"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,” principal investigator of the study, Megan Patrick, research professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, said in a press 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,” she added.
For the study, researchers examined responses from close to 1,500 young adults aged between 19 and 30 years old across the US. Ultimately, they found that women were almost two times more likely than men to report using cannabis to fall asleep.
They further found that 7% reported using alcohol to help fall asleep, and that 22% reported using cannabis, alcohol, or both, to fall asleep. Young black adults were three times more likely than their white counterparts to report using alcohol to fall asleep.
Among those who reported using cannabis at any point over the last year, 41% said one reason they used it was to help fall asleep.
Patrick said that many young adults may think that cannabis or alcohol can help improve their sleep, although research suggests that the opposite is true.
"Unfortunately, there is a misconception that substance use can be helpful for sleep problems, but it can make things worse. 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,” she said.
Sources: Science Daily, JAMA Pediatrics
