Sleep Aid Comparison Chart: Cannabis and Pills
Diagram & reference
A visual reference. The evidence, sources and clinical interpretation are in the linked article.
A visual reference. The evidence, sources and clinical interpretation are in the linked article.
| Sleep aid | Common side effects | Dependence risk | Onset | Duration | Effect on sleep stages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis (THC) | Dry mouth, dizziness, next-day grogginess | Possible with regular use (cannabis use disorder) | Minutes inhaled; 30 to 120 minutes eaten | 2 to 6 hours inhaled; longer eaten | Shortens time to sleep; suppresses REM; vivid dreams and poor sleep for a while after stopping regular use |
| Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) | Drowsiness, cognitive impairment, dry mouth | Low | 15 to 60 minutes | 4 to 6 hours | Reduces sleep quality; next-day impairment |
| Zolpidem (Ambien) | Sleepwalking, complex sleep behaviors, dizziness | Moderate to high | 15 to 30 minutes | 6 to 8 hours | Moderate disruption |
| Alprazolam, lorazepam (Xanax, Ativan) | Tolerance, dependence, withdrawal | High | 30 to 60 minutes | 4 to 8 hours | Suppresses deep sleep |
| Trazodone | Dizziness, headache, nausea | Low | 30 to 60 minutes | 5 to 7 hours | Minimal disruption |
| Melatonin | Headache, dizziness, nausea | Very low | 30 to 60 minutes | 4 to 5 hours | Minimal disruption |
About this diagram
A side by side table of six common sleep aids, cannabis among them, across five measures: common side effects, dependence risk, how quickly each starts working, how long it lasts, and its effect on sleep stages. Read across a row to see one option’s tradeoffs. The values are typical rather than exact, and the evidence behind them is weighed in the article linked below.
The evidence behind it
Read the evidence: what sleep medicine guidelines say about cannabis and about the pills it gets compared to
That article carries the cited studies, the limits of the evidence, and the clinical interpretation.
That article carries the cited studies, the limits of the evidence, and the clinical interpretation.