Many young adults turn to cannabis for sleep—but it may backfire
October 21, 2025
More than one in five young adults in the U.S. say they use cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep, according to new research from the University of Michigan, which warns the habit may actually worsen sleep quality over time.
By the numbers:
The study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found that 22% of Americans aged 19 to 30 reported using cannabis, alcohol, or both to help them fall asleep.
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Cannabis was by far the more common choice: 18% of respondents said they used it for sleep, compared to 7% who turned to alcohol. Among those who had used cannabis in the past year, 41% said they did so specifically to help them drift off.
What they’re saying:
“Using these substances to get to sleep can backfire because they can interfere with the ability to stay asleep and with the quality of sleep,”Megan Patrick, research professor at the Institute for Social Research and principal investigator of the MTF Panel Study, said in an online news release. “They appear to actually disrupt sleep in the long term. The fact that so many young adults reported that they use cannabis to sleep is alarming.”
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Dig deeper:
Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study analyzed data from 1,473 young adults in the U.S. and found significant gender and racial differences in how these substances are used for sleep. Women were nearly twice as likely as men to use cannabis to fall asleep, while participants identifying as another gender were more than four times as likely. The study also found that Black young adults were three times as likely as their white peers to use alcohol to help them sleep.
Big picture view:
The research is among the first nationwide studies to explore how and why young adults use substances to manage their sleep. The Monitoring the Future Panel Study follows nationally representative samples of U.S. students each year as they transition into adulthood, tracking long-term substance use trends.
Why you should care:
Because substance use and sleep problems often overlap in young adults, researchers say clinicians should take note. The findings highlight the need for better, integrated screening and treatment approaches.
The Source: The information in this story comes from new findings by the University of Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) Panel Study, a long-running national survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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