One-Third of Adults Say Marijuana Improves Their Sleep, Finds American Academy of Sleep Medicine Survey
- The American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey found that one-third of U.S. adults report improved sleep with marijuana use, increasing to nearly two-thirds among marijuana consumers.
- Men (39%) are more likely than women (28%) to report better sleep from marijuana, and adults aged 25-44 report the highest benefits, while older adults are less likely to use marijuana.
- Experts warn marijuana's impact on sleep is complex, with risks including daytime sleepiness, impaired driving, physical dependence, and withdrawal-related sleep disruption.
- The AASM recommends consulting healthcare professionals for sleep issues and endorses cognitive behavioral therapy as the primary treatment for chronic insomnia over marijuana use.
A new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that one-third of U.S. adults say their sleep is slightly or significantly better when they use marijuana. Among marijuana consumers, that figure rises to nearly two-thirds.
The survey, commissioned by the AASM and conducted among 2,007 adults, found that 33% of respondents reported improved sleep when using marijuana. Another 11% said marijuana had no impact on their sleep, while 8% said it made their sleep worse. Nearly half of respondents, 47%, said they do not use marijuana.
The results showed notable differences by gender and age. Among men, 39% said marijuana improved their sleep, compared with 28% of women. Women were also more likely to report not using marijuana, with 55% saying they do not use it compared with 39% of men.
Adults between the ages of 25 and 44 were the most likely to report that marijuana helped them sleep, with 45% saying it had a beneficial effect. Older adults were less likely to report using marijuana.
“While many states now allow the recreational and medical use of marijuana, its impact on sleep is multi-faceted,” said AASM past president Dr. Kannan Ramar. “Use of marijuana and other cannabis products is also associated with several clinical concerns, including increased risks of daytime sleepiness, impaired driving performance, physical dependence, and withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disruption.”
The survey comes as research on marijuana and sleep continues to produce mixed results. According to the AASM, a recent systematic review found that cannabinoids significantly improved self-reported sleep quality, while another recent study found that long-term daily marijuana use was associated with greater objective wakefulness during the night.
A recent pilot study suggested that expectations may play a role in how people perceive marijuana’s impact on sleep. That study compared self-reported sleep outcomes with objective measures and found that people who believed marijuana would improve their sleep overestimated how quickly they fell asleep and how long they slept.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also found that some adults regularly use marijuana to help with sleep. A recent CDC analysis found that 3.7% of U.S. adults used marijuana or another cannabis product most days or every day in the past 30 days to help them fall asleep or stay asleep.
“Sleep is essential to health, so it is important to talk to a healthcare professional about any ongoing sleep concerns,” said Ramar. “Sleep specialists can provide evidence-based treatments for anyone who has insomnia or another sleep disorder.”
The AASM says cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is the recommended treatment for chronic insomnia, with certain prescription medications also available as a treatment option.