpenes can have various effects on a person’s mood and emotion, sleep cycle, and brain cognition—some heighten and stimulate the senses, others sedate.
While both CBD in a hemp plant are said to have medical benefits, such as pain relief, nausea, migraine, and insomnia treatment or prevention, and anxiety reduction, it is still advisable to proceed with care and caution.
Listed below are some of the common terpenes.
- Myrcene – Earthy and herbal, myrcene can be found in fruits and herbs such as mangoes, basil, lemongrass, and thyme. It’s also in sleep-promoting plants such as hops and ylang-ylang. Its tranquilizing effects offer sweet relief like no other, making your muscles relax as you slowly drowse off for the night. Blueberry, a popular strain commonly used by consumers, is said to help with pain and stress relief thanks to its sweet and fresh flavor.
- Cherry Pie – Found in Grandaddy Purple and Durban Poison, caryophyllene is spicy, musky, and aromatic, found in black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon. This is also proven effective for anti-inflammatory effects—reducing redness, swelling, pain, and stress relief—faster than you can spell insomnia.
- Limonene – Floral, herbal, and citrusy, limonene lives off on citrus peels such as lemon and orange rinds. It can also be found in rosemary, nutmeg, tea tree, cumin, and lilacs. Studies have shown that its superb antidepressant and calming effects may be due to its ability to elevate serotonin in the brain, helping reduce insomnia and induces natural sleep with prolonged use. Some common strains with Limonene are OG Kush and lemon skunk.
- Terpinolene – Another major terpene characterized by citrus smell and citrus taste, terpinolene is present in allspice and plants like lavender and fruits such as apples. It is proven to have sedative effects.
- Pinene – Make no mistake, pinene may give off a strong piney aroma, but in reality, this strain is rarely dominant. This common terpene is abundant in nature, found in pine needles, pine plants, pine essential oils, and basil, among other herbs. It is said to help lower anxiety and induce sleep faster. It is also said to be one of the terpenes proven to affect the GABA system. Pinene can be found in strains like some OG as well as sativas like jack herer.
- Linalool – Recognizable with its strong lavender aroma that’s also found in birch bark, this terpene is believed to provide calming effects. The scent of lavender can help induce sleep by increasing adenosine, a known sedating hormone in the body. Research has also shown that linalool helps lower anxiety and depression and guards the immune system against stress.
Choose Terpenes for a Relaxing Sleep
These are just some of the many terpene profiles of different strains of hemp. Remember that we are only talking about sedative terpenes for sleep and relaxation. Most people look at the strain name and CBD levels. Discerning users smell the pungency—the more pungent it is, the higher its potency.
Knowledge and understanding of choosing terpenes in different strains can help you achieve your health goals. When it comes to sleep, a good practice is to look for a strain that contains either relaxing or sedating terpenes—a good balance of CBD. A little too much CBD concentration might make you feel sluggish even after you wake up.
However you decide to use these powerful agents for medical treatment, it’s essential to figure out first what kind of effect you are looking to achieve to best suit you. Are muscle pains causing you to stay awake? Do you want to clear your mind with anxiety? Whatever your issues are, being clear with your objective can help you decide which terpene strain to use.
Also, consulting a medical opinion is still the best way to have a full picture of its side effects, especially if taken with other medications.
By Kalki Henrietta
who is one of the master flavor chemists at Sauce Terps and Medical Terpenes. He is the director of sales and marketing at Sauce Terps and Medical Terpenes, he is also a major contributor to research and development. Amongst creating new and exciting dank strains, he also manages the quality control of the manufacturing process in an ISO 9001:2015 and GMP compliant lab. He enjoys spice and pungent aromas with a heavy nose.
Member since March, 2021
View all the articles of Kalki Henrietta.
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