How does Marijuana disrupt your sleep?

Sources:

Marijuana, specifically THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), disrupts the pattern and depth of sleep. It has been observed that substances like THC induce a state that seems like sleep, but actually disrupt the normal sequencing of sleep cycles. They interfere with the progression from more slow-wave sleep early in the night to more REM sleep later in the night. This ultimately results in less restorative sleep, even though one might feel that they fall asleep faster 1. THC, in particular, is known to block REM sleep, which explains why many individuals report not remembering their dreams when regularly using marijuana, and why intense dreams occur upon stopping its use due to a REM sleep rebound effect 2. Additionally, chronic use of THC can lead to withdrawal dependency, requiring more to get the same sleep benefit, and when stopping use, one may suffer from severe rebound insomnia 3.

Sleep and Substances

Andrew explains how alcohol and THC disrupt the pattern and depth of sleep, leading to less restorative sleep. He suggests exploring dreams through journaling, but warns against using substances for sleep.

Huberman Lab

Understanding and Using Dreams to Learn and to Forget | Huberman Lab Podcast #5
1
2
3
RELATED QUESTIONS