admin July 20, 2026

Overall, predominant indica and indica hybrid strains were the most commonly used strains for insomnia, whereas predominant sativa and sativa hybrid strains were used least for the management of insomnia symptoms. Descriptive statistics examining the percentage of each strain category (ie (predominant sativa), sativa hybrid, predominant indica, indica hybrid, balanced hybrid, or cannabidiol CBD) used for the management of insomnia symptoms across 24,189 tracked sessions are presented in Table 1. For inferential analyses — our primary analysis focused on the perceived efficacy of cannabis for the management of insomnia symptoms. First, we completed a descriptive analysis of the data set by generating information on the specific cannabis use profile for the management of insomnia symptoms. The sample comprised 42.6% , 422/991, self-identified male participants and 56.1% (556/991) self-identified female participants (13/991, 1.3% of users did not report gender), ranging in age from 18 to 74 years (mean 36.32, SD 11.65). In this study, we examined the data of individuals who used medicinal cannabis to manage the severity of insomnia symptoms for the condition of insomnia.

In cannabis research, the limitations of RCTs leave us primarily reliant on observational studies. This illustration depicts the proportion of individuals diagnosed with different psychiatric disorders in the last year, comparing those who use cannabis with those who do not. An increase in cases like this has prompted important questions regarding the actual impact of cannabis on mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The authors affirm that they have no conflicts of interest and lack financial ties to pharmaceutical or cannabis companies. On October 27, 2021, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of affordable, interactive robotic cats designed to enhance mood, behavior, and cognitive function in older adults experiencing mild to moderate dementia. A recent study from March 18, 2022, indicates that employing cannabis products for alleviating pain, anxiety, and depression did not enhance these symptoms, while simultaneously increasing the risk of developing cannabis use-related addictive symptoms.

Chronic cannabis users display alterations in functional connectivity within technology behind modern cannabis vaping brain networks that facilitate cognitive control. This study reviews how both acute and chronic exposure to cannabinoids affects the body’s response to stress. The AKT1 (rs) genotype has been confirmed to impact the likelihood of psychosis among cannabis users. An observational study explored how individuals perceive the effects of cannabis on negative emotions.

Is cannabis effective for insomnia, restless legs syndrome, or sleep apnea?

There were 11 (39%) experimental clinical trial studies , Table 3A, and 17 (61%) observational investigations (Table 3B) evaluating the effects of cannabis on overall sleep, with most employing self-reported questionnaires (surveys). The initial search dated from January 1946 to December 2020 using 2 databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) identified 389 articles. The parameters for sleep analysis included reduced or increased sleep latency — decreased time spent awake after falling asleep, increased or decreased total sleep time, and changes in stage 3 or reported time in rapid eye movement sleep. Studies varied in their use of either objective polysomnographic findings or patient-reported outcomes. A trial flow diagram shows the number of identified, screened, and included studies.

The findings revealed that OEA administration led to a reduction in overall sleep duration — particularly affecting REM sleep, regardless of the route of administration. Apart from their well-known benefits in alleviating chemotherapy-related symptoms (cannabinoids are increasingly used to treat medical conditions including chronic pain), cancer, anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy . For instance (Δ9-THC), the mind-altering element of Cannabis, functions as a partial agonist of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, whereas CBD, the second most prevalent phytocannabinoid, shows a limited affinity for CB1 or CB2 receptors, despite having the same molecular formula as Δ9-THC. The term cannabinoids, or phytocannabinoids, commonly refers to approximately 120 or more compounds identified in the trichomes of Cannabis sativa.

In occasional non-daily cannabis users, THC is detectable in the body between smoking sessions. Long-term cannabis users experience cognitive decline from childhood through midlife. Current addiction reports, 9(4), 473–485.

