Does cannabis prevent you from sleeping?

A recent study by Inserm, the University of Bordeaux, and the Bordeaux University Hospital has been making headlines in the general press, which has been quick to blame cannabis use for sleep problems among college students.

Journalistic Slumber

While it is well established that cannabis affects sleep, does it actually cause insomnia? What are the actual Effects of Cannabis on Sleep ? Should I go with an Indica or a Sativa?

So many questions—and, as is often the case with cannabis, complex but fact-based answers.

Cannabis and Insomnia: A French Study

A team of researchers from Inserm (the institute that links Cannabis Use Among Youth and Unemployment) and the University of Bordeaux and the Bordeaux University Hospital sought to determine whether there was a correlation between cannabis use among young people and sleep disorders.

A total of 14,787 student volunteers, members of the i-Share cohort, completed an online questionnaire to determine the frequency of their cannabis use and the quality of their sleep over the past three months.

In the sample of 75.5% women with an average age of 20.4 years, 3,030 (20.5 %) students reported monthly cannabis use, 645 (4.4 %) reported weekly use, and 219 (1.5 %) reported daily use.

Sleep disorders have been categorized into four stages: lack of sleep, poor sleep quality, drowsiness, and insomnia.

In the entire sample, 22.7 % suffered from insomnia, 18.3% of % participants experienced drowsiness, 22.4% of % participants experienced poor sleep quality, and 52.5% of % participants experienced sleep deprivation.

After adjustment, the probability of insomnia was significantly higher by 45% among cannabis users compared with non-users. The estimates increased steadily with frequency of use, reaching a probability of insomnia that was twice as high among daily users compared to occasional or infrequent users. The results were similar for other sleep disorders.

The study concludes: «These results confirm the existence of an association between cannabis use and sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, among college students. Although the direction and causality cannot be established in this context, », these findings suggest that students and healthcare professionals should be warned about the link between cannabis use and sleep disorders."

The study does not conclude that cannabis causes insomnia, but simply that people who use cannabis suffer from insomnia. Perhaps that is the reason they use it?

The study does not specify this, as it does not know which products are consumed, whether they are smoked, vaporized, or ingested, whether they are mixed with tobacco or not, what the dosage is, which terpenes accompany the cannabinoids, etc.

Effects of Cannabis on Sleep

So what are the effects of cannabis on sleep? Can using it help you sleep better?

One thing is for sure: at least it makes it easier to fall asleep. Some These varieties are more effective for sleep than others. The common misconception is that the Indica cannabis strains are even more soporific.

The cannabinol (CBN) found in greater quantities in slightly aged weed is also said to have benefits for sleep. Certain terpenes may also play a role in this regard, making it even more difficult to determine causality.

According to research, cannabis does have an impact on sleep. In particular, some studies have shown that heavy cannabis use reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and the number of unwanted awakenings after falling asleep, increases slow-wave sleep, and decreases rapid eye movement (REM) sleep—basically improving sleep quality, whereas the Withdrawal has the opposite effect.

However, chronic cannabis users may develop a tolerance to the effects of cannabis, which results in an increase in the time it takes to fall asleep and a decrease in slow-wave sleep, which is essential for brain restoration, recovery, and memory formation.

More recently, observational studies have revealed an increased prevalence of sleep disorders as cannabis use rises among adolescents and young adults.