Millions of Americans use marijuana to sleep, but new study raises troubling questions
A Northwestern Medicine study found that marijuana users had objectively worse sleep quality, even though they didn't perceive their sleep as worse. Other experts weighed in.
TL;DR
- A Northwestern Medicine study of 1,266 participants found that marijuana use is linked to objectively worse sleep quality.
- Participants using cannabis had worse sleep despite not reporting their sleep quality as worse.
- Greater lifetime exposure to marijuana correlated with poorer objective sleep quality, including less time asleep and more disruption.
- Recent cannabis users showed more sleep fragmentation and lower sleep efficiency compared to non-users.
- The study adjusted for factors like age, race, sex, smoking frequency, and alcohol consumption, yet the correlation persisted.
- Experts suggest that the perceived benefit of marijuana for sleep may be psychological rather than physiological, potentially masking underlying sleep issues.