A groundbreaking study spanning over a decade links cannabis use to significant sleep disturbances. It reveals that smoking cannabis makes it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and leads to excessive sleep duration.
Many people smoke cannabis at night believing it promotes relaxation and better sleep. However, a study published on December 6, 2021, in BMJ Journals challenges this notion. Conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto in collaboration with U.S. health organizations, the research examined the relationship between recent cannabis use and sleep patterns.
The study analyzed data from 21,729 participants between 2005 and 2018, accounting for factors like ethnicity, education level, age, weekly work hours, and other health metrics. Key variables included sleep quality and cannabis consumption.
Participants were categorized into three sleep duration groups: short sleep (less than six hours), optimal sleep, and long sleep (nine hours or more).
Volunteers reported on difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too long. They were then grouped as recent cannabis users (past month) versus non-users. Among the 3,132 cannabis users, subgroups included moderate users (fewer than 20 joints per month) and heavy users (20 or more).
Results showed that 34% of moderate and heavy cannabis users slept less than six hours per night, while 56% slept more than nine hours. Overall, they experienced more trouble falling or staying asleep, with some oversleeping.
Heavy users were particularly prone to sleep duration extremes. Researchers attribute this to potential long-term effects of repeated cannabis exposure, alongside socio-demographic factors or underlying health conditions. As tolerance builds, the body may become more susceptible to sleep disruptions.
