Cannabis used as a sleep aid by 16% of Canadian adults

A new arrival has appeared in the constellation of drugs and products used to improve sleep. In fact, 16% of Canadian adults use cannabis or cannabis derivatives to treat their insomnia, reveals a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine by a research team led by Charles Morin from the School of Psychology at Laval University and the CERVO Research Center.

Professor Morin and 11 other scientists from Quebec and Ontario arrived at this observation after conducting, between April and October 2023, a survey of 4,037 Canadian adults. These people agreed to answer various questions about their sleep.

“More than 16% of people who participated in the study presented symptoms that correspond to the criteria for insomnia disorder,” reports Charles Morin. These people were dissatisfied with their sleep, they had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, or they woke up early. Their lack of sleep interfered with their daily functioning and caused them significant distress. These symptoms of insomnia had appeared at least three times a week for three months or more.

The responses also revealed that 46% of people who participated in the study had used products to help them sleep in the 12 months preceding the survey. “This is almost twice as much as what we measured 16 years ago,” observes Professor Morin.

The most frequently used products are natural products and over-the-counter products such as melatonin and valerian (29%), cannabis (16%), prescription drugs (15%), and alcohol (10%). .

“The use of cannabis even reaches 28% among 18-35 year olds,” underlines Professor Morin. Across all age groups, people who use cannabis use it 4 times a week, on average.”

With the exception of sleeping pills, the sleep aids discussed in this survey have not been extensively studied until now, underlines the researcher. “This is particularly the case for melatonin. Despite its widespread use, we still know very little about the risks and benefits of this product for treating insomnia.

The popularity of cannabis as a self-treatment for insomnia is worrying, continues Charles Morin. “There is no evidence that cannabis is effective and safe for insomnia. On the other hand, its negative effects on the mental health of young people are well documented.

The recommended first-line intervention against insomnia disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy, recalls the researcher, who participated in the development of this approach, the effectiveness of which has been repeatedly demonstrated. “This is the treatment that should be offered initially to people who suffer from insomnia. However, the lack of resources in the health network makes this recommendation difficult to apply at the moment. We hope that the possible development of a self-care program, dedicated to this treatment and intended for cases of insomnia not requiring support from a health professional, will be able to resolve part of this accessibility problem.

The other signatories of the study who are associated with Laval University are Lydi-Anne Vézina-Im, Si-Jing Chen, Hans Ivers and Geneviève Belleville.