Can Edibles Be Used to Aid in a Better Sleep?

Cannabis edibles have been increasing in popularity over the last several years. In 2022, it was reported that nearly 14% of adults in the US consume cannabis edibles to help them obtain a better sleep. A study that took place in 2021 (1), disclosed that participants believed a better sleep was obtained through the use of cannabis. Research on edibles being used as a sleep aid does not depict a clear answer and future research will be needed.

Deidre Conroy, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Michigan Medicine, stated that the product has been “very helpful for some people” (1). Conroy then added that, “for some people, it doesn’t help at all, and for others it works temporarily and then stops working.”

TIME Magazine (1) mentioned a few studies which have targeted health conditions of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia (2), sleep disorders (3), and chronic conditions like cancer where patients battle with many symptoms (4), which have documented study participants receiving a better sleep from cannabis. Additional studies that have been conducted have showed cannabis aiding in participants falling asleep quicker but may have their quality of sleep affected (1). Cannabis consumers could also have their sleep cycles disrupeted.

In 2023, a study investigated on cannabis users who suffer from anxiety (1). Participants were given edibles and data showed that it helped them get a better sleep. Compared to other cannabis consumption methods, such as smoking, edibles provide a “longer-lasting effect” (1). Edibles users documented that they were able to sleep through the night which led to better sleep conditions.

“What we get in the science might be a bit different from the patient’s perspective, largely because the availability has outpaced the science,” Conroy stated (1). She also mentioned that (1), “Negative research findings shouldn’t invalidate the experiences of people who benefit from using edibles for sleep.”

More research needs to be done to show cannabis’s effect on sleep. Recent studies (2-4) have shown that a better night sleep is just another helpful benefit of the cannabis plant.

References

1. Ducharme, J. Can Weed Edibles Actually Help You Sleep? https://time.com/6339981/can-weed-edibles-help-you-sleep/ (accessed Dec 7, 2023).
2. Kuhathasan, N., Minuzzi, L., MacKillop, J. et al. An investigation of cannabis use for insomnia in depression and anxiety in a naturalistic sample. BMC Psychiatry 2022, 22 (303). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-03948-6
3. Vaillancourt, R., Gallagher, S., Cameron, J. D., & Dhalla, R., Cannabis use in patients with insomnia and sleep disorders: Retrospective chart review. Canadian Pharmacists Journal : CPJ = Revue des pharmaciens du Canada : RPC, 2022, 155(3), 175–180. https://doi.org/10.1177/17151635221089617
4. Marshall, L. How Cannabis May Ease “Chemo Brain” and Improve Sleep for Cancer Patients https://www.colorado.edu/today/2023/04/27/how-cannabis-may-ease-chemo-brain-and-improve-sleep-cancer-patients (accessed Dec 7, 2023).