Researchers at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, report that more than one in five young adults in the US use cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep. Nearly half of those who use cannabis said they sometimes relied on it for sleep, suggesting a strong link between substance use and sleep regulation during young adulthood.
Young adults often face difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. Cannabis and alcohol can aid sleep onset, yet habitual use may increase tolerance and the likelihood of dependence or disrupted sleep patterns. Earlier research has drawn attention to both the prevalence of insomnia symptoms among young adults.
In the research letter “Cannabis and Alcohol Use to Initiate Sleep Among Young Adults,” published in JAMA Pediatrics, investigators analyzed national data from the 2022–2023 Monitoring the Future Panel Study to assess how often young adults use cannabis and alcohol to initiate sleep.
Data included 1,473 participants aged 19 to 30 years drawn from cohorts first surveyed in 12th grade between 2010 and 2022. Participants reported past-year and past-month cannabis and alcohol use, including frequency categories and whether use was intended “to get to sleep.” Demographic covariates included gender identity, race and ethnicity, age, and educational status.
Findings showed that 22.4% of young adults used cannabis or alcohol to sleep. Cannabis was the most frequently used with 18.3% compared with 7.2% who used alcohol to initiate sleep.
Among those reporting cannabis use in the past year, 41.4% used it for sleep. Among those reporting alcohol use, 8.6% did so for the same reason.
Daily or near-daily cannabis use was associated with higher odds of using cannabis to get to sleep (adjusted odds ratio of 3.58 vs nondaily). Women were twice as likely as men in this group to use it for sleep reasons. Race/ethnicity, education, and age were not significantly associated with cannabis-to-sleep.
For alcohol-to-sleep, daily or near-daily alcohol use was associated with higher odds (AOR 3.31) versus nondaily, and Black vs White respondents had higher odds (AOR 3.03). Gender and other race/ethnicity groups, education, and age were not significant.
Study authors suggested that clinicians should be alert to the overlap between sleep problems and substance use among young adults. Greater screening and targeted interventions could help address related health risks.
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More information:
Megan E. Patrick et al, Cannabis and Alcohol Use to Initiate Sleep Among Young Adults, JAMA Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.3642
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