#37 - Marijuana and Sleep: The Drugs Don't Work, They Just Make You Worse

Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

Mar 6 2023 • 29 mins

The explosion of both medicinal and recreational marijuana use (as well as its derivatives) has led to the obvious question: Does marijuana help an individual sleep better? If you pay attention to those who sell it, the answer seems to be a resounding yes...but is that true. In this episode we will:

  • learn about marijuana and the chemical cannabinoids that are often proclaimed to be sleep-promoting
  • understand that in many ways, using marijuana for insomnia is no different than other pills and its success leans heavily on how we measure sleep success...or how it "works"
  • touch upon older research about marijuana
  • learn the differences between transient sleep effects and the sleep effects of long-term use
  • explore cultural conversations and myths about marijuana use, in particular that it's helpful in pregnancy
  • discover the misperceptions surrounding marijuana use in college
  • uncover how the bottom line of some studies can be affected by pharmaceutical companies trying to develop novel sleep therapies
  • look ahead to potential therapies for conditions like REM behavior disorder and Restless Legs Syndrome

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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Thanks for listening and sleep well!