Adolescents and young adults are the most frequent consumers of cannabis compared to other age groups. Some motivations for cannabis use include reduction in anxiety and/or depression. In addition, many users report that cannabis helps to improve their sleep. However, some studies have demonstrated that cannabis use is correlated with trouble falling and staying asleep. This study examines the relationship between cannabis use dosage and a variety of sleep outcomes including sleep efficiency (SE), sleep onset latency (SOL), and number of night-time awakenings (NWAK).
The study’s sample consisted of 178 students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Participants completed surveys that assessed past month cannabis use, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality and disturbances during the past month. Actigraphy monitors were used to measure sleep and circadian rhythm. Participants were also asked to keep a sleep diary during the week. Data was analyzed using regression models to assess for relationships between cannabis use and sleep outcomes.
Results of the data analysis showed correlations between cannabis use and objective sleep measures from actigraphy. Greater cannabis use in grams/day was associated with shorter SOL and lower SE. Increased cannabis consumption was also positively related to NWAK. After controlling for covariates, the regression models showed that cannabis use was a significant predictor for SOL and tobacco and cannabis use for SE and NWAK. Subjective sleep measures (measured using the PSQI subscale) did not differ between cannabis users and non-users.
Takeaway: Recreational cannabis use may have effects on sleep onset and sleep maintenance in young adults.