Trying to hold onto REM while smoking daily — here's my current stack

[CholineHead]

Been smoking daily for a while now, evenings mostly. The sleep degradation crept up on me - barely dream anymore, wake up feeling like I didn't really rest. Did some reading and it's pretty clearly the THC hammering my REM cycles. I'm not in a place to quit right now so I've been trying to patch things up with a few supplements. Curious if anyone here has gone down this road.

Here's what I'm currently running:

Galantamine - low dose, taken about 4–5 hrs into sleep when REM pressure is naturally peaking. It raises acetylcholine which is a key driver of REM. My main uncertainty here is whether THC just steamrolls it anyway - the mechanisms are different (cholinergic vs endocannabinoid) so I'm hoping there's still some net benefit, but I honestly don't know.

Melatonin - 0.5–1mg before bed. THC pushes back your natural melatonin release, so this is just trying to restore that timing. Keeping the dose low on purpose - more doesn't seem to help and just makes me groggy.

L-theanine - weed can have a bit of an activating effect on me at night which doesn't help with falling asleep. Theanine smooths that out without knocking me out. Feels like it helps me transition into sleep more naturally.

The galantamine is the thing I'm most unsure about. If anyone has actually used it alongside regular THC use I'd really like to hear how that went - whether you noticed any REM benefit or if it felt like a waste.

I'm also working on pushing my last session earlier, ideally 6+ hrs before sleep instead of the 3–4 I'm at now. My gut says that's probably the biggest lever here, more than any supplement.

Also have magnesium glycinate and playing with CBD:THC ratios on my radar. If there's anything else people have found useful for keeping sleep architecture intact while using regularly, I'm all ears.

 

[Innerpeace]

Generally I use thc that is fifteen months old. The thc has degraded and oxidized into cannabinol (CBN). This has seemed to make a difference , in the high, being more chill, sedative, and possibly sleep.

I could be incorrect, it seems six months old and newer may cause muchies and hunger more so.

 

[CholineHead]

Generally I use thc that is fifteen months old. The thc has degraded and oxidized into cannabinol (CBN). This has seemed to make a difference , in the high, being more chill, sedative, and possibly sleep.

I could be incorrect, it seems six months old and newer may cause muchies and hunger more so.

Thanks for the insight! That actually lines up with something I’ve been quietly noticing on my end. I hadn’t fully mapped the oxidation timeline to CBN before, but if 12–18 month stock is naturally shifting toward a more sedating, less psychoactive profile, it could definitely take some of the load off THC’s acute REM suppression without sacrificing wind-down benefits.

 

[Innerpeace]

Thanks for the insight! That actually lines up with something I’ve been quietly noticing on my end. I hadn’t fully mapped the oxidation timeline to CBN before, but if 12–18 month stock is naturally shifting toward a more sedating, less psychoactive profile, it could definitely take some of the load off THC’s acute REM suppression without sacrificing wind-down benefits.

Yes, how old about would you guess the oldest thc you have?

If you buy newey cropped thc, it seems there's a big difference in the high. Example in February I got some new weed, and the comparison was a lot. The high seemed worlds better. Even since then ,it has degraded some, and it's still more potent ,it seems, then the fifteen month old thc.

If you want to test it out buying a strain or two , and comparing them to the older weed.

Off subject, decarbing weed, and having it in a glass jar for months, still keeps it super potent.

If I consume too much decarbed weed before bed with fried vegetables and olive oil to mix in for taste, I'll feel dizzy all through sleep, and wake up feeling dizzy, unmotivated. The 11 hydrox THC is the cause. Super strong and not to be taken lightly. Start small if you do decarbed weed and or edibles

What is meant by sacrificing wind down benefits?