One in six Canadian adults uses cannabis for sleep, with young adults and men most likely to reach for it
In a nationally representative survey, 15.6% of Canadian adults used cannabis products for sleep in the past year, making it the third most common sleep aid after natural products and prescription medications.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 4,037 Canadian adults, insomnia prevalence was 16.3%. Sleep aids in past year: natural/OTC 28.7%, cannabis 15.6%, prescription 14.7%, alcohol 9.7%. Males more likely to use cannabis (RR 1.33) and alcohol (RR 1.67). Young adults (18-35) preferred cannabis over prescriptions.
Key Numbers
4,037 adults. Insomnia: 16.3%. Cannabis for sleep: 15.6%. Prescriptions: 14.7%. Higher insomnia in females (RR 1.24) and Indigenous peoples (RR 1.77).
How They Did This
Population-based phone interview of 4,037 stratified Canadian adults (April-October 2023) with post-stratification survey weights.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis has quietly become one of the most common sleep aids in Canada, used by more people than prescription sleep medications, largely outside of medical guidance.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis is now more commonly used for sleep than prescription medications in Canada, a shift that happened without clinical trials establishing cannabis as an evidence-based sleep treatment.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Phone interview may underrepresent certain populations. Self-reported data. Cannabis product type and dose not captured.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is cannabis effective for insomnia compared to cognitive behavioral therapy?
- ?Does long-term cannabis use for sleep lead to tolerance?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- of Canadian adults used cannabis for sleep in the past year, more than the 14.7% using prescription sleep medications
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative sample with appropriate survey weighting. Cross-sectional design limits insight into effectiveness.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication using April-October 2023 data.
- Original Title:
- Prevalence of insomnia and use of sleep aids among adults in Canada.
- Published In:
- Sleep medicine, 124, 338-345 (2024)
- Authors:
- Morin, Charles M, Vézina-Im, Lydi-Anne(2), Chen, Si-Jing, Ivers, Hans, Carney, Colleen E, Chaput, Jean-Philippe, Dang-Vu, Thien Thanh, Davidson, Judith R, Belleville, Geneviève, Lorrain, Dominique, Horn, Ojistoh, Robillard, Rébecca
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05569
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis help with sleep?
Many people report using cannabis for sleep, but this study measured use, not effectiveness. Clinical guidelines still recommend cognitive behavioral therapy as first-line insomnia treatment.
Why do young adults prefer cannabis for sleep?
Adults aged 18-35 used cannabis at higher rates than older adults, who preferred prescription medications. This may reflect generational attitudes or reluctance to seek prescriptions.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05569APA
Morin, Charles M; Vézina-Im, Lydi-Anne; Chen, Si-Jing; Ivers, Hans; Carney, Colleen E; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Dang-Vu, Thien Thanh; Davidson, Judith R; Belleville, Geneviève; Lorrain, Dominique; Horn, Ojistoh; Robillard, Rébecca. (2024). Prevalence of insomnia and use of sleep aids among adults in Canada.. Sleep medicine, 124, 338-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.09.044
MLA
Morin, Charles M, et al. "Prevalence of insomnia and use of sleep aids among adults in Canada.." Sleep medicine, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.09.044
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Prevalence of insomnia and use of sleep aids among adults in..." RTHC-05569. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/morin-2024-prevalence-of-insomnia-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.