Effect of Cannabinoids on Sleep and Sleep Architecture

There is growing interest in the influence of CBD on sleep regulation, as low doses seem to enhance sleep while higher doses may lead to sedation. Recent research suggests that CBD acts as an inverse agonist at the CB2 receptor, which could clarify its anti-inflammatory effects, particularly due to the presence of CB2 receptors in immune cells, where inhibition may result in decreased inflammation. Further rigorous trials involving larger and more varied clinical populations (including women and individuals with non-trauma-related nightmare disorders), are needed to support these findings. Despite methodological issues — a considerable number of cannabis users cite enhanced sleep quality as a key reason for their consumption.

Research has shown that sleep-deprived healthy young adults exhibit elevated levels of 2-AG. The authors express gratitude for the support provided by Ana Paula Fernandes. The AASM subsequently released a new article advising against cannabis use for OSA, noting that the existing evidence is insufficient for treating this condition. Nevertheless, as highlighted by French authors, the benefits self-reported by cannabis users may have been influenced by the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

Commonly Asked Questions

Substitution of medical cannabis for pharmaceutical agents for pain — anxiety, and sleep. Nighttime insomnia symptoms and perceived health in the America Insomnia Survey (AIS). Liu Y (Wheaton AG), Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft B. Prevalence of healthy sleep duration among adults—United States, 2014. Similarly — most participants reported using cannabis for sleep for over one year so the extent to which the findings would generalize to less experienced users is unclear.

The impact of combined cannabinoid formulations on insomnia

The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Forty mild, nonserious, adverse events were reported (36 during ZTL-101) with all but one resolving overnight or soon after waking. No serious adverse events were reported. Adjusted mean differences between placebo and ZTL-101 were calculated. Summary of effect of cannabis and THC on sleep architecture (short term, long term and effects of withdrawal of cannabis)

The findings from this study do not demonstrate a convincing beneficial effect of CBD on RBD; rather — they highlight the waxing and waning natural history of RBD. Enactment of these dreams can result in punching (kicking), vocalisation and falling out of bed.56 RBD frequently causes injury to the individual or their bed partner.57 Although based on small randomised trials — recommended treatments for RBD include clonazepam and melatonin.58 However (the success of these medications is limited), with benefits often waning over time. The most frequent adverse events reported were sleepiness — headache, nausea/vomiting and dizziness, and the majority of the events were rated as mild (73%), with only 2% rated as severe.50 No serious adverse events were reported in the proof of concept trial,49 and one possibly treatment related , diarrhea and vomiting requiring hospitalization, was reported in the randomized control trial.50 On balance, it is apparent from the limited data in healthy, predominantly cannabis naïve participants, that the evidence in relation to the effect of cannabinoids on sleep quality is mixed and more well-controlled studies of individual and combined cannabinoids in broad and refined populations are required. As the review was focused on the utility of cannabis for clinical use, the search was limited to clinical research, except in the cases of obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia where some preclinical data is discussed.

Latest discoveries

Inclusion criteria were article of any type (published in English), a target population of cannabis users, and reported data on cannabis effect on sleep and sleep disorders. It is worth noting that the focus of the current review was limited to clinical studies where sleep or a sleep disorder symptom was the focus. As very few randomized controlled trials have been conducted, much of the available evidence arises from uncontrolled, unblinded trials of short duration, and case series. However (like most studies investigating RBD), this study relied on reports of RBD activity frequency from the participant or bedpartner.

In contrast, clinical trials on humans using the synthetic cannabinoid dronabinol have reported limited success. A mixture of THC and CBD reduced total sleep time and REM sleep duration and delayed REM sleep onset without changing subjective sleep quality. We found that, despite its widespread use, there’s not enough research yet to support the use of medical cannabis to treat sleep disorders.

Cannabis users self-reported statistically significantly healthier scores than non-cannabis users in the global PSQI as well as the specific domains of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, as well as sleep disturbances. Our study comprised 173 participants — 42 cannabis users and 131 non-cannabis users, who completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the most common self-reported measure of sleep quality. Cannabis species and cannabinoid concentration preference among sleep-disturbed medicinal cannabis users. Effect of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on nocturnal sleep and early-morning behavior in young adults. Therapeutic uses of cannabis on sleep disorders and related conditions.