Millions of Americans use marijuana to sleep, but new study raises troubling questions

A Northwestern Medicine study involving 1,266 participants tracked over 35 years found that both recent and lifetime cannabis users had objectively worse sleep quality. Despite this, participants did not report their sleep to be worse, highlighting a discrepancy between objective measurements and subjective perception. The findings suggest that while widely used as a sleep aid, marijuana may actually disrupt sleep patterns, leading to reduced sleep efficiency and increased fragmentation.

• 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.