Many people turn to a weed before bedtime, but it’s often not until one takes a T-break that many report the sudden return of vivid dreams. Does that mean that the absence of dreams is a side effect of cannabis consumption? Is that a good thing?
Cannabis and sleep
As with many cannabis-related scientific inquiries, more research is still needed, though studies indicate that cannabis, and particularly the most well-known cannabinoid, THC, shortens our time asleep during rapid eye movement sleep.
According to Dr. Ethan Russo, former Director of Research and Development of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI) based in Prague, Czech Republic, the reason many daily cannabis users claim they never remember their dreams could be because this is the stage of sleep when we dream the most.
“One of the effects of THC is to suppress REM sleep, and it is the case that people either dream less or remember less while using cannabis,” said Russo.
Reducing recall and spending less time in REM sleep might seem like a negative effect, but on the flipside: cannabis may actually be more beneficial for treating reduced dream recall.
Bad dreams can be one of the most detrimental side effects of certain disorders, such as PTSD or REM sleep behaviour disorder.
One of the most harmful side effects of disorders such as REM sleep behaviour disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can be bad dreams. Those who experience it often wake up in the middle of the night, screaming, yelling at the person next to them, or even stumbling out of bed.
Cannabis and PTSD
According to a 2014 study, one of the main reasons cannabis was used by PTSD sufferers was to get a better night’s sleep. Another 2014 study discovered that some cannabinoids are successful in treating the study subjects’ REM sleep behaviour disorder.
Although it might ease insomnia temporarily, it is probably dysfunctional in the long run.
Cannabis researcher Ryan Vandrey, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, issued a warning: although research on the plant seems promising, marijuana isn’t, at least not yet, a cure-all for long-term sleep therapy. According to Vandrey, there is strong evidence that cannabis treatment for sleep disorders tends to have short-term effects.
“People who use cannabis regularly for a long time eventually build up a tolerance to it." Therefore, even though it might provide short-term relief from insomnia, it is most likely dysfunctional in the long run”, according to Vandrey.
