brief
Nearly 13% of U.S. adults reported using a sleep aid most nights or every night in the past month, according to data highlighted in a new public education article from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The piece draws on 2024 CDC data to examine how widely sleep aids are used and whether they actually deliver.
The CDC figures show that 5.2% of adults used prescription sleep medications, 5.7% turned to over-the-counter products or supplements, and 3.7% used marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) to help with sleep. Despite this widespread use, 30.5% of adults still reported getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night, suggesting that sleep aids alone are not a complete solution.
The AASM article, written by Katherine Robards for SleepEducation.org, takes a closer look at one of the most popular categories: cannabis. While 33% of users reported that marijuana improved their sleep, 19% said it had no effect or made their sleep worse. The remaining 47% did not use it. The evidence is conflicting. People who believe cannabis helps often report subjective improvement, but objective measures tell a different story. Long-term cannabis use has been linked to increased wakefulness during sleep, and a pilot study found that participants who believed cannabis would help consistently overestimated how quickly they fell asleep and how long they stayed asleep, a sign that placebo effects may be inflating perceived benefits.
The article notes that placebo effects are especially relevant when it comes to sleep aids. People’s expectations can shape their perception of how well they slept, even when objective data does not match their reports. This makes self-reported sleep improvement a tricky metric when evaluating whether a product actually works.
So what does work? The AASM emphasizes that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, remains the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. Unlike sleep aids that target symptoms, CBT-I addresses the underlying thoughts and behaviors that interfere with sleep. The approach is recommended by the AASM as the preferred treatment over medication.
For those looking to improve their sleep without clinical intervention, the article outlines several foundational habits: maintain a consistent sleep schedule, keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool, limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine in the evening, and avoid screens for 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
The bottom line, according to the AASM, is that while sleep aids are common, they are not a substitute for good sleep hygiene and evidence-based treatment. Relying on pills, supplements, or cannabis without addressing the root cause of poor sleep is unlikely to solve the problem.
_Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine / SleepEducation.org_