The Quiet Trap of Using Cannabis to Sleep

From mindsitenews.org

By Courtney Wise

Millions rely on cannabis as a nightly sleep aid, but a neurologist warns the relief is deceptive. THC helps people fall asleep faster while delivering less restorative rest, and quitting can trigger withdrawal that mimics the original problem. Here’s what actually works for insomnia instead. 

Cannabis has quietly become a default sleep aid for millions in recent years. But as sleep and brain performance neurologist Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse warns in The Conversation, what feels like relief may actually be a slow-moving trap.

The challenge is that tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, does help people fall asleep faster — but it becomes less effective with regular use, so people need more to get the same result. In addition, falling asleep faster isn’t synonymous with sleeping well. Research has found that cannabis doesn’t consistently improve total sleep time or the restfulness of that sleep. Chronic users spend more time awake during the night and get less restorative sleep than non-users, even when they believe they’re sleeping better.

The real difficulty surfaces when chronic users try to stop. Withdrawal can bring back insomnia and disturbing dreams, alongside anxiety, depressed mood, irritability or appetite loss that can persist for weeks — luring users right back to cannabis without addressing what caused their sleep problems in the first place.

Fong-Isariyawongse is especially concerned about two groups: teens and military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Brains are still under construction until our mid-20s, she explains, and regular cannabis use can interfere with healthy brain development.  A 2021 imaging study of nearly 800 teenagers linked cannabis use to dose-dependent thinning of the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that governs judgment, decision-making and impulse control.

Moreover, veterans with PTSD who experience sleep disturbances at rates of 70% to 90% often turn to cannabis as a stop-gap while facing months-long waitlists for professional care with a Veteran’s Affairs medical centre. The trouble comes when care finally becomes available and some abruptly stop using cannabis, only to face withdrawal symptoms that closely mirror PTSD itself, including rebound insomnia, nightmares, worsening depression and in some cases suicidal thoughts. Mistaking withdrawal for relapse, many quickly return to cannabis and the cycle continues.

Credit: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

So what can people struggling with insomnia do instead? Fong-Isariyawongse’s primary recommendation is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I. It’s research-backed and works by modifying sleep habits — resetting sleep-wake timing, lowering the body’s physical arousal and gently challenging anxious beliefs about sleeplessness. Veterans are often guided through image rehearsal therapy as part of CBT-I, rewriting the ending of a recurring nightmare and consciously replaying the new, peaceful version while awake. CBT-I is highly effective, more so than any sleep medication, including cannabis. But only trained providers can offer it, and with so few available many people who would benefit never get the opportunity.

In the meantime, experts say that a few smaller steps can help, including cutting back on screens before bed, getting checked for physical sleep disruptors like sleep apnoea or GERD, building a calming wind-down ritual, reserving the bedroom for sleep or sex only, exercising in the late afternoon and skipping caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bed.

https://mindsitenews.org/2026/06/24/the-quiet-trap-of-using-cannabis-to-sleep/

The surprising foods that could be ruining your sleep — and what to eat instead

From theconversation.com

By Erica Jansen

More and more evidence shows that overall dietary patterns can affect sleep quality and contribute to insomnia

You probably already know that how you eat before bed affects your sleep. Maybe you’ve found yourself still lying awake at 2 a.m. after enjoying a cup of coffee with dessert. But did you know that your eating choices throughout the day may also affect your sleep at night?

In fact, more and more evidence shows that overall dietary patterns can affect sleep quality and contribute to insomnia.

I am a nutritional epidemiologist, and I’m trained to look at diets at the population level and how they affect health.

In the U.S., a large percentage of the population suffers from poor sleep quality and sleep disorders like insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition in which the upper airway becomes blocked and breathing stops during sleep. At the same time, most Americans eat far too much fatty and processed food, too little fibre and too few fruits and vegetables.

Although it is difficult to determine whether these two trends are causally linked to one another, more and more research points to linkages between sleep and diet and offers hints at the biological underpinnings of these relationships.

