Effects of high dosage delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol on sleep patterns in man

Abstract

Electroencephalographic readings and eye movement were recorded in experienced marijuana users under placebo and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Four subjects were studied for 3 baseline nights, 3 nights under initial dosage of 70 mg/day, the last 3 nights of a 2-wk period of 210 mg/day, and the first 3 nights of withdrawal. Three other subjects were studied only during the latter 2 conditions. Administration of THC significantly reduced eye movement activity during sleep with rapid eye movements (REM) and, to a lesser extent, the duration of REM itself. Withdrawal led to increases above baseline in both measures but the "rebound" effect was greater for eye movement. Stage 4 sleep tended to increase on drug, but this effect was not statistically significant. On withdrawal, stage 4 sleep decreased significantly; this change was marked only on the first withdrawal night. The functional or biological significance of these changes is unclear. Nevertheless, these are the most marked effects of THC on brain electrical activity demonstrated thus far. Since its pattern of effects on sleep appears unique to THC, this drug may prove to be a valuable tool in the elucidation of the pharmacology of sleep. Possible relations between effects on sleep pattern and on behavior are discussed.

The Endocannabinoid System as an Emerging Target of Pharmacotherapy

“…Early studies documented the fact that marijuana and THC affect sleep patterns both in humans (Freemon, 1972(Freemon, , 1982Pivik et al, 1972;Barratt et al, 1974;Feinberg et al, 1975Feinberg et al, , 1976 and in experimental animals (Monti, 1977;Buonamici et al, 1982). More recently, Nicholson et al (2004) have studied the effects of cannabis extracts on nocturnal sleep, early-morning performance, memory, and sleepiness in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study in eight healthy volunteers.…”

Substance use, sleep and intervention design: insights from qualitative data

“…Furthermore, perceptions of sleep quality often do not align neatly with more objective sleep measures (Kushida et al, 2001;Lockley et al, 1999;Unruh et al, 2008). It is therefore possible for people to believe that substances are facilitating sleep when they may in fact be undermining it (or vice versa) (Arnedt et al, 2012;Feinberg et al, 1975;Morgan et al, 2006;Nicholson et al, 2004). These findings remind us that ability to change sleep (BCW condition: ''Capability'') can be affected ''physiologically'' and ''psychologically'' by pharmacology.…”

Impact of Dronabinol on Quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG) Measures of Sleep in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

“…The most consistent finding is a decrease of REM sleep following cannabinoid administration. [6][7][8] Some studies report increased stage 2 sleep with decreased stage 4 sleep, 9,10 while others report an increase in stage 4 sleep. 11 These inconsistent findings may reflect differences in agents, formulations, routes of administration, concentrations, durations of exposure, ages, populations studied, and other factors.…”