The study shows that almost 1/5 of young adults smoke marijuana at night to fall asleep.

The elderly are often unable to fall asleep, while many of the young adults today feel stressed out. 

By Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan

Bridge Michigan is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organisation that originally published this article. Sign up here for the free Bridge Michigan Newsletter to receive regular Bridge Michigan coverage.

A University of Michigan research found that many young adults struggle to sleep and reach for alcohol or marijuana at bedtime.

The annual Monitoring the Future Panel survey by U-M found that 22% of adults aged between 19-30 used cannabis or alcohol to fall asleep.

The marijuana drug was used by 18% more participants to help them fall asleep compared with alcohol, which only 7 %.

Megan Patrick said using alcohol and drugs to help you sleep can have a negative impact on your ability to get to sleep or the quality of your sleep.

They appear to disrupt sleep on a long-term basis. “It is alarming that many young adults report using cannabis for sleep.”

A study in the National Library of Medicine found that sleep deprivation is common among Americans. Adults should sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night. It can cause excessive sleepiness during the day.

Screen time can interfere with the release of melatonin by the brain, which is the sleep hormone.

According to a study, people who work shifts that start early in the morning or end late at night have trouble falling asleep. They also get less sleep.

Patrick explained: “Unfortunately there’s a common misconception that drug use will help with sleep issues, when in fact it may make them worse. Sleep is essential for mental well-being and mood regulation. Cannabis is being used by young adults to help them sleep. However, this could make sleep issues worse. “They need to be aware of the risks.”

Cannabis for sleep: 

Cannabis advocates say that when cannabis is used in the correct doses and with the proper care, it can help those who struggle to fall asleep.

Cannabis’ medicinal properties have made it more popular in recent years. Michigan voters approved medical marijuana usage in 2008, and then approved recreational use by 2018.

In a 2023 National Library of Medicine study, participants using cannabis reduced or stopped taking prescription medications to aid with sleeping.

Every week, we sell thousands of packages of sleep gummies. Jerry Millen of Greenhouse Dispensary, Walled Lake said that he didn’t know how many people have sleep issues. Many seniors are unable to sleep and many young people, who have become stressed and can’t fall asleep either.

According to the study, cannabis with low THC levels, which is a psychoactive compound that produces euphoric, relaxing, or relieving effects, may help people fall asleep more easily and sleep longer.

Cannabis with a high CBD concentration, which is a nonpsychoactive cannabis cannabinoid can produce a sedative effect. A lower dose can, however, have an energizing effect.

Cannabis is helping people to get off opioids. Millen stated that people are substituting alcohol with cannabis. “If you have a vice and you want to ‘abuse’ something, I suggest you use cannabis.”

Sleep hygiene: a good way to improve your sleep 

Adults should sleep at least 7 hours per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A good night’s sleep will help you to reduce the frequency of sickness, keep a healthy body weight, decrease stress, and improve heart and metabolic health.

The CDC provides several recommendations to help you get better sleep.

• The same time each day to go to bed and wake up
• Keep your bedroom calm, relaxed, and cool.
• Switching off electronics at least 30 mins before going to bed
• Avoiding alcohol or large meals just before you go to sleep
• Avoid caffeine at mid-afternoon or in evening

This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.