Most Americans consume far too little fibre and too few fresh fruits and vegetables. fcafotodigital/E+ via Getty Images

How diet and sleep quality can be intertwined

My colleagues and I wanted to get a deeper understanding of the possible link between sleep and diet in Americans who are 18 and older. So we analysed whether people who follow the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans get more hours of sleep.

Using a nationally representative dataset of surveys collected from 2011 to 2016, we found that people who did not adhere to dietary recommendations such as consuming enough servings of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains had shorter sleep duration.

In a separate study, we followed more than 1,000 young adults ages 21 to 30 who were enrolled in a web-based dietary intervention study designed to help them increase their daily servings of fruits and vegetables. We found that those who increased their fruit and vegetable consumption over a three-month period reported better sleep quality and reductions in insomnia symptoms.

Research conducted outside the U.S. by my group and others also shows that healthier overall dietary patterns are associated with better sleep quality and fewer insomnia symptoms. These include the Mediterranean diet – a diet rich in plant foods, olive oil and seafood, and low in red meat and added sugar – and anti-inflammatory diets.

These are similar to the Mediterranean diet but include additional emphasis on certain components in the diet like flavonoids, a group of compounds found in plants, which are shown to lower inflammatory biomakers in the blood.

Parsing the foods and nutrients

Within overall healthy diet patterns, there are numerous individual foods and nutrients that may be linked to quality of sleep, with varying degrees of evidence.

For example, studies have linked consumption of fatty fish, dairy, kiwi fruit, tart cherries and other berries such as strawberries and blueberries with better sleep. One of the common pathways through which these foods may affect sleep is by providing melatonin, an important modulator of sleep and wake cycles in the brain.

Fibre-rich foods like beans and oatmeal and certain protein sources – especially those that are high in the amino acid tryptophan, such as poultry – are also associated with higher-quality sleep. Individual nutrients that may be beneficial include magnesium, vitamin D, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and manganese. Some foods like salmon are sources of multiple nutrients.

Untangling the complexity

One important caveat with a lot of the research on individual foods, as well as diet patterns, is that most studies cannot easily disentangle the direction of the relationships.

In other words, it’s hard to know whether the association is a result of diet affecting sleep, or sleep affecting diet. The reality is that it is likely a cyclical relationship, where a healthy diet promotes good sleep quality, which in turn helps to reinforce good dietary habits.

With observational studies, there are also possible confounding factors, such as age and economic status, that may have important correlations with both sleep and diet.

Foods to avoid for sleep health

Aiming for higher intake of sleep-promoting foods isn’t necessarily enough to get better sleep. It’s also important to avoid certain foods that could be bad for sleep. Here are some of the main culprits:

• Saturated fats, such as that in burgers and fries and processed foods, could lead to less slow-wave sleep, which is considered the most restorative sleep.

• Refined carbohydrates, such as those in white bread and pasta, are metabolized quickly. If you eat these foods for dinner, they can result in waking up from hunger.

• Alcohol disrupts sleep quality. Although the sedative effects of alcohol can initially make it easier to fall asleep, it disrupts sleep patterns by shortening the amount of REM, or rapid eye movement, sleep in the first part of the night and leads to more night awakenings.

• Caffeine consumed even six hours before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep because it blocks the hormone adenosine, which promotes sleepiness.

• The consistent overconsumption of calories can lead to weight gain, one of the strongest predictors of obstructive sleep apnoea. Having excess weight is a factor because it can put additional pressure on the diaphragm and lungs, and can also lead to a narrower airway if fat accumulates around the neck and throat.

Interestingly, our group has recently shown that toxicants in food or food packaging, like pesticides, mercury and phthalates – chemicals used to manufacture plastics – can affect sleep. Since toxicants can be found in both healthy and unhealthy foods, this research suggests that some foods can contain a mix of components that are both beneficial and harmful for sleep.

Timing of meals and gender considerations

The timing and consistency of eating, known as “chrononutrition” in the sleep research field, also very likely help to explain associations between healthy diets and good sleep.

