Can Delta 8 THC Make You Feel Tired or Give You Energy?

by NAM McL May 24, 2023

Delta 8 THC is a lot of things. It’s a mild psychoactive, a great choice for when you’re feeling stressed out, and the ideal cannabinoid for when you want to get high but maintain a clear mind. Over the years, delta 8, which was first discovered in 1965, has been researched extensively for its many unique effects that make it stand out from the 100+ cannabinoids in the hemp plant.

That being said, everyone wants to know what to expect before taking delta 8 THC for the first time, specifically two things:

Does delta 8 can cause sleepiness? This can determine the best time for someone to take it.
What are delta 8’s effects on energy levels? We know that a lot of cannabinoids out there have the potential to boost energy, including CBD, CBG and delta 10 THC. But, what about delta 8?

Can Delta 8 THC Make a Person Feel Tired?

Delta 8 THC can, in fact, make a person feel tired, and that’s a big reason why people take it. This cannabinoid, noted for its anxiolytic effects, does have a soothing, mellowing nature about it that can make the body and mind feel slower and more at ease. It’s an immensely popular choice for evening and even bedtime for that reason. So, if you want a sleepier cannabinoid, delta 8 is definitely a good option.

Of course, some people want delta 8’s mild high without feeling like they’re going to feel sleepy whenever they take it. The good news is, your delta 8 experience can be modified to avoid tiredness, if that’s what you want.

What Affects How Tired You Might Feel from Delta 8 THC?

There are lots of delta 8 products on the market, and lots of ways to take them. As you’ll see, certain factors can have a big impact on how tired you get from delta 8.

Strain Type: The strain used in a delta 8 can definitely change the results you feel. Some strains are sleepier, like indica and indica-dominant strains, thanks to their high content of the terpene myrcene which can have sedating properties. Sativa and sativa-dominant strains have terpenes that are more boosting and uplifting, and thus, may even be strong enough to counteract the sleepier effects of delta 8.
Product Type: Some people find that delta 8 gummies make them feel sleepy while vapes make them perk up, and others find that it’s the other way around. It all has to do with how your body absorbs delta 8 based on the delivery method you’ve chosen. So, experiment with different product types and see what happens.
Your Dosage: Delta 8’s effects are dosage-dependent, and taking a small dose can give you more of a boost, while taking a high dose of delta 8 can put you to sleep. Or, it can be the other way around. Again, everyone is unique, and so it’s worth playing around with different dosage levels.
Your Tolerance to Delta 8: If you have a low tolerance to delta 8, you may get sleepier the first few times you take it. As time goes on, you may build up more of a tolerance to that effect.
What Else You’ve Taken: Certain medications, supplements, and even alcohol can change how delta 8 affects you. The cannabinoid can work with what’s already in your body to feel more stimulating or more sedating. Even taking delta 8 with, say, CBD, could make you feel more tired.
If You’re Already Tired: If you’re already feeling tired, a dose of delta 8 can enhance how tired you feel.

How to Avoid Feeling Tired with Delta 8 THC

If you’re trying to stay awake after taking delta 8 THC, just follow these tips to get more of a wakeful experience out of the cannabinoid.

Tip #1: Change the Strain

Like we said, it’s best to look for a more sativa-dominant strain, which is less likely to put you to sleep thanks to its more stimulating terpene profile.

Tip #2: Be Mindful of Dosage

If you get sleepy after taking a strong dose of delta 8, try cutting that dose in half to see what happens. Or, if you usually only take a tiny amount, try taking a little more to see what kinds of effects that you feel.

Tip #3: Take Delta 8 On Its Own

Delta 8 can make you feel more tired if you have something sedating in your system, like an herbal supplement or another cannabinoid. Try taking delta 8 when nothing else is in your body and see what happens.

Tip #4: Take Delta 8 When You’re Already Awake

Try taking delta 8 THC during a more energized time of day, like during the late morning or early afternoon, to see if its effects are different when you’re not already winding down at the end of the night.

What Might Delta 8 THC Be Able to Do For Energy Levels?

Essentially, delta 8 THC is actually not a cannabinoid known for boosting energy. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Again, lot of people use delta 8 THC specifically to mellow out after a long day, or to even make bedtime easier. There has to be any discovery that delta 8 can enhance energy levels.

The known properties of delta 8 THC include the potential to:

Alleviate nausea.
Help with physical discomfort.
Help dela with inflammation.
Manage anxiety.
Correspond to neurological dysregulation.
Raise someone’s mood.
Boost appetite.
Help with sleep.

As you can see, these effects don’t really mention anything that could have to do with our energy levels, and mostly point to the cannabinoid acting as more of a soothing agent for body and mind. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t derive energy-enhancing effects from delta 8.

So, delta 8 alone is unlikely to give you a boost of energy, but certain delta 8 products can. There are all kinds of products on the market that promote different effects based on the other hemp compounds that are in them, as well as other ingredients altogether.

Delta 8 THC May Make You Feel Tired, But it Depends!

All on its own, delta 8 THC is a sleepier cannabinoid, without a doubt. But, the great thing about all hemp products is that we can modify them to suit our needs, i.e., when you’re looking for an easy way to mellow out while maintaining a focused and clear-minded high.

Still, whether or not you want the tired effects of delta 8, you can make adjustments to your product and how you take it to get the results you want. Basically, you can still find products that contain delta 8 while having the potential to offer a more stimulating effect. It’s a matter of finding the right strain, dosage amount, product type, and formula. Check out NAM Wellness delta 8 products, as each type can truly affect you differently.