Can Marijuana Help Me Sleep Better?

Can marijuana or cannabis help people with sleep problems? We examine the latest research to uncover the answers.

There have been quite a lot of excitement regarding cannabis as potential treatment for depression, dementia and even cancer pain management. However there has been surprisingly little research that looks into the effects of cannabis on insomnia. 

An Australian research conducted in 2020 reported promising results after they treated 23 patients with cannabinoid extract. 

The study was coordinated through the University of Western Australia Centre for Sleep Science and treated its patients for the first 14 nights with the formulation and another 14 nights with a placebo. 

The results indicated that the cannabis formulation led to statistically significant improvements over the placebo, as measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).

Overall participants reported significantly improved sleep quality and feelings of waking up rested with “ISI scores decreased by 26 per cent while those on the highest dose achieved a 36 per cent reduction in ISI”. 

Participants also reported a significant improvement in subjective measures of stress, fatigue and social functioning. 

Professor Peter Eastwood, the lead researcher at UWA’s Centre for Sleep Science, stated, “It is impressive that the treatment resulted in significant, dose-responsive enhancements across a wide array of key insomnia indices.”

“Ensuring positive patient experiences with minimal side effects is crucial for the success of any insomnia medication, underscoring the potential of this treatment to meet a significant unmet need,” stated Professor Eastwood.

We might be able to boost effectiveness even more by taking the medication for a longer time and maybe increasing the dose a bit.

Sleep often overlooked as secondary side effect

Unfortunately many existing research ignore the sedative effects of cannabis and miss out on the therapeutic potential it can have on sleep. 

In a report titled ‘The use of Cannabinoids for Sleep: A Critical Review on Clinical Trials’ which examined existing studies on cannabis and sleep. The authors noted that: 

Most of the current research looks at how tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are used to treat chronic health issues like multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and chronic pain. In these studies, sleep tends to be more of a secondary focus than a primary one.

Poor sleep affects more than 35 percent of American adults. Did you know that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says sleep issues like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome (RLS) are costing us a whopping $411 billion a year in lost productivity? That’s a huge impact!

More research on negative impact of cannabis on sleep needed

As promising as all of this sounds, some experts are not quite onboard just yet. 

Dr. Deirdre Conroy, a sleep psychologist with University of Michigan Health warns that what we’re seeing could only be the short term benefits and we need to study if there are any negative impacts on sleep in the long term. 

“When it comes to how marijuana affects sleep, it’s clear that in the short term, it can really help people fall asleep and improve the quality of their sleep early in the night. But over the long haul, some of those benefits can fade, and if someone uses it often, they might find that insomnia comes back when they stop using marijuana suddenly,” Conroy explained.

She also pointed out that cannabis products are available in stronger doses now and one should consult their doctor before consuming. 

““When my patients ask about marijuana and its impact on sleep, I often emphasize that research in this field is still in its infancy. The rapid availability of marijuana has significantly outpaced our scientific understanding,” Conroy remarked. “Therefore, it’s crucial for patients to have open discussions about their marijuana use with their doctors.”