In the U.S., eating at conventional meal times as opposed to random snacking has been associated with better sleep. In addition, late-night eating is typically associated with unhealthier food intake – such as processed snacks – and could cause more fragmented sleep.

A final and very interesting piece of this puzzle is that associations between diet and sleep often differ by gender. For example, it appears that the associations between healthy diet patterns and insomnia symptoms could be stronger among women. One reason for this could be gender differences in sleep. In particular, women are more likely than men to suffer from insomnia.

Keys to a good night’s sleep

Overall, there is not one magic food or drink that will improve your sleep. It’s better to focus on overall healthy dietary patterns throughout the day, with a higher proportion of calories consumed earlier in the day.

And, in addition to avoiding caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals in the two to three hours before bed, the last few hours of the day should include other good sleep hygiene practices.

These include disengaging from technology, reducing light exposure and creating a comfortable and relaxing environment for sleep. Moreover, allowing enough time to sleep and maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake time is essential.

https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-diet-for-healthy-sleep-a-nutritional-epidemiologist-explains-what-food-choices-will-help-you-get-more-restful-zs-219955

Dr. Roach: How certain 'sleep' medications affect sleep quality and stages

From eu.detroitnews.com

Dear Dr. Roach: I have occasional difficulty when going to sleep and/or getting back to sleep. I have tried Ambien, trazodone, clonazepam and Lunesta. All have their pros and cons.

My question regards sleep quality. I know there are several stages of sleep that we should go through and that the brain cleans out junk during sleep. Do these sleep aids still allow a person to go through the needed sleep stages and also allow the brain to clean itself? Are any of these meds better or worse than the others for occasional use? — S.H. 

Dear S.H.: How much time we spend in the different stages of sleep is called sleep architecture. Just being asleep isn't enough; people need to have enough time in the different phases of sleep for optimal health.

For example, you refer to the body's waste removal system from the brain, called the glymphatic system. This system removes waste materials from the brain, including amyloid and tau proteins, and it's predominantly active in the N3 stage of non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (non-REM sleep, also called slow-wave sleep or deep sleep). You're quite right that many sleep medications affect sleep architecture, which is one major reason why many sleep experts recommend against the habitual use of sleep medications.

All the medicines you've used can affect sleep architecture. Ambien (zolpidem) and Lunesta (eszopiclone) are in the Z-drug class, which have small to moderate effects on sleep architecture with modest decreases in both REM and N3 sleep. Many people quickly become accustomed to using these drugs, but the occasional use of them presents a low risk.

Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine, which are among the worst offenders against sleep architecture due to their significant reduction in REM and N3 sleep. A reduction in REM sleep is associated with worsened heart disease and overall mortality, as well as emotional problems and dementia. I strongly recommend against the habitual use of benzodiazepines for sleep.

Trazodone actually increases N3 sleep and has no consistent effect on REM sleep, so it's commonly been recommended for sleep. Unfortunately, more recent studies have shown that some people can get used to the drug after only a few weeks, so it stops working as well. Furthermore, studies have only shown very small improvements (a few minutes' worth) in sleep duration. Many people feel very drowsy the following day, and older people are particularly at risk for falls. There are other uncommon but serious side effects, and I've mostly stopped prescribing trazodone to my patients.

Whenever possible, I avoid drugs for the treatment of insomnia. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is, at least, as effective as medication and has none of the medication-associated risks. There are free cognitive behaviourial therapy programs for insomnia (CBT-I) for mobile devices.

For people who don't do well with CBT-I or people who can't receive it, the medications that are currently considered the safest are low-dose doxepin and dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs), such as suvorexant (Belsomra). Both of these medications have minimal negative effects on sleep architecture, and they increase REM sleep. Unfortunately, DORAs are very expensive (around $500 per month, not often covered by insurance), compared to doxepin (less than $50 per month without insurance). 

https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/life/advice/2026/06/23/dr-roach-how-certain-sleep-medications-affect-sleep-quality-and-stages/90570052007/

"I'm a sleep doctor. These are the signs you have a real sleep problem"

From yahoo.com/lifestyle

I'm always tired. I try to prioritize sleep but always end up exhausted despite my best efforts. Why don't I ever feel well rested?

