A 35-year study involving 1,266 adults has found that both lifetime and recent cannabis use are associated with worse objectively measured sleep quality, including lower sleep efficiency and higher fragmentation. Surprisingly, participants did not report perceiving their sleep to be impaired, highlighting a disconnect between their subjective experiences and actual sleep disruptions.
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The research, stemming from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, demonstrated that cumulative lifetime cannabis exposure correlates with a decline in sleep architecture as participants reached middle age. This relationship persisted even after controlling for various factors, including age, sex, race, and other substance use.
Participants wore wrist monitors for seven days to track their sleep while also completing subjective sleep questionnaires. Those with greater cannabis exposure experienced less time asleep and more frequent awakenings throughout the night. Recent cannabis users were not only disturbed in their sleep but also tended to report longer sleep durations, which are linked to conditions like hypersomnia.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, contradict the common belief that cannabis aids sleep. Senior author Mercedes R. Carnethon emphasized the necessity to understand the long-term health implications of cannabis use as it becomes more widely accepted. Co-author Kristen L. Knutson recommended evidence-based behavioral strategies for improving sleep, such as maintaining a regular bedtime and creating a calming nighttime environment, rather than relying on cannabis.
This observational study is one of the most extensive to examine the impact of recreational cannabis on adult sleep quality. Future research aims to explore how different cannabis formulations and methods of use affect sleep.