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Chapter 31 - Snoozing on Pot: Cannabis and Sleep

from Part VIII - Special Topics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2023

By
Patrick D. Skosnik  and
Toral S. Surti
Edited by
Deepak Cyril D'Souza ,
David Castle  and
Sir Robin Murray
Deepak Cyril D'Souza
Affiliation:
Staff Psychiatrist, VA Connecticut Healthcare System; Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
David Castle
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Sir Robin Murray
Affiliation:
Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychosis Service at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust; Professor of Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry
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Summary

Sleep is a vital biological process, serving an important role in proper neurodevelopment, energy conservation, brain waste clearance, modulation of immune responses, neurocognition, mood, memory consolidation and performance/vigilance. Many of these processes are altered in psychiatric illnesses. There is mounting evidence that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a key role in the sleep/wake cycle. Acute administration and chronic use of THC and cannabis have been shown to alter sleep in small studies of healthy, young people. Sleep disturbances are also part of cannabis withdrawal syndrome and include increased sleep complaints, decreased SWS and increased REM. Sleep disturbances are a promising target for treatment of cannabis use disorder. Given the link between cannabinoids and psychosis, the role of cannabis-induced sleep alterations in psychosis-prone individuals and schizophrenia patients warrants further study.

Keywords

cannabiscannabinoidsendocannabinoid systemtolerancewthdrawalsleepinsomniapolysomnographyslow wave sleeprapid eye movements
Type
Chapter
Information
Marijuana and Madness , pp. 333 - 345
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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