“Vivid dreams” – this is the most common response I receive when asking cannabis smokers about the withdrawal symptoms they’ve experienced.
Does marijuana affect the ability to dream? If so, in what ways?
I did a bit of online research into the matter but I couldn’t find much more than a few posts on dream forums. I decided to dig a bit deeper into the matter as this question has piqued my interest for quite some time.
Yes, smoking marijuana does affect your quality of sleep, namely it hinders your body’s ability to produce REM sleep (the stage where intense dreams usually occur). Smoking before sleep will alter your sleeping patterns, thus altering your dreams.
In 1975, Feinberg, et al. did a study on the effects of THC on REM sleep patterns in human subjects. They had this to report:
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.
As someone who has smoked cannabis before, I can attest to the findings of this study. When I sleep after smoking, I tend to have less nightmares (or at least I don’t recall them). This makes sense since many vivid dreams or nightmares occur during REM sleep.
Another thing to consider is why smokers tend to sleep longer on average. I believe that our bodies require a certain amount of REM sleep in order to feel refreshed and healthy. If you smoke before going to bed, you will probably sleep for a longer duration of time since your body could not achieve the same quality REM sleep while high. I can’t yet prove this theory but it seems plausible.
Since smoking marijuana reduces the ability to achieve REM sleep, it must also affect the ability to lucid dream.
I have had almost zero lucid dreams after smoking marijuana. I have had a couple but they’ve only been after long hours awake and lack of sleep from the previous night.
Smoking marijuana may alter short-term memory. Short-term memory is integral to recalling your dreams as your wake up. Even if you can pull of a lucid dream while stoned, you may not remember it the next day.
So as a tip, if you are trying to achieve lucid dreams then you should not smoke marijuana. At the very least, do not smoke at night.
And in no way am I condemning the smoking of marijuana. Smoke if you desire, just remember that it can screw with your ability to dream, or at least recall your dreams.
Sources: Feinberg, I., Jones, R, Walker JM, Cavness, C, March, J. (1975). Effects of high dosage delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on sleep patterns in man. Clin Parmacol Ther. 1975; 17(4):458-66.
I was a pothead for about 8 years and started having these crazy dreams as soon as i quit smoking. Funny thing is for a 28 yr old man, i wake up sometimes feeling very scared and afraid from these very vivid dreams and nightmares. Apart from a very few dreams where you are a hero, or can fly around or in an orgy etc the rest are just pants pissing scary. eg being chased by giant anacondas, arrested for being a national saboteur and terrorist, some are also recurring dreams where im always the bad guy in similar scenes (like episodes of a series)
Worst thing is that you carry all you emotions and feelings from the dream into reality. It me takes a day or two to get over them. I’ve had to start smoking again from time to time to avoid these crazy dreams.
I feel like when I quit smoking I have so many dreams it’s almost like I’m not getting any sleep at all. It feels like my mind is running all night. But when I am smoking (i have been a heavy smoker for 13 plus years). I dont have many dreams and feel like I sleep much better. That’s one reason why it has been hard to quit smoking.
I also feel like weed is a medicine for me. Before I started smoking years ago my stomach hurt all the time, I would even throw up every morning. Since I have been a regular smoker I only have the stomach pain when I don’t have the weed. Also my anxiety and irritability is definitely stabilized when using. But it is very expensive and illegal where I am from and I just can’t carry the habit anymore and I don’t want to be feeling sick everyday And not able to eat.
So I have been diagnosed with narcolepsy and have been searching for more scholarly articles relating to the possibilities of using MJ to treat N. However, there seem to be none. But I did come across this page.
You may be thinking to yourself, “why would someone who sleeps too much want to use MJ?”
The reason is precisely what this author described, the suppression of REM sleep. The reason narcoleptics are always to tired is that their sleep patterns are broken. When someone with N goes to sleep, they typically enter REM sleep within a few minutes and continue their sleep in this stage for most of the remainder of their sleep. They skip the other stages where the real restorative sleep occurs and as a result their brains are active all night. Narcoleptics suffer from frequent lucid dreams nearly all the time so in effect their brains are effectively “on” all the time. As you can imagine, this would make one very tired. Suppressing REM sleep is actually the best treatment route for narcoleptics (but most of us live on amphetamines instead).
So instead of any doctors doing research into MJ to suppress REM, they decided to start prescribing GHB (yes, the date rape drug) to achieve the same effect. Gotta live how the world works: MJ=bad, GHB=good for narcoleptics.
