Study Shows That Cannabinol, or 'Sleepy Weed,' Might Be Able to Help You Fall Asleep at Night

If you live in the United States, then you’ve probably heard a lot about the legalization of marijauna for both recreational and medicinal purposes. As of right now, 24 different states have legalized marijuana, and Nebraska recently voted to legalize marijuana across the state in the 2024 election.

Despite your thoughts and feelings about the legalization of recreational uses of marijuana, many states allow the use of marijuana for treatment of conditions like Alzheimer’s, ALS, Chron’s Disease, Epilepsy, Seizures, PTSD, chronic pain, and more. (1)

Additionally, depending on your state and local regulations surrounding cannabis and cannabis compound prodcuts, you might’ve seen different cannabis based sleep aids out there on the market, often containing THC or CBD. It’s safe to say that these sleep aids have only grown in popularity over the past few years.

Recently, a study came out showing that a lesser known part of cannabis, a compound called cannabinol (CBN) was shown to potentially be an effective, and safer, sedative than traditional options like Ambien. (2)

Read on if you’re curious to find out more about how CBN’s can affect your sleep, and what experts have to say about them.

How Did The Study Find That Cannabinol Affects Sleep?

The study, which was published in Neuropsychopharmacology sought out to conduct further research on the effects of CBN’s on sleep using polysomnography, which is basically a test that measures important bodily functions while you sleep (think brain waves, breathing, etc).

Researchers found that when rats were given specific doses of CBN, the “CBN increased total sleep time, although there was evidence of biphasic effects with initial sleep suppression before a dramatic increase in sleep. CBN increased both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.” (2)

Additionally, researchers found that CBNs behaved similarly to the drug zolpidem, which is sold under the common brand-name, Ambien. However, unlike zolpidem, CBNs were able to affect rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep. (2)

These studies are interesting, and open more doors for research on alternatives to sedatives like zolpidem, researchers emphasize there is still more research to be done before CBN’s are considered a perfect alternative to other sedatives.

This all being said – a trail like this one has yet to be conducted on humans, specifically humans who experience sleep disorders like insomnia or so while this evidence

Will Using Marijuana Help Me Sleep Better?

At the end of the day, it really seems like whether or not using marijuana will help you sleep better depends on your unique relationship with the drug.

One thing that is important to remember, is that the study that showed promise regarding CBN’s impact on sleep specifically tested a concentration of CBN that was ingested, not the use of marijuana via inhalation or ingestion. (2)

One qualitative study has shown that the drug has promise when it comes to helping people sleep, while others found that using the drug in fact hurt their sleep. The study found that “the utilization of cannabis showed improved sleep (21%), worse sleep (48%), mixed results (14%), or no impact at all (17%) in the studies published in the last 5 decades.” (3)

At the end of the day, more research is needed to determine whether or not marijuana, CBNs, or other cannabis compounds actually help you sleep better. If you live in a state where these products are legal and wish to use marijuana or other cannabis compound sleep aids, you should consult your doctor before doing so.

Medical marijana. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/medical-marijuana/art-20137855
Arnold, Jonathan C., Occelli Hanbury-Brown, Cassandra V., Anderson, Lyndsey L., et al. A sleepy cannabis constituent: cannabinol and its active metabolite influence sleep architecture in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-024-02018-7
Amaral, Caio, Carvalho, Carolina, Scaranelo, Anabel, et al. Cannabis and sleep disorders: not ready for prime time? A qualitative scoping review. JCSM. 2023. DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.10428