Ever wondered what actually happens when you sleep high? If you’re one of the 16% of Americans who use cannabis or other THC products, you’re not alone. Many people turn to weed to help them catch some Z’s, but is it really the best solution? Here, we explore the effects of THC on sleep and address common questions like, “Does weed make you tired?” and “What happens if you go to sleep high?”
Let’s dive into the science and myths surrounding cannabis and sleep, shedding light on its true impact on your nightly rest.
Why Does Weed Make You Sleepy?
Now that we know people use cannabis to help with sleep, let’s dive into why it makes you sleepy in the first place. The connection between cannabis and sleep comes from cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors play a key role in generating feelings of anxiety and triggering the fight-or-flight response. When cannabinoids like THC bind to these receptors, you naturally feel more relaxed and sleepy.
According to the Sleep Foundation, when cannabinoids bind to these receptors, they send messages to increase the amount of adenosine, a chemical that promotes sleep, and suppress the brain’s arousal system. These two actions together create a sedative effect, making you feel ready for bed.
The Main Active Ingredients in Cannabis
Cannabis contains two main active ingredients that affect sleep: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
- Often responsible for the sedative effects of cannabis.
- Can stimulate some people, making it harder for them to fall asleep.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
- Promotes alertness in lower doses.
- Leads to sleepiness at higher doses.
Combination Effects
The combined effects of THC and CBD can help some people, especially those with chronic conditions, fall asleep more easily.
Differences Between Sativa and Indica
Understanding the differences between Sativa and Indica strains can help you choose the best cannabis for your sleep needs. Here’s a quick comparison:
Primary Effects
- Sativa: Energizing, promotes creativity
- Indica: Calming, promotes relaxation
Sleep Impact
- Sativa: Less effective for sleep, can boost energy
- Indica: More effective for sleep, induces tiredness
THC Content
- Sativa: Can vary, often associated with stimulation
- Indica: Can vary, often associated with sedation
Common Uses
- Sativa: Daytime use, enhancing focus and creativity
- Indica: Nighttime use, pain management, insomnia relief
User Experience
- Sativa: Increased creativity and energy
- Indica: Feelings of relaxation and tiredness
| Feature | Sativa | Indica |
|---|---|---|
|
Primary Effects |
Energizing, Promotes Creativity |
Calming, Promotes Relaxation |
|
Sleep Impact |
Less effective for sleep, can boost energy |
More effective for sleep, induces tiredness |
|
THC Content |
Can vary, often associated with stimulation |
Can vary, often associated with sedation |
|
Common Uses |
Daytime use, enhancing focus and creativity |
Nighttime use, pain management, insomnia relief |
|
User Experience |
Increased creativity and energy |
Feelings of relaxation and tiredness |
What Happens When You
Sleep High?
What Happens When You Sleep High?
When you sleep high, several changes occur in your sleep architecture, particularly affecting REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is crucial for dreaming and emotional processing.
Reduction in REM Sleep
THC can reduce the amount of time you spend in REM sleep, which can lead to fewer dreams. This reduction in REM sleep might be beneficial for individuals with PTSD, as it can decrease nightmares and night terrors. However, less REM sleep can also impact memory consolidation and emotional regulation
Increase in Deep Sleep
Cannabis use can increase the time spent in deep sleep (Stage 3 sleep). Deep sleep is vital for physical restoration and overall health. This might leave you feeling more refreshed, especially if you’re a casual user. However, this change might disrupt the overall balance of sleep stages if cannabis is used regularly
Next-Day Effects And Dependence
Regular use of cannabis for sleep can lead to tolerance, meaning you’ll need higher doses over time to achieve the same effects. This dependency can make it harder to sleep without cannabis, leading to potential sleep disturbances and withdrawal symptoms if you stop using it
Is It Safe To Sleep While High?
Many people use cannabis as a sleep aid due to its calming effects, but is it safe to sleep while high? Here are the key points to consider:
General Safety
For most people, going to sleep high is generally safe and does not lead to any severe health-threatening side effects. Cannabis can help reduce anxiety, ease chronic pain, and promote relaxation, making it easier for some people to fall asleep
Sleep Quality Concerns
Although cannabis can help you fall asleep faster, it can negatively impact the quality of your sleep. Regular use, particularly of THC-rich strains, might reduce the amount of REM sleep you get, which is crucial for cognitive functions like memory consolidation and emotional processing. Over time, this can lead to poorer overall sleep quality and leave you feeling less refreshed
Potential For Dependence
There is a risk of developing a dependency on cannabis for sleep. Regular use can lead to tolerance, meaning you’ll need higher doses to achieve the same effect, and stopping use can result in withdrawal symptoms like insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns. This dependency can make it challenging to sleep without cannabis, further complicating sleep health
Overall, while occasional use of cannabis to help with sleep is unlikely to cause significant issues, regular and heavy use can lead to problems with sleep quality and dependency.
