Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Before Bedtime: Feasibility and Mechanistic Pilot Study on Sleep and Cardiac Autonomic Activity.
Joshua E Gonzalez, Alicia V Stewart, Jacquelin L Ellison, Omar H Ordaz, LaTroy D Robinson, Noal A Clemons, Jonathan S Emens, Sean P M Rice, Steven A Shea, Nicole P Bowles
Journal of Sleep Research August 2026 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.70298 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-blind, placebo-controlled pilot feasibility and mechanistic study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Adults with regular cannabis use (more than 3 times per week) and adults with minimal cannabis exposure (no use in the previous year and fewer than 10 lifetime exposures) |
| Intervention | Δ9-THC |
| Dose | 10 mg oral Δ9-THC |
| Duration | 2 weeks of actigraphy-verified sleep stabilisation followed by a three-night laboratory protocol (acclimatisation, placebo, and dosing nights) |
| Measures | actigraphy, polysomnography, EEG spectral power, heart rate variability (time- and frequency-domain metrics) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Heart rate variability Polysomnography Power spectral analysis |
| Key points | A single 10 mg oral dose of Δ9-THC before bedtime increased sleep latency and slow wave sleep, raised EEG spectral power across frequency bands, and attenuated delta power dissipation in the first half of the night. Δ9-THC also reduced heart rate variability across time- and frequency-domain metrics. During at-home monitoring, regular cannabis users had shorter total sleep time and greater sleep disruption than the minimal-use group. |
Abstract
Disordered sleep is a common reason individuals report using cannabis, yet the physiological effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) on sleep and autonomic regulation remain incompletely understood. Early studies reported acute sleep-promoting effects of Δ9-THC, but chronic use has been associated with disrupted sleep and possible cardiovascular risk. This feasibility and mechanistic pilot study examined the influence of acute Δ9-THC administration on sleep and cardiac parasympathetic activity in adults with and without regular cannabis use. Nine individuals with regular cannabis use (> 3× per week) and nine individuals with minimal cannabis exposure (no use within the previous year and < 10 lifetime exposures) underwent 2 weeks of actigraphy-verified sleep stabilisation before a three-night, single-blind laboratory protocol including an acclimatisation night, a placebo night, and a 10 mg oral Δ9-THC dosing night. During at-home monitoring, individuals who regularly used cannabis (permitted ad libitum cannabis use) had shorter total sleep time and greater sleep disruption than the no cannabis use group (p < 0.05). In laboratory polysomnography revealed that Δ9-THC increased sleep latency, slow wave sleep (p < 0.05), EEG spectral power across frequency bands (p < 0.05), and attenuated delta power dissipation in the first half of the night (DrugxSleephour, p < 0.05). Δ9-THC also markedly reduced heart rate variability across time- (p < 0.01) and frequency-domain (p < 0.05) metrics. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and tolerability of controlled in-laboratory Δ9-THC administration following sleep stabilisation among adults who regularly use cannabis and those with minimal exposure, and provide preliminary mechanistic evidence that acute Δ9-THC before bedtime increases cortical activation and reduces cardiac parasympathetic activity during sleep.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |