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Cannabis use is linked to poorer sleep and memory problems
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A study led by Francesca Filbi, PhD, of the Reward Dynamics Neuroimaging Laboratory at the University of Texas at Dallas Brain Science Center, along with a team from the University of Amsterdam, has found important links between cannabis use, sleep, and memory. The work, published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, aims to examine how sleep impacts cognitive function, especially memory, among cannabis users.
The study included 141 adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD) and 87 people who were not currently using cannabis. Users with CUD had used cannabis regularly — more than five days a week over the past year. Study participants self-reported having had sleep problems in the past week and completed several cognitive tests assessing verbal memory, visual-spatial learning abilities, and memory.
The study found that the CUD group had more sleep problems compared to those who did not use cannabis. These sleep problems were associated with worse visual-spatial memory, while verbal memory was not significantly affected by cannabis.
Tracy Brown, a psychology student at UT Dallas and lead author of the study, said, “While one of the primary motivations for using cannabis is to improve sleep, our findings suggest that long-term cannabis use actually leads to poorer sleep, which is associated with poorer memory. These findings are important for informing consumers, clinicians, and policymakers about the therapeutic benefits of cannabis use, particularly as a sleep aid.”
This study highlights the importance of sleep analysis when assessing the effects of cannabis on brain health. The results may help users and professionals better understand the potential effects of long-term cannabis use, particularly in the context of its use as a sleep aid.