A study published in Neurotherapeutics found that while cannabis relieved pain, it had a negative effect on sleep quality. Pain and sleep are the most common reasons for medicinal cannabis use, yet few studies have examined the interactions between medical cannabis and how chronic pain impacts sleep patterns and stages. The study provides valuable insights into the limited body of research on sleep and pain.
The study included 62 participants aged 18 to 45. One-third (32%) of the participants self-reported chronic pain, and 47% self-reported cannabis use. The researchers collected a total of 339 nights of in-home sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings from 60 adult participants. The research team calculated the total sleep time, sleep onset latency, slow-wave sleep (SWS), rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, and number of sleep disruptions over seven consecutive nights per participant, measuring total sleep time, sleep onset latency, slow-wave sleep (SWS), rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, and number of sleep disruptions.
Results revealed that cannabis use by participants experiencing chronic pain may promote SWS, the deep sleep stage that promotes physical restoration and immune function necessary for pain regulation. Although this finding points to some beneficial effects of cannabis, the findings suggested that increased SWS can diminish REM sleep. The REM sleep stage affects emotional regulation and memory integration.
The team also noted that cannabis may initially enhance SWS, but those benefits decrease with chronic consumption. Study author Dr. Francesca Filbey explained the importance of the study’s findings: “For the first time in an in-home setting, we were able to observe how cannabis use and chronic pain interact to influence the brain’s sleep stages. What we found was not a simple story of benefit or harm, but a complex pattern that highlights the need for personalized approaches to sleep and pain management.” The findings provide a more holistic understanding of how cannabis compounds can affect chronic pain and sleep processes.
Sources: Eureka News Alert, Neurotherapeutics