New AASM Survey: 1 in 3 Americans Sleep Better With Cannabis

Millions of Americans are struggling to sleep, and more are reaching for cannabis than ever before. A brand-new national survey now puts hard numbers to the trend, and the picture it paints is more complicated than most people expect. Here is what the data found, and what sleep experts want you to know before your next bedtime dose.

What the New AASM Survey Actually Found

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine released the findings from its 2025 Sleep Prioritization Survey on June 1. The survey polled 2,007 U.S. adults and was conducted between June 5 and June 13, 2025, by Atomik Research, an independent market research agency. The margin of error fell within plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95% confidence interval.

Exactly one in three Americans, 33%, reported that cannabis helps them sleep slightly or significantly better.

But the full picture is more divided. Eleven percent said cannabis had no real impact on their sleep at all. Eight percent reported that it actually made their sleep worse. Nearly half of all respondents, 47%, said they do not use cannabis for sleep in the first place.

• 33% report sleeping slightly or significantly better with cannabis
• 11% say cannabis has no impact on their sleep
• 8% report slightly or significantly worse sleep
• 47% do not use cannabis as a sleep aid at all

Studies examining the impact of cannabis on sleep have produced conflicting results, and that conflict runs straight through this survey data too.

Men and Younger Adults Lead the Trend

The survey did not just reveal how many Americans are using cannabis for sleep. It showed who is doing it, and the differences between groups are striking.

Men were significantly more likely than women to report a sleep benefit. Thirty-nine percent of men said cannabis helps them sleep better, compared to just 28% of women. Meanwhile, 55% of women reported not using cannabis for sleep at all, compared to 39% of men.

Age paints an equally clear picture. Adults between 25 and 44 were the most likely group to report a benefit, with 45% saying cannabis improved their sleep slightly or significantly better.

At the other end of the spectrum, only 12% of adults aged 65 and older reported better sleep from cannabis use. A full 76% of seniors said they do not use it for sleep at all, the highest non-use rate of any age group in the survey.

CDC data adds even more weight to the trend. The agency found that 3.7% of U.S. adults use marijuana or a cannabis product most days or every day specifically to help them fall or stay asleep. Among adults aged 18 to 35, that number climbs to 5.5%, meaning millions of younger Americans have already made cannabis a daily bedtime ritual.

Sleep Doctors Are Raising Serious Red Flags

Dr. Kannan Ramar, past president of the AASM, did not dismiss the survey findings. But he was direct about what self-reported feelings of better sleep cannot prove on their own.

“While many states now allow the recreational and medical use of marijuana, its impact on sleep is multi-faceted.” Dr. Ramar pointed to clinical concerns that users often overlook, including increased risks of daytime sleepiness, impaired driving performance, physical dependence, and withdrawal symptoms that include, ironically, sleep disruption.

That last point catches many cannabis users completely off guard.

Sleep disturbance is frequently cited as one of the most common reasons people go back to regular cannabis use after trying to quit, creating a cycle that becomes difficult to break. Research consistently shows that abrupt cessation of heavy cannabis use can trigger irritability, anxiety, and rebound insomnia, with disrupted sleep being the hallmark of cannabis withdrawal.

The very substance someone uses to fall asleep can, over time, become the reason they cannot sleep without it.

What the Science Really Says About Cannabis and Sleep

The science here is genuinely split, and it matters to represent both sides honestly.

One systematic review did find that cannabinoids significantly improved self-reported sleep quality. A separate study published in PLOS Mental Health followed insomnia patients using cannabis-based medical products for 18 months. It found sustained improvements in sleep quality, mood, and pain management, with most participants reporting better rest and relatively mild side effects.

But the counterevidence is equally strong. A study on long-term daily cannabis use found it was associated with greater objective wakefulness during the night, meaning the brain was staying more alert than users realized.

A recent pilot study took this even further, finding that people who believed cannabis would improve their sleep overestimated how fast they fell asleep and how long they actually slept. Researchers suggest a psychological effect may be doing much of the heavy lifting in how users perceive their sleep quality.

A meta-analysis published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that cannabis formulations containing THC and CBN were associated with improved sleep quality. However, researchers cautioned that efficacy was largely driven by those specific compounds, and CBD alone did not show the same results.

On the recreational side, a 2025 systematic review of over 100 observational studies delivered a less favorable verdict. Current recreational cannabis use was linked to poorer sleep quality, more insomnia symptoms, and a delayed sleep schedule compared to non-users. Those associations were notably stronger among men and younger users, the same two groups most likely to report a benefit in the AASM survey.

What Doctors Want You to Do About Sleep Problems

The AASM is firm on its official guidance. Clinical practice guidelines from the academy name cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, known as CBT-i, as the gold standard treatment for chronic insomnia. It addresses the root causes of poor sleep without any of the dependency risks that come with substances.

Dr. Ramar’s message was direct. “Sleep is essential to health, so it is important to talk to a healthcare professional about any ongoing sleep concerns,” he said. “Sleep specialists can provide evidence-based treatments for anyone who has insomnia or another sleep disorder.”

The broader data makes this urgency very real. CDC research shows that 13% of Americans now use prescription sleep aids, over-the-counter medications, or cannabis products most days or every day. That figure is more than double the rate the CDC recorded back in 2013.

The AASM also recommends these practical steps for anyone struggling with sleep:

• Go to bed only when you feel genuinely sleepy, and wake up at the same time every morning including weekends
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortably cool
• Avoid screens and stimulants during the hour before bed
• Talk to a healthcare provider before starting any sleep aid, including cannabis

The numbers are real, and the feelings behind them are real too. One in three Americans genuinely believe cannabis is helping them sleep, and for some, there may be short-term truth to that. But the science, the doctors, and the emerging research all point in the same direction: feeling relaxed at bedtime is not the same as getting deep, restorative sleep. As cannabis access expands across the country and millions more quietly build a nightly habit around it, the conversation about what it is truly doing to long-term sleep health is one that cannot wait any longer. If you are turning to cannabis every night to sleep, the most important move you can make is a real conversation with a sleep specialist, not just another anxious night hoping for the best.

Have you tried cannabis as a sleep aid? Did it work for you, or did it start creating bigger problems over time? Share your thoughts and personal experience in the comments below.