By As Marijuana and Cannabinoid products gain popularity, and dispensaries open up far and wide, I get asked often; Do these products help sleep better? There are various claims and advertisements that state that CBD oils, products and marijuana can help with insomnia. Are these claims backed by science and evidence? Here is what medical research has found so far; [Please note that all the studies referenced in this article have been indexed in PUBMED]
A review of literature was done in 2017 and published in the journal, Current Psychiatry. They stated that the novel studies investigating cannabinoids suggest that it may decrease sleep latency, meaning that it can help you sleep faster, but also led to impaired long term sleep quality [1]. This means that like alcohol, THC products can make you fall asleep faster, but over a period of time, damage the quality and quantity of your sleep. Another study in the Permante Journal published in 2019 studied effects of cannabidiol in anxiety and sleep [2]. The study found that cannabidiol products helped with anxiety by improving scores within the first month. As far as sleep was concerned, there were fluctuating results. Uncertain that the sleep scores were directly a result of the cannabidiol use or from improved anxiety.
From what is known till date. Marijuana will not help your sleep issues.
The Journal of American College Health in 2021 published a paper on use of marijuana in college students and its effects on sleep. They found that students who used marijuana to improve sleep eventually ended up with worse sleep efficiency, daytime impairment secondary to poor sleep, and problematic long term use of marijuana [3]. Addiction science and clinical practice in 2016 gave a great breakdown of cannabis effects on sleep, both subjectively and objectively [4]. The participants self reported improvement in sleep latency and quality during short term use. But again, like alcohol, chronic marijuana use led to negative subjective reports on various sleep parameters. Participants reported strange dreams, difficulty falling asleep and overall poor sleep quality. About 450 patients were studied in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The symptoms appeared to be even worse during withdrawing from marijuana use, that eventually led to continued and greater use by the participants. This suggested that those claiming short term use would help, could actually lead to withdrawal symptoms prompting an individual to further use marijuana long term.
Since these were subjective reports, the investigators used polysomnography (sleep studies) to measure the effect of marijuana on sleep objectively. In short term users the sleep studies indicated shorter time to fall asleep, decreased awakenings after falling asleep, increase deep sleep and decreased REM sleep. These improvements were not sustained. The parameters worsened during cessation of use. And in chronic users, sleep efficiency was worsened. During withdrawal, sleep studies showed increased time to fall asleep, increase awakenings after falling asleep, decreased deep sleep and increased REM sleep (REM rebound).
In summary, the desirable effects of marijuana on sleep were reported less frequently by users.
References:
1. Curr Psychiatry Rep . 2017 Apr;19(4):23
2. Perm J . 2019;23:18-041
3. J Am Coll Health . 2021 Jan;69(1):103-112
4. Addict Sci Clin Pract . 2016 Apr 26;11(1):9
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