It’s important to balance the short-term benefits with potential long-term impacts and consider consulting a healthcare provider for better sleep management strategies.
Can You Sleep Off a High?
Here’s what you need to know:
Easing Adverse Effects
Sleeping can be an effective way to manage the side effects of being too high. If you’ve consumed more THC than your body can comfortably handle, resting can help you ride out the effects more comfortably. Your body continues to metabolize THC while you sleep, and you may wake up feeling more normal.
Duration of High
The length of time THC remains active in your system varies depending on factors like the method of consumption and your personal metabolism. For example, edibles can take longer to metabolize, potentially causing you to feel high for up to 12 hours, while smoking or vaping typically results in a shorter high, lasting around 3-4 hours. Regardless, sleeping doesn’t speed up the process but allows you to avoid experiencing the high while awake
Quality of Sleep
While sleeping off a high can help you feel better when you wake up, the quality of your sleep might be affected. THC can alter sleep architecture, particularly by reducing REM sleep, which is crucial for cognitive functions like memory consolidation and emotional processing. Despite these changes, many people find that the immediate sedative effects of THC help them fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
Sleeping off a high is generally safe and can be a practical way to deal with excessive THC consumption. However, it’s important to be mindful of how cannabis affects your sleep patterns and consider adjusting your dosage or consumption method to avoid adverse effects.
Weed and REM Sleep
Cannabis use can significantly impact your sleep architecture, particularly the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage, which is essential for dreaming and cognitive functions.
Cannabis use can significantly impact your sleep architecture, particularly the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage, which is essential for dreaming and cognitive functions.
While THC decreases REM sleep, it can increase the time spent in deep sleep stages (Stage 3). Deep sleep is vital for physical restoration, healing, and immune function. Although this can leave users feeling more physically rested, the reduction in REM sleep might affect cognitive and emotional processing over time
Long-term cannabis use might disrupt the natural balance of sleep stages. Regular users may experience altered sleep patterns, which can lead to dependency, making it challenging to achieve restful sleep without cannabis. Upon cessation, users often report a “REM rebound,” characterized by vivid dreams and disturbed sleep, as the body tries to compensate for the lack of REM sleep during cannabis use
Does THC Affect Sleep Patterns?
THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, can significantly impact sleep patterns. Here’s how:
Altered Sleep Architecture
THC affects the structure of your sleep cycles. It can increase the time spent in deep sleep (Stage 3), which is crucial for physical restoration. However, it reduces the duration of REM sleep, the stage associated with dreaming and cognitive processing. This alteration can lead to fewer dreams and potentially impact memory and emotional regulation over time
Dosage-Dependent Effects
The effects of THC on sleep can vary depending on the dosage. Lower doses of THC might not significantly impact sleep quality, but higher doses are more likely to reduce REM sleep and disrupt overall sleep patterns. High doses can also increase anxiety and paranoia in some users, making it harder to fall asleep
Impact on Circadian Rhythms
Regular use of THC can affect your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep-wake cycles. This can lead to changes in sleep patterns, such as delayed sleep onset or altered sleep duration. These disruptions can make it difficult to maintain consistent and restful sleep over time
Potential for Dependency
Regular THC use can lead to tolerance and dependency. Users might find it increasingly difficult to fall asleep without cannabis, leading to potential withdrawal symptoms like insomnia and sleep disturbances when they stop using it. This dependency can perpetuate a cycle of needing more cannabis to achieve the same sleep-inducing effects
Can Weed Help with Insomnia?
Cannabis is often used by people seeking relief from insomnia and other sleep disorders. Here’s how it can help:
Sleep Onset And Maintenance
THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis, can help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep onset) and increase overall sleep duration. This is particularly beneficial for those who have trouble falling asleep due to anxiety or chronic pain. Some studies suggest that cannabis users fall asleep faster and experience longer periods of deep sleep
Reduction Of Symptoms
Cannabis, especially strains high in CBD, can alleviate symptoms that contribute to insomnia, such as anxiety, pain, and inflammation. CBD is known for its calming effects, which can help ease the mind and prepare the body for sleep without the psychoactive effects of THC
User Reports And Studies
Anecdotal evidence and some studies indicate that many people find relief from insomnia with cannabis use. A review of cannabis use among individuals with sleep disorders showed that many patients reported subjective improvements in their insomnia symptoms and a decrease in the use of prescription sleep medications
Considerations And Risks
While cannabis can be effective for short-term relief of insomnia, there are potential risks associated with long-term use. Regular use can lead to tolerance, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect, and potential dependency, making it difficult to sleep without cannabis. Additionally, the reduction in REM sleep caused by THC can impact cognitive and emotional health over time
Can Smoking Weed Make You Sleepy the Next Day?
