Large Study Links Cannabis Use to Sleep Disruption, Especially Among Heavy Users - ScienceAlert

Now, a large-scale study on the effects of cannabis on sleep duration and quality has called into question the drug's reputation as a beneficial pre-slumber choice. .

The authors of the new study, led by researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada, wanted to determine the relationship between recent cannabis use and sleep duration in a nationally representative sample from the US.

Sleep duration was categorized as short, optimal, or long, with short sleep defined as less than 6 hours, and long sleep defined as more than 9 hours on average weeknights or worknights.

The cannabis users surveyed were 34 percent more likely to report sleeping fewer than 6 hours per night when compared to non-users, as well as being 56 percent more likely to report sleeping more than 9 hours when compared to non-users, after accounting for potential confounding factors.  .

Previous findings have shown mixed results pertaining to the effectiveness of cannabis as a sleeping aid, with some studies showing that even a single cannabis exposure can reduce sleep-onset latency, increase total sleep time, and report less disruption once asleep.