The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) released new data on the public's use of cannabis as a sleep aid in response to growing public discussion and interest in options and alternatives to help improve sleep. A projected 22 million adults (9%) report currently using a cannabis product as a sleep aid and 45 million Americans reported previous use. Additionally, 23% of American adults, or about 60 million adults, report being likely to try cannabis products as a sleep aid. Legal status of any form of cannabis in state of residency did not affect reported rates of current, previous, and future likelihood of using cannabis.
In a nationally representative survey of over 1,300 US adults, those who reported any cannabis use as a sleep aid, either currently or in the past, and those who reported being likely to use cannabis to help their sleep had significantly lower sleep duration and poorer sleep quality than those who did not report using cannabis as a sleep aid—raising questions about both the sleep profiles of current and likely users and the potential effectiveness of such products.
"We know a significant proportion of American adults are looking for ways to improve their sleep and many now are turning to cannabis-based products. Unfortunately, there currently is limited and mixed scientific evidence that supports the effectiveness of cannabis to help with sleep problems," said Joseph Dzierzewski, SVP Research and Scientific Affairs at NSF. "Until there is a clearer understanding of the effects of cannabis products for healthy sleep, the public should be discerning and have guarded expectations when considering these proposed sleep aids."
Given the widespread interest in cannabis for sleep, further research can help clarify its benefits, risks, and appropriate use. "People take an individualized approach to their sleep health, so they'll often try many different things to see an improvement when they are having problems. We always encourage the public to make their decisions based on the available evidence, guidance from science-based organizations, and even the input of their healthcare providers when needed. Given what the public says they are likely to do with cannabis products, and understanding there are knowledge gaps, we encourage people to be prudent," said John Lopos, NSF CEO.
