Does Marijuana Affect REM Sleep and Lucid Dreaming?
Lucid dreaming is an awesome experience, especially if you have been trying to master it. Finally getting your first lucid dream or being able to lucid dream when you want is a great achievement. If you use marijuana, you might be wondering whether it is helping or hindering your lucid dreaming experiences.
Many people use marijuana for better sleep, relaxation, or just recreation. Like many drugs, however, it affects your sleep cycle and, specifically, REM sleep stage where most vivid dreams (and lucid dreams) occur.
In this article, we’ll break down how marijuana affects the sleep cycle, whether it hinders lucid dreams, and what happens to your dreams after you stop using it.
How Marijuana Affects the Sleep Cycle
Research on the effects of marijuana on sleep is still in the early stages. Many people say that cannabis helps them fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. However, scientific studies show that it might not be as simple as that. The effects vary depending on dosage, frequency of use, and individual factors.
One study showed that medical cannabis can improve sleep and reduce reliance on prescription sleep medication. However, the effect depends on the cannabis strain and the level of THC. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is one of the main compounds found in cannabis. It is psychoactive and responsible for that “high” feeling.
At lower doses, THC can reduce the time it takes you to fall asleep, help you sleep longer, and increase deep sleep. At higher doses, it can decrease REM sleep and REM density. CBD (cannabidiol), another key component of cannabis, has shown to have a short-term positive impact on sleep.
Another study showed that although marijuana can have sedative effects in the short term, frequent use can lead to all kinds of sleep issues. These include poor sleep quality, low sleep duration, sleep disturbances, and more.
After using marijuana for a while, the sleep improvements you experience will start to decrease. Sleep problems might come back (and get worse) with frequent use or withdrawal.
The Relationship Between REM Sleep and Lucid Dreaming
REM or rapid eye movement is a sleep stage often characterized by rapid eye movement and increased brain activity. Sleep occurs in four stages, three NREM (non-rapid eye movement), and REM, which happen in a cycle. REM is the last stage and it goes on for about 10 minutes in the first cycle, and then gets longer with each cycle. This stage helps improve cognitive functions like learning and memory. The final REM sleep can go for an hour or longer.
Vivid dreams and lucid dreams mainly occur in REM sleep because your brain is more active. The brain activity is similar to wakefulness and creates the perfect condition for dream awareness.
Since lucid dreaming happens almost exclusively in REM, anything that shortens or suppresses this stage can reduce your chances of lucid dreaming.
Does Marijuana Promote or Disrupt Lucid Dreaming?
There is no strong scientific evidence to show that marijuana directly affects lucid dreaming. Its effect is tied to how it affects the sleep cycle and, specifically, REM sleep. The results also vary depending on factors like usage patterns and strain composition.
Some reports suggest that cannabis can help you sleep better, and this can promote lucid dreams in the short term. However, research shows that in the long term, and when used frequently, marijuana can have a negative effect on sleep. One common effect is shorter REM sleep.
One particular study showed that THC significantly reduced eye movement in REM and REM duration in participants. When they stopped using THC, eye movement and REM duration increased beyond their normal baseline levels.
So while there is no evidence directly linking marijuana and lucid dreaming, consistently disrupting REM sleep may make it harder for you to lucid dream.
Marijuana Withdrawals and Lucid Dreams
We have talked about how marijuana can affect your sleep, specifically REM, and what that means for lucid dreaming. But what happens when you stop?
Sleep disturbance is one of the most common and severe symptoms of cannabis withdrawal. About 67% to 73% of people report having trouble sleeping after trying to quit. This means that, like cannabis use, cannabis withdrawal can affect the sleep-wake cycle and, in turn, lucid dreaming.
Scientific research has uncovered some interesting changes to sleep during marijuana withdrawal. In the first few days of withdrawal, the user may experience a decrease in deep sleep and an increase in REM sleep. This is the rebound effect. After those first few days, the user might start experiencing increased wake times and periodic limb movements of sleep. That initial increase in REM might seem like a good thing for lucid dreaming. However, the overall sleep disruption caused by withdrawal can severely fragment sleep.
Study also shows that the duration and frequency of marijuana use affects the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. Heavy, long-term users are more likely to have worse sleep disruptions.
Frequently Asked Questions on Marijuana and Dreams
Does Marijuana Affect Dreaming?
Yes, marijuana affects dreaming because it alters the sleep cycle, particularly REM sleep where dreaming mainly occurs. THC, the psychoactive compound of cannabis, can suppress REM causing fewer dreams.
Can You Lucid Dream While Being High?
It is not impossible to lucid dream while being high, but since marijuana reduces REM sleep, lucid dreams become less likely.
What Drug Causes Lucid Dreams?
Some drugs like galantamine, used to treat Alzheimer’s, can increase your chances of lucid dreaming and even promote dream control. Many lucid dreamers use it together with lucid dream inducing techniques like MILD.
Can Marijuana Prevent Lucid Dreams?
There is no hard evidence to show that marijuana prevents lucid dreams. But it suppresses REM sleep, where most dreaming occurs, and this can make lucid dreaming unlikely.
Does Marijuana Help or Hinder Lucid Dreams?
Marijuana’s relationship with lucid dreaming is not simple. Research on how cannabis affects sleep is still in its infancy. However, so far it has been proven that marijuana use can reduce REM sleep. Keeping in mind the fact that lucid dreaming mainly happens in REM, this means that marijuana can hinder lucid dreams.
Abruptly quitting marijuana can lead to a rebound effect, with increased REM sleep in the first few days.
All these are important things to note before taking up or quitting marijuana for the purpose of lucid dreaming. Pay attention to how your sleep cycle gets affected. This way, you can make a decision that best aligns with your lucid dreaming goals.