For millions of people, poor sleep has become so normalized that they no longer recognize it as a potential medical issue. Feeling tired all the time gets blamed on stress. Freight train snoring becomes a family joke at the dinner table. Trying not to doze off during that weekly meeting means your job is boring.

These signs all point to a possible sleep disorder. Yet, most people push through and ignore them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and sleep researchers estimate that between 50 million and 70 million Americans have an active sleep disorder, and most people don't know they do.

As a sleep specialist who primarily treats people with chronic insomnia, I can say with confidence that even common sleep disorders remain underrecognized, underdiagnosed and undertreated.

Sleep disorders deserve medical attention - and often are highly treatable. Here are the most common (there are more than 80 clinical sleep disorders, by the way), and the signs you might have one.

Insomnia

Insomnia disorder is defined as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early at least three nights per week for at least three months. It causes real impairment in daily life.

Sleep onset insomnia is the inability to fall asleep within a reasonable time frame (30 minutes) after getting into bed, while sleep maintenance insomnia involves waking up during the night and having trouble returning to sleep (for 30 minutes or more) or waking up much earlier than desired.

Insomnia can be acute, lasting days to weeks, usually triggered by an identifiable stressor and often resolving on its own, or chronic, persisting three months or longer and typically requiring intervention.

Decades of epidemiological research suggests that 10 to 15 percent of the general population meets the criteria for chronic insomnia disorder, with higher rates among women, older adults and people with co-occurring mental health conditions.

Additional signs of insomnia disorder:

• Feeling exhausted, even after a full night of sleep

• Regularly experiencing irritability, low mood, mood changes, difficulty concentrating or paying attention, or memory problems

• Dread or anxiety as bedtime approaches

• Feeling exhausted getting into bed, but the moment your head hits the pillow, you're wide awake ("tired but wired")

The gold standard treatment is cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia, also known as CBT-I, though other forms of sleep therapy as well as certain medications may also be appropriate.

Obstructive sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a medical condition in which the muscles in the throat relax during sleep, causing the airway to narrow or close entirely - which often manifests as snoring, though you don't have to snore to have OSA. As the airway collapses, breathing stops - sometimes for a few seconds, sometimes longer - until the brain partially wakes the body to restore airflow. This cycle can repeat hundreds of times a night, fragmenting sleep so often that most people wake up exhausted.

OSA is estimated to affect more than 30 million Americans. Yet, according to multiple analyses, 80 to 90 percent of OSA cases in the United States go undiagnosed every year. Women are overwhelmingly underdiagnosed because their symptoms often present differently - fatigue, mood changes, insomnia, morning headaches - compared with men, who are more likely to snore loudly or gasp/choke.

I hear this all the time from women in my practice. They didn't fit the typical OSA stereotype, and instead their symptoms were attributed to depression, thyroid problems, stress or another sleep disorder.

Additional signs of OSA:

• Waking up with a dry mouth, sore throat or headaches

• Excessive daytime sleepiness

• Waking frequently to use the bathroom during the night (known as nocturia; this happens when apnoeas strain the heart and the body releases more of a hormone that increases urination)

• Difficulty concentrating, memory problems or cognitive slowing

• Increased irritability, mood changes, anxiety or depression that don't fully resolve with treatment

• A history of chronic insomnia, particularly difficulty staying asleep

• High blood pressure or cardiac issues that are difficult to control

Sleep apnoea is often treated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy, which involves wearing a breathing machine that keeps airways open while sleeping, though other therapies and even surgery may be helpful for some. Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and avoiding alcohol use, could also help.

Restless legs syndrome

Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs (and/or arms), usually accompanied by uncomfortable sensations: crawling, tingling, pulling, aching, burning, itching or an indescribable inner restlessness.

