Dr. Matthew Walker

The problem with THC first is that you build up a tolerance and a dependence on it, a psychological dependence. And what happens is that when you stop using THC for sleep, Not only do you go back to the bad sleep that you are having because of the dependency, you typically have a withdrawal and your sleep is even worse as a consequence.

And if you look at the number one reason why people fail in their attempted abstinence from smoking weed, it's because they can't tolerate the insomnia. So they fall off the wagon and they go right back to using again because they've built up both a physiological and a psychological dependence. So that's the first issue is just the really bad insomnia.

And if you look at the number one reason why people fail in their attempted abstinence from smoking weed, it's because they can't tolerate the insomnia. So they fall off the wagon and they go right back to using again because they've built up both a physiological and a psychological dependence. So that's the first issue is just the really bad insomnia.

And if you look at the number one reason why people fail in their attempted abstinence from smoking weed, it's because they can't tolerate the insomnia. So they fall off the wagon and they go right back to using again because they've built up both a physiological and a psychological dependence. So that's the first issue is just the really bad insomnia.

In fact, it's part of the cannabis withdrawal syndrome set of features in what we call the DSM-5, which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It's basically the psychiatrist's handbook. If you look at cannabis withdrawal syndrome, right there at the top, is insomnia.

In fact, it's part of the cannabis withdrawal syndrome set of features in what we call the DSM-5, which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It's basically the psychiatrist's handbook. If you look at cannabis withdrawal syndrome, right there at the top, is insomnia.

In fact, it's part of the cannabis withdrawal syndrome set of features in what we call the DSM-5, which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It's basically the psychiatrist's handbook. If you look at cannabis withdrawal syndrome, right there at the top, is insomnia.

And you're just feeding yourself a future event in your history of insomnia when you try to withdraw and you typically will go back. The second problem with THC is that it's very potent at blocking your REM sleep again. And we've spoken about REM sleep both as a mortality feature. REM sleep is critical for creativity, learning, and memory. It's also essential for your emotional and mental health.

And you're just feeding yourself a future event in your history of insomnia when you try to withdraw and you typically will go back. The second problem with THC is that it's very potent at blocking your REM sleep again. And we've spoken about REM sleep both as a mortality feature. REM sleep is critical for creativity, learning, and memory. It's also essential for your emotional and mental health.

And you're just feeding yourself a future event in your history of insomnia when you try to withdraw and you typically will go back. The second problem with THC is that it's very potent at blocking your REM sleep again. And we've spoken about REM sleep both as a mortality feature. REM sleep is critical for creativity, learning, and memory. It's also essential for your emotional and mental health.

But we often think of dream sleep, you know, it's such an active state that we think of it as purely for the brain. REM sleep is for the body. Men and women both release their peak levels of testosterone when you're in REM sleep. And so REM sleep is essential, but you're depriving yourself of it with THC. And a really good case in point here is that when people...

But we often think of dream sleep, you know, it's such an active state that we think of it as purely for the brain. REM sleep is for the body. Men and women both release their peak levels of testosterone when you're in REM sleep. And so REM sleep is essential, but you're depriving yourself of it with THC. And a really good case in point here is that when people...

But we often think of dream sleep, you know, it's such an active state that we think of it as purely for the brain. REM sleep is for the body. Men and women both release their peak levels of testosterone when you're in REM sleep. And so REM sleep is essential, but you're depriving yourself of it with THC. And a really good case in point here is that when people...

stop using teaching when they've been smoking weed, firstly, they'll start to say, I just don't dream or I don't remember my dreams anymore. Then all of a sudden, when they stop using it, they will say once again, like that late morning, Saturday morning with the alcohol, they will say, I'm just having these crazy dreams now. I never used to dream at all.

stop using teaching when they've been smoking weed, firstly, they'll start to say, I just don't dream or I don't remember my dreams anymore. Then all of a sudden, when they stop using it, they will say once again, like that late morning, Saturday morning with the alcohol, they will say, I'm just having these crazy dreams now. I never used to dream at all.

stop using teaching when they've been smoking weed, firstly, they'll start to say, I just don't dream or I don't remember my dreams anymore. Then all of a sudden, when they stop using it, they will say once again, like that late morning, Saturday morning with the alcohol, they will say, I'm just having these crazy dreams now. I never used to dream at all.

The reason is because the brain has built up such a chronic debt of absent REM sleep that finally when you stop smoking weed, it comes back with a vengeance because you've been trying to sort of get it, but you can't. And the roadblock is finally out the way. And boy, do you start getting REM sleep again.

The reason is because the brain has built up such a chronic debt of absent REM sleep that finally when you stop smoking weed, it comes back with a vengeance because you've been trying to sort of get it, but you can't. And the roadblock is finally out the way. And boy, do you start getting REM sleep again.

The reason is because the brain has built up such a chronic debt of absent REM sleep that finally when you stop smoking weed, it comes back with a vengeance because you've been trying to sort of get it, but you can't. And the roadblock is finally out the way. And boy, do you start getting REM sleep again.

So THC, right now, I just don't think there's good evidence for, although I'll come back to it now in one of the two ways. If you look at some of those studies, though, and you've really got to kind of dig deep into them and look at all of the ancillary, the supplemental materials in the science paper. Something funny happened when I was reading the literature.