In any case, if anyone reading this is interested or knows of some actual studies tying the benefits of MJ and N together, please post a link. I wish I lived in a more drug liberalized state, but alas Virginia is not there yet.
I started experiencing sleep paralysis when I was a teen. I just had an episode tonight… Im smoking cannibas right now so I can sleep without the likely chance of experiencing sleep paralysis again. I usually “blaze” because I have G.I disorders but limit my cannibas intake. I am very intrigued about the idea of sp being a gateway to Lucid Dreaming… thanks for the info… never stop reading/learning
I am interested to learn more about this study, because when I was a little girl before picking up various substances I was diagnosed with Night Terrors. As I got older they only intensified. Sometimes I don’t have what is known as night terrors because sometimes I remember what is going on in the dream.
I was asleep with my boyfriend at the time about 6 months ago and he woke me up because I was punching him over and over. I was very confused and apologized and this was the first time that he had been around for a night terror. I told him when we first got together that I had them, but I hadn’t had them in a while. Meaning since I smoked at a steady rate.
I started smoking at age 13 I believe maybe 12. I did various things for about 9-10 years. Now I am in College and have decided that I am tired of always being fuzzy and I had decided to stop permanently and I needed to take a long holiday so now I am here in another Country with my now friend but ex boy friend. (The one who witnessed it first hand)
My dreams since the THC and other things have been leaving my system my dreams have been becoming more and more intense. I sometimes dream with my eyes open, but I don’t typically see what is really in front of me I see what I am dreaming usually I do wake up and focus in on what is really there, but I can’t tell you how many times I just became aware that my eyes were open and now I am awake.
Last night I had a very vivid and intense dream. I woke up again hitting my friend but this time my eyes were open and I was awake and didn’t realize what was going on until about the 3rd time I hit him. He woke up very drowsy and asked me what’s wrong because I had touched him to say I’m sorry This time I didn’t hurt him. Thank goodness. I told him I was scared but now that he was here I was saved and hugged him I proceeded to tell him my dream and he just hugged me and we went back to sleep. I proceeded to dream about my home back in America and my family was inside and I was outside there was a spider web on the door and I couldn’t get in because there was a huge black and white spider under the nob.
In my dreams even if I can’t remember them which one of them I can’t I know I must of had about 3 last night because I woke up in pain. In my dream I can actually feel pain, coolness, water touching my skin. I can feel death. It’s very scary and the doctors have never been able to tell me what causes them, but I’m starting to think that the reason I stopped having them as often is because I smoke pounds of herb through out a duration of my life.
I’ve had these types of dreams since I was born, my brother too, but he grew out of his, but I never did. Once I had probably the most terrifying dream I can remember I went to the hospital because of it they ran test’s but the only thing the doctor could say is that it wasn’t a seizure because I was awake and that it had nothing to do with my Brain Cyst. He said I just had a very bad sleep disorder, but wouldn’t tell me anything more. I woke up out of sleep and I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath, Only my eyes could shift and look around, it started at my feet they started to tingle than my fingers and it progressed up my body it was very hot the further it went up and when it reached my chest it started again. It started at my feet and I started to shake uncontrollably I couldn’t stop It and it moved up my body to my head when I stopped my body was up on the bed and my head almost dangling of the head board. My heart raced and I tried to catch my breath and I went into fetal position and looked around my roommate who I shared a room with in the Dorm was still asleep so I called my boyfriend I was very afraid that I had, had a seizure and my doctor next to the college told me to go to the bigger hospital about 30 minutes from us.
Once I was asleep at my bf’s grandma’s house and I woke up again I couldn’t move there was a pressure on my chest I tried so hard to get my bf’s attention I could only muster my right arm to beat up and down on the bed trying to wake my boyfriend and I couldn’t move it much so I did what little I could but then there was a white light I saw on the dresser a jar with water light up. I checked it the following morning and all it was, was just a jar with clear water in it. It had religious statues all around it. Once I the pressure eventually lifted and I could move again but I was shaking with tears running down my face. I quickly nuzzled into my bf next to me. He had no idea what had happened. I’m not religious or anything, however I do believe in spirits. So if you try to reply to this don’t talk about god because it’s nothing but a legend to me. I know all about it because I was raised Jehovah’s Witness so don’t try to change my mind. Just help me maybe understand these strange dreams.
As a side note however. They often occurred around my boyfriend who is now my friend because he was straight edge and did not like me smoking or what ever around him so I was always clean around him. And when I’m clean it happens.
