THE cannabis It can help improve sleep for some people, but worsen conditions like insomnia in others. This is what a new study points out, published in the scientific journal Addiction at the end of October.
According to researchers, for young adults with pre-existing depression or anxiety, cannabis can improve sleep and reduce insomnia. However, for people without mental health conditions, it can trigger or even worsen sleep problems.
To get to conclusionthe team of researchers used data from the University of Southern California (USC) Happiness and Health Study, which interviewed 3,300 public high school students in Los Angeles, California. In the interview, participants answered questions about substance use, social and emotional health, as well as other health factors, between 2013 and 2023.
From this data, the study compared people who use cannabis 20 or more days a month with those who never tried it. Researchers then determined how the substance affects sleep problems using a 16-point scoring system.
According to the authors, among participants who were anxious or depressed, there was an average reduction in sleep problems of 1.18 points over six months. For participants who did not have mental health problems, there was an average increase in sleep problems of 1.66 over the same period.
In interview with the British newspaper The GuardianClaire Walsh, a doctoral student in behavioral health at USC and lead author of the study, explains that she is not sure why cannabis affected people with anxiety or depression differently. One hypothesis is that THC, present in cannabis, helps mask the symptoms of these conditions, which can have an impact on sleep — however, she emphasizes that this does not mean that cannabis is treating the underlying mental health problem.
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This content was originally published in Cannabis may improve sleep for some people, but not all; understand on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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