What’s sleep got to do with cannabis use? A whole lot.Many teens and young adults with ADHD turn to cannabis to help them sleep, an unsurprising motivator given the extraordinarily high prevalence of sleep problems and disturbances associated with ADHD, from sleep apnea and insomnia to delayed sleep phase disorder and more.1In the short term, cannabis can help with sleep.
But frequent cannabis use builds up tolerance; more and more of it is required to exert the same effect on sleep. Ultimately, chronic cannabis use only worsens sleep and feeds a vicious cycle.2 Poor sleep increases cravings for cannabis3 and dampens the cognitive resources that allow an individual to resist cravings, make better choices, and curb impulsivity.
Insomnia, a common symptom of cannabis withdrawal, can drive further cannabis use.Another potential outcome of chronic cannabis use?
Dependence. Youth with ADHD — a group that may be far more likely to use cannabis daily to try to get some shut-eye because of condition-related sleep issues — are at greater risk for developing cannabis use disorder compared to neurotypical peers.4[Take This Self-Test: Symptoms of Substance Use Disorder]So what can be done?