I am a very regular smoker. I haven’t been able to achieve lucid dreaming for a while and feel that the presence of marijuana is the cause, because of this I have decided to stop. I feel that dreaming is an extremely important part of life, making up 1/3 of it. Dreams offer an insight to what you are feeling and makes you aware of things that you try to push away while your conscious. I will be creating a journal to document the differences of my dreams while not consuming any drugs etc.
Will post my results in a month or so.
I’ve been a chronic heavy pot smoker for a while. All day every day. I found out I was pregnant and quit but these dreams I’ve been having hit home emotionally. I’m getting hurt really badly or something traumatizing is happening and I can’t stop it. Ill be screaming and crying or have dreams that are downright TERRIFYING and I wake up from it still scared. I don’t want to keep smoking b I’ve enjoyed how clear my head is during the day but I need this to stop, it’s driving me crazy.
É VERDADE ESSA PORCARIA REDUZIU DRASTICAMENTE MEU DREAM RECALL E ERA UM BASEADINHO DE MÁ QUALIDADE MAS ATRAPALHOU MINHA CAPACIDADE DE SONHOS LÚCIDOS . NUMCA MAIS FUMO ESSA MERDA
I got into a several puff an evening smoking, habit over the last year or more, maybe two years, lol…I forget exactly when it started to be nightly but the last few months I was starting to realize that I was not dreaming or at least not remembering my dreams at all. I used to always enjoy my many dreams. I also felt I was getting more bags under my eyes this past year so for vanity reasons decided to test not smoking for awhile so I took my last single puff last sunday. The first few days I was waking up with headachy feeling which I read can be a side effect of going cold turkey but I have also been getting over a bad cough sinus thing so that may have also affected my headaches, I’m not sure. Now 6 days later and the headaches have stopped, and over the week my dreams have been going crazy and intense and I am now already remembering several dreams a night. I always felt dreaming was Important as a release for the brain and so if you can’t remember them then perhaps your not getting the positive effects of dreaming, I am happy to have my dreams back or remember them at least so am not sure if I will start the occasional smoking again later or not. I may take a couple puffs in a few weeks to test how smoking on an occasional basis effects them. I will let you know as I am sure other daily users who enjoyed their dreams and now can’t remember them would be curious like I was. cheers!
One of the documented effects of pot is “double consciousness”. Usually this term is used when referring to having alternate perspectives (one high, one grounded) while awake. However, in my experience it can carry over into sleep and result in some of the features that lucid dreamers experience. Here’s my own story: came home tired after working late and toked a few puffs and lay down; usual “high” ensued, but after a while I noticed I was snoring. This happened on a few subsequent evenings when I toked while tired, and then late one evening, following the same lead-in pattern, at some point after I started to snore I suddenly transitioned into a lucid dream, which was followed by a blank period when I was aware of being asleep but not dreaming; that was followed by another dream; another blank interval; and so on until dawn came along, which I noticed despite being asleep, and after a while decided to wake up, which I did. This experience is not something I was eager to repeat because the “double consciousness” sleep I experienced turned out not to be very restorative . In consequence I was spacy and tired all the following day. The good part is that I have a reasonable idea of what a night’s sleep is like once you get to the dreaming part. There is an initial part (falling asleep) which I missed by jumping right into a dream. I found out about this initial part on another occasion. If this ever happens to you really WONT want to repeat it! Turns out that normal consciousness is just a specialized sort of dream, and if one of the partners in your “double consciousness” is watching the other partner fall asleep, what he/she will be watching is the disintegration of the dream that operates your body. Of course there is an immediate “bounce back” but you can live a lifetime in that instant. As Einstein suggested, time is not actually linear. You not likely to appreciate what that means until you watch your”partner” exiting from time. This experience will change your whole view of reality! Forever! And your understanding of what “forever” means.
For the past three weeks I been having vivid dreams like never before. I use to smoke everyday for the past 4 or 5 yrs. I just stopped like 2 months. U know at first i would smoke n b ok chilled out. But now I smoke and it feels like in having a panic attacks and acid reflux real bad. But now since I stopped my dreams r intense like very intense. There not bad dreams like im not scared of anything. Just wild dreams like stuff i know would never ever happen. And its all over the place I can b running to the next minute driving. Its weird i wanted to see if me stopping my weed intake caused me to have these dreams like this and I pretty sure I found my answer. And its not a day dream because I can control n replay things n a day dream im completely under and I noticed back when I use to smoke cig n weed I would wake up during the night. Getting chopped sleep. Now I sleep all the way thru. Sometimes feeling like in not sleeping but im still awake just not walking or feeling my body.