Symptoms emerge or worsen at rest, and moving around, stretching or walking usually brings temporary relief. It is deeply uncomfortable in a way that makes staying still feel impossible and falling asleep extraordinarily challenging.

Research published in the Journal of Global Health estimates that RLS affects between 7.2 percent and 11.5 percent of the general population, though data suggests it's largely undiagnosed or not diagnosed until years after symptom onset.

Because RLS cannot be visually detected on standard tests, and the sensation is difficult to explain, it was long dismissed as psychological or simply as "growing pains."

Additional signs of RLS:

• Your bed partner complains that you kick or jerk your legs (and/or arms) repeatedly during sleep

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, mood changes, cognitive slowing and increased anxiety or depression

Anti-seizure medications and prescription-strength iron supplements may help, as can treating other health conditions and lifestyle interventions such as regular exercise, eating well, avoiding stimulants, massage, compression wear, hot/cold packs and magnesium supplementation.

Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders

Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, or CRSWDs, occur when a person's internal biological clock - which governs the timing of sleep, hormone release, body temperature and dozens of other physiological functions - is misaligned with the external environment or the person's desired sleep schedule. These are not disorders of sleep quality per se but of sleep timing.

This can result in a sleep-wake schedule that's much different from typical social norms, whether that means you can't fall asleep until extremely late at night no matter how early you try, or you get sleepy in the early evening and wake up very early in the morning.

A research review published in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology found that up to 3 percent of the adult population has a CRSWD, with rates reaching 7 to 16 percent among adolescents and young adults. The review also noted that CRSWDs are commonly misdiagnosed as other sleep disorders.

Additional signs of circadian rhythm disorders:

• You identify as an "extreme night owl" or "extreme early bird."

• When allowed to sleep freely on vacation or nonwork days, you shift to a dramatically different schedule.

• You work rotating shifts and struggle to sleep when you have the opportunity, despite feeling exhausted.

• You have been told you have insomnia, but sleep medications or standard sleep hygiene advice have not helped.

• Your "insomnia" or "fatigue" has never fully responded to treatment.

The best "treatment" is to adapt your lifestyle so you can sleep in your natural, biological sleep-wake window. When that's not possible, circadian rhythm management (e.g., microdosing melatonin, bright light therapy) or behavioural strategies, such as CBT-I, may be appropriate.

What to do if you suspect a sleep disorder

If any of the signs described above sound familiar, and especially if they've been going on for more than a few weeks, the first step is to talk to your doctor and specifically ask about sleep disorders.

Don't just say you're tired or can't sleep. Be specific: Describe when the problems occur, how long they've lasted, how they affect your daytime functioning and whether your bed partner has noticed anything unusual.

From there, your doctor may refer you to a sleep specialist (or you may need to ask directly for a referral), who can conduct a thorough sleep evaluation and, when appropriate, a sleep study. The list above is not exhaustive; other sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, are less common but can also cause excessive daytime sleepiness despite your having logged plenty of hours in bed, and require proper diagnosis and treatment.

If you've been exhausted for months or years, and standard sleep hygiene advice hasn't helped improve your sleep, you are not failing at sleep. Your sleep problems are probably not "just stress" or "just how you are," and your exhaustion is not a badge of honour. Your sleep struggles deserve more attention.

Sarah Silverman, PsyD, is a sleep psychologist and behavioural sleep medicine specialist in private practice specializing in women's sleep health and insomnia

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/im-a-sleep-doctor-these-are-the-signs-you-have-a-real-sleep-problem-100000383.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHA3vF4YQOVMyj1xbpZf7u6z3kWpDSaO133nTybQTDgxSbQSgOUOqFVDBaLy71TRJBFb5A8cLnhPhNFtMFbjBhXQwU5DY16lWfv9U_zrLNCvQOuGgbz1DmzuA4l-2l7Fh0u_N61ZCMiAHwXla1T3Z0ubtztHJqEbDQBPFbliusQk