Does smoking marijuana help you sleep better?

Cannabis is currently the most widely consumed illegal drug globally, and its use is becoming regularized in more and more places. Many people smoke marijuana to fall asleep faster and get rid of insomnia.

But... Does marijuana really help fight insomnia and sleep problems? Or is it a hoax?

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Does marijuana help you sleep better?

Many of the people with marijuana addiction problems who have worked with me in therapy have They have reported how they began to increase the frequency of their consumption, precisely to try to sleep better.

Most marijuana users take it sporadically and use it recreationally (going out to parties on weekends, for example). But there is another group of consumers who are beginning to escalate their consumption and smoke marijuana more and more often, ceasing to make recreational use, but instead an attempt to self-medicate for sleep problems and insomnia.

What really is insomnia?

A person is considered to have insomnia when they have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep most of the night, or waking up well rested. And this has to happen systematically.

It is not considered that a person suffers from insomnia when you have trouble sleeping sporadically and isolated. If the insomnia problems last for more than 3 months, the person is considered to suffer from chronic or long-term insomnia.

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What happens if you smoke marijuana before going to sleep?

Cannabis is a central nervous system depressant drug. That is, it makes the person sleepy, it makes them sleepy very quickly. In that sense, its effects are similar to those of alcohol.

However, what very few people know is that smoking marijuana before bed disrupts circadian rhythms, and also makes it difficult for the person to enter the REM phase or deep sleep (which is essential to feel rested every day next, and that the body can make the necessary repairs during sleep, such as eliminating toxins, processing information and memories, etc.).

So, it is true that marijuana helps to fall asleep more quickly, due to its clear sleep-inducing effects. But it greatly reduces sleep quality in the long run (and that can be disastrous).

If you consistently use marijuana to sleep, you will have a very shallow dream, which will not finish helping you rest (physically and mentally).

In the long term, you will experience many of the problems derived from the frequent use of marijuana such as problems with concentration, attention and memory, etc.

Also, people who get used to falling asleep only after smoking marijuana, end up developing a greater physical and psychological dependence on the drug. The moment they run out of weed, they panic thinking they won't be able to fall asleep if they don't smoke a joint (which often causes them to relapse and go back to using).

This psychological dependence will make it much more difficult for them to fall asleep naturally, and it will multiply the chances that they will develop other anxiety problems in the future.

• Related article: "7 benefits of quitting marijuana"

Is marijuana a good sleep aid?

No. The latest scientific research shows how most people who use marijuana end up suffering all kinds of unwanted side effects (for example, addiction or problems with anxiety). Smoking marijuana is unhealthy, of that there is no doubt.

Can smoking cannabis help fight insomnia?

Obviously, it helps people fall asleep sooner. But they pay a high price, which is poorer quality of sleep.

Also, when someone uses marijuana (or any other substance, such as some medications), ends up suffering the consequences of opportunity cost.

This means that smoking joints to try to sleep better, in addition to not really helping you in the long run, is displacing other treatments for insomnia that have shown effectiveness at a scientific level (for example, psychotherapy applied to disorders of sleep).

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Does smoking cannabis cause insomnia? Can the quality of sleep worsen?

Paradoxically, people who smoke marijuana to combat insomnia, suffer more insomnia in the long term. Not only because cannabis disrupts their circadian rhythms and prevents them from resting in REM sleep, but it distracts them from the real causes of your sleep problems: intrusive thoughts, anxiety problems, bad habits that are not compatible with good sleep hygiene, etc.

How long does insomnia last from quitting joints?

Insomnia from quitting joint smoking usually disappears after approximately 48 hours (sometimes more, depending on the person and the consumption that was taking).

Insomnia is one of the possible symptoms of marijuana withdrawal syndrome (which people who have developed dependence on cannabis experience when they try to quit the substance).

Fortunately, insomnia from quitting joint smoking ends up disappearing along with the rest of the physical marijuana withdrawal syndrome (in most cases, after a few days, a couple of weeks in the most serious cases).

It must be taken into account that each case is different, and that in addition to the chemical effects of marijuana, attention must be paid to the person's sleep habits. If you were consistently using marijuana to sleep, it's quite possible that you had poor sleep habits (which you were trying to compensate by using marijuana).

How to overcome insomnia (without using marijuana or other drugs)

If you suffer from marijuana dependence, it is urgent that you consult your case with a specialist.

My name is Luis Miguel Real, and I am a psychologist specializing in addictions. If you need help to overcome your addiction to marijuana or insomnia problems derived from its use, contact me.