I was an everyday all day medical mj smoker for 9 years to ease symptome of Meneire’s disease and IBS. It works for both FANTASTICALLY. I have had the same job for 27 years, and am very responsible. All good. All of a sudden, my employer decides to begin random drug testing, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a medical card carrier or not: you WILL be fired if you test positive for MJ. I quit over a month ago, IBS is back, nausea/ringing in the ears from meniere’s is back, and I’m having several TERRIBLE nightmares every night. Thank you, Corporate America. We really need to change the laws concerning this wonder drug, and FAST. C’mon, you conservative politicians, you all have tried this drug by now and know what it does…. Come and join the rest of us in the 21st century.
I have been a chronic pot smoker for 33 years, I stopped smoking 54 days ago, my brother stopped about 90 days ago, he asked me the other day if I had dreams? He said he’s been having a lot of dreams since quitting. Today my dreams started. Very bad dream, so real, hit home hard, woke up crying … That was the scariest dream I have ever had in my life…. Please help
In my personal experience, smoking weed made me have a lot of deja vu, and now that I haven’t been getting high as much as I did it’s definitely not as frequent. I would have dreams and weeks later I would find myself in that exact moment. Every thing was something I dreamed before down to every detail. I would go through periods were I felt deja vu everyday or throughout the entire day. Trippiest thing ever.
I even have dreams that are so real I can’t tell they are a dream, and I think “I’ve been here before; I’ve dreamed this before” then I’ll actually experience that moment in my waking reality and think the same thing. When that happens I feel as if that moment is infinite, like the present, past and future are one loop. This has only happened twice, both occurring near bodies of water ( which may be only a coincidence). I don’t remember these dreams after I wake up, but when it happens the second time I just know I dreamed it before because the reality was extremely familiar .
Maybe after smoking weed you can’t enter the stage of REM, but instead your mind enters a different state where you can explore future realitys. (Just an idea)
Everybody is informed about the spiritual world in the ratio of his
belief. Dream research has never been so progressive and timely as it
is now. If some bad event made him depressed, say something like,
“What happened must have been really tough.
light smoker for years not recalling having any dreams , stopped smoking a few hits at night 4 days ago .
and now having 3 to 4 different regular not lucid dreams per night with alot of recall .
these dreams are all jumbled up not making any sense.
i have had different persons over the last few years say that i looked tired because of bags under my eyes .
i wish i could find a way of having dreams and restful sleep but keep smoking on a light basis , i don’t like smoking during the day , the earliest is 2 to 3 pm .
usually start 6pm .
I was looking for info on having vivid dreams from smoking weed before bed. I have smoked for 5 years almost always before bed and have certainly experienced Lucid dreams including last night. Not sure if weed hinders that ability at all..
I also smoked a lot for a long time 15+ years on and off now haven’t for about 4 years but now on anti depressants didn’t dream much when smoking like some have said slept well though. Now I dream allot but can’t really sleep for long periods at a time, I’ll wake at least 3 times a day. I think it’s wrong to say we need to dream to b rested as I was much more rested when on weed and also able to tolerate u tolerable people. My advice is obvious ,smoke weed everyday , i think it’s time 4 me too
When I was in graduate school, I enjoyed some red-veined marijuana with 1-2 (can’t any longer remember) friends who awoke the next morning raving about vivid, lucid dreams. There is far more in marijuana than THC.
Okay I don’t feel like I’m going crazy anymore
I was a long time pot smoker
I quit smoking to get another job
It’s been 2 months and now my F-ING DREAMS sometimes NIGHTHMARES are waking me up frequently, while I’m desperately trying to solve the problems in the dreams.
It takes a few seconds after waking up and opening my eyes, when I see where I am
that I stop freaking out
WTF
I ALMOST WANT TO START SMOKING AGAIN and just get a lower paying job that doesn’t care
Only way I make it stop is to indulge in lots of to sleep for 6-8 hours and I sick of drinking, don’t take pills
Any suggestions would be appreciated
I have smoked pot since I was 18 and then when I got out of the navy in 1982. I am now 66 and smoke in on then off for a period. However, when I do not smoke it, my dreams are very lucid and frightening, gory and scary. When I do smoke it I do not have these bad dreams. That is what I like about weed, somehow it seems to relax the syntax during sleep and I wake up still refreshed. This is the only way I can keep from having horrible dreams, so I am in a tail spin and not still smoking presently, as I tend to do it more and more as time marches on. Thoughts about this???? Thanks.