Low-Dose Cannabis Oils Did Not Make Healthy Adults Sleepy or Change Their Sleep

Subjective sleepiness increased from 40 to 265 minutes post-dosing across all conditions (including placebo), but neither the 1:1 THC:CBD nor the 1:16 THC:CBD oil produced greater sleepiness than placebo. Night-time sleep measures (total sleep time, sleep-onset latency, awakenings) measured via actigraphy and sleep diaries during 7-day washout periods showed no significant differences between treatment and placebo conditions.

Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design with 20 healthy adult novice cannabis users. Participants received 1 mL oral oil containing THC:CBD at 1:1 or 1:16 ratios or placebo over five weekly in-lab visits. Daytime sleepiness measured by Karolinska Sleepiness Scale at 40, 135, and 265 minutes post-dosing. Night-time sleep measured by wrist actigraphy and sleep diaries.

Many people use cannabinoids for sleep, but this RCT found no sedative effect from low-dose formulations in healthy adults. This challenges the assumption that any cannabis product will improve sleep and highlights that dose, formulation, and patient population matter.

The sleep-cannabis relationship is more complex than commonly assumed. While higher-dose THC has shown sedative properties in some studies, this trial suggests that low-dose cannabinoid formulations may not meaningfully affect sleep in healthy users, which has implications for product marketing and clinical guidance.

Very small sample (N=20). Only tested low doses in healthy novice users, which may not represent typical medical cannabis patients or experienced users. Single-dose administration does not capture chronic use effects. Actigraphy has limitations compared to polysomnography.