Findings reveal a high reliance on cannabis for sleep onset among adults aged 19 to 30, prompting calls for better clinical screening regarding substance use.
Key takeaways:
- Analysis of the Monitoring the Future Panel Study shows 22% of US young adults use cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep.
- Cannabis is the more common sleep aid, used by 18% of respondents compared to 7% for alcohol.
- Significant demographic disparities exist, with women and those identifying as another gender being far more likely than men to use cannabis for sleep.
- Researchers warn that relying on these substances can disrupt sleep quality long-term and increase the risk of substance use disorder.
- The study suggests clinicians should integrate screening for substance use when treating young adults for sleep complaints.
More than one in five US young adults report using cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep, according to new research from the University of Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future Panel Study.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study analyzed data from 1,473 young adults aged 19 to 30. The findings indicate that 22% of this demographic use one or both substances as a sleep aid. Cannabis was significantly more common than alcohol for this purpose, with 18% of respondents reporting cannabis use for sleep compared to 7% for alcohol. Among those who had used cannabis in the past year, 41% stated they did so specifically to initiate sleep.
“Using these substances to get to sleep can backfire because they can interfere with the ability to stay asleep and with the quality of sleep,” says Megan Patrick, research professor at the Institute for Social Research and principal investigator of the study, in a release. “They appear to actually disrupt sleep in the long term. The fact that so many young adults reported that they use cannabis to sleep is alarming.”
The study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, highlights specific gender and racial disparities regarding substance use for sleep. Women were found to be nearly twice as likely as men to use cannabis to fall asleep, while participants identifying as another gender were more than four times as likely as men to do so. Regarding alcohol, Black young adults were three times as likely as white peers to use it for sleep.
Researchers emphasize that while young adults may perceive these substances as helpful, the physiological effects often lead to poorer outcomes.
“Long-term, regular use of these substances to get to sleep may lead to worse sleep problems and increased risk for substance use disorder,” says Patrick, in a release. “For example, frequently using a substance to get to sleep may lead to tolerance, or needing more of it to get the same effect. In other words, rather than resulting in better sleep, it may lead to additional sleep problems and escalating substance use.”
The Monitoring the Future Panel Study annually tracks substance use trends among nationally representative samples of US students followed into adulthood. This research represents one of the first national examinations of how young adults utilize substances to manage sleep.
“Unfortunately, there is a misconception that substance use can be helpful for sleep problems, but it can make things worse,” says Patrick, in a release. “High-quality sleep is critical for mental health and regulating mood. Young adults told us that they are using cannabis to try to get to sleep, but doing so may make their sleep problems even worse. They need to know the potential risks.”
Given the high co-occurrence of substance use and sleep issues in this population, the findings underscore the necessity for effective, integrated screening and interventions in clinical practice.
“Health care providers should understand how common both sleep problems and substance use are during young adulthood,” says Patrick, in a release. “And that many young adults are using cannabis specifically to get to sleep. People who are trying to manage sleep problems should talk to their doctors or other providers.”
