A new study from the University of Michigan reveals that more than one in five young adults in the U.S. use cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep.
This finding highlights a growing trend where young people turn to substances to manage sleep problems, which could lead to long-term health risks.
Many young adults, especially those in their late teens and twenties, struggle with sleep. They may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep through the night. In the short term, alcohol and cannabis might help them fall asleep faster.
But using these substances regularly can lead to dependence, increased tolerance, and even worse sleep over time. Past research has already shown that insomnia is common in this age group.
The recent findings were published as a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers used national data from the 2022–2023 Monitoring the Future Panel Study, which followed a group of young adults ages 19 to 30. The participants had first been surveyed when they were in 12th grade between 2010 and 2022.
In this study, 1,473 young adults were asked about their cannabis and alcohol use over the past year and the past month, and whether they used these substances specifically to help them sleep.
The results were eye-opening. Overall, 22.4% of young adults said they had used either cannabis or alcohol to fall asleep. Cannabis was more commonly used, with 18.3% of participants reporting they used it to help sleep, compared to 7.2% who used alcohol.
Among those who had used cannabis in the past year, 41.4% said they had used it at least sometimes to help them sleep. For alcohol users, only 8.6% said they drank alcohol specifically to fall asleep.
The study found some patterns in who was more likely to use cannabis or alcohol for sleep. Young adults who used cannabis daily or almost daily were more likely to use it to help them sleep. Women in this group were twice as likely as men to report using cannabis for sleep. However, factors like race, education level, and age didn’t seem to make a difference.
For alcohol, frequent drinkers were more likely to use it for sleep. Interestingly, Black participants were more likely than White participants to report using alcohol for sleep. Gender, education, and age did not show significant differences in this group.
These results suggest that sleep problems and substance use are closely connected in young adults. The researchers recommend that doctors and health professionals be aware of this link. By screening for both sleep issues and substance use, they may be able to provide better support and prevent long-term problems.
As more young people face stress, anxiety, and sleep difficulties, it’s important to raise awareness about healthy ways to improve sleep—such as better sleep habits, therapy, or mindfulness—rather than turning to substances that can make things worse in the long run.
If you care about sleep, please read studies that Sleeping pill lowers key Alzheimer’s disease markers and Scientists discover the link between sleep apnea and dementia risk.
For more health information, please read studies that Common sleep supplement could improve memory and Scientists find link between short sleep and higher risk of long COVID.
The study is published in Molecular Psychiatry.
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