Medical cannabis is a significantly more effective sleep aid than prescription and over-the-counter sleep remedies, according to a survey of medical cannabis patients released on Sunday. The survey of more than 1,000 people who have been using medical cannabis to help them sleep found that nearly 70% of patients reported that cannabis is a better sleep aid than prescription sleeping pills. More than nine out of 10 (91.2%) said medical cannabis was more effective than OTC sleep remedies.
The survey was conducted by Bloomwell Group GmbH, a Frankfurt, Germany-based medical cannabis company. The survey included 1,086 people who have been using cannabis to treat sleep disorders since 2023. The survey is the largest in Europe to date to study the effectiveness of medical cannabis as a sleep aid, Bloomwell reports.
The findings of the survey revealed that 95% of respondents said sleep disorders place a significant burden on their daily life and work. As a result, almost 93% have tried over-the-counter sleeping aids such as valerian or melatonin, while 83.5% have used prescription sleeping pills.
When compared to other medical sleep aids, nearly 70% of respondents reported that medical cannabis is more effective at improving sleep quality than other prescription medications, and almost 70% noted fewer side effects. Compared to over-the-counter sleep aids, 91.2% of those surveyed considered medical cannabis to be the more effective option, while only 1.7% disagreed. The survey also found that 95% of patients believe medical cannabis is a highly effective treatment for their sleep disorders. Almost 86% of respondents reported an improved quality of life, while 80% experienced reduced symptoms. Only 5.8% of respondents reported no health improvements from taking medical cannabis. Additionally, almost 42% were able to stop taking other medications.