Smoking weed or consuming other forms of cannabis can influence how you feel the next day. Here’s what you need to know:
Lingering Effects of THC
THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, can remain in your system for several hours after consumption. Depending on the dose and method of consumption, its effects can linger, potentially making you feel groggy or sleepy the next day. For example, edibles can have a prolonged effect, lasting up to 12 hours, whereas smoking might have a shorter duration, around 3-4 hours
Impact on Sleep Quality
The quality of sleep you get while high can influence how you feel the next day. THC tends to increase deep sleep (Stage 3) but reduce REM sleep, which is crucial for cognitive functions like memory and mood regulation. This imbalance might leave you feeling less refreshed and more tired when you wake up
Residual Sedation
Especially with high doses or potent strains, the sedative effects of cannabis can carry over into the next day. This residual sedation might impair your alertness and concentration, impacting your daily activities. Some users report feeling a “hangover” effect, characterized by sluggishness and fatigue
Tolerance and Dependency
Regular cannabis use can lead to tolerance, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effects, and potentially resulting in dependency. Over time, this can affect your overall sleep architecture, leading to inconsistent sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness when not using cannabis
Conclusion: Weighing the Pros and Cons
Using cannabis for sleep has both potential benefits and risks. Here’s a balanced look at the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision
Pros
- Reduced Sleep Onset Time: Cannabis, particularly THC-rich strains, can help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. This can be especially beneficial for those who struggle with sleep onset insomnia
- Improved Deep Sleep: THC can increase the duration of deep sleep (Stage 3), which is crucial for physical restoration and overall health. This might help you wake up feeling more physically refreshed
- Symptom Relief: Cannabis can alleviate symptoms that interfere with sleep, such as anxiety, pain, and inflammation. High-CBD strains are particularly effective for reducing anxiety without the psychoactive effects of THC
Cons
- Reduced REM Sleep: THC can significantly reduce REM sleep, which is vital for cognitive functions like memory consolidation and emotional regulation. Over time, this reduction can impact mental health and lead to less restful sleep
- Potential for Dependency: Regular use of cannabis for sleep can lead to tolerance and dependency, making it difficult to achieve restful sleep without it. Withdrawal symptoms can include insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns
- Next-Day Grogginess: The sedative effects of cannabis, particularly with higher doses or potent strains, can carry over into the next day, resulting in grogginess and reduced alertness
Recommendations
Consult a Healthcare Provider
It's essential to discuss cannabis use with a healthcare provider, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking other medications. They can provide guidance on the appropriate strains, dosages, and potential interactions.
Moderation and Timing
Using cannabis in moderation and timing it correctly (e.g., not too close to waking hours) can help mitigate some of the negative effects on sleep architecture and next-day functioning.
Consider Alternatives
If you find that cannabis negatively impacts your sleep quality or leads to dependency, consider other sleep aids and techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), relaxation techniques, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.
Ready to explore medical marijuana for better sleep?
Check your eligibility with Greenlight Wellness. Consult with top physicians, get tailored advice on strains and dosages, and start your journey to improved sleep quality today!
FAQs About THC and Sleep
Can smoking weed make you sleepy the next day?
Yes, smoking weed can make you sleepy the next day. THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, can linger in your system and affect your sleep architecture, leading to feelings of grogginess and reduced alertness the following day
Is it safe to sleep while high?
Generally, it is safe to sleep while high. Cannabis can help reduce anxiety and pain, promoting relaxation and sleep. However, regular use can lead to dependency and alter sleep patterns, so moderation and consultation with a healthcare provider are advised
Does THC reduce REM sleep?
Yes, THC can reduce the amount of REM sleep, which is crucial for cognitive functions like memory consolidation and emotional regulation. This reduction can lead to fewer dreams and potential long-term impacts on mental health
Can cannabis help with insomnia?
Cannabis, especially strains high in THC, can help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and increase overall sleep duration. However, regular use can lead to tolerance and dependency, which might affect sleep quality in the long term
What is the best strain of cannabis for sleep?
Indica strains are typically recommended for sleep due to their relaxing and sedative effects. Strains high in myrcene, such as Northern Lights and Bubba Kush, are particularly effective at promoting sleep
Can you sleep off a high?
Yes, sleeping can help you manage the effects of being too high. While sleep does not speed up the metabolism of THC, it allows you to avoid experiencing the high while awake. However, the quality of your sleep might be affected, especially with high doses
