Decoding Cannabis: Is there hope for sleep apnoea beyond the CPAP mask?

To the uninitiated, sleep apnoea is often thought of as a bit of chainsaw-esque snoring, but the true impact of this increasingly common sleep condition runs much deeper. 

It disrupts normal breathing during the night, leading to repeated oxygen drops that break up sleep. In more severe cases, people may jolt awake without realising, and over time, this can quickly lead to issues, both physical and mental.

CPAP machines (continuous positive airway pressure) are the best option for people with sleep apnoea, but many people find them uncomfortable or difficult to use. Because of this, often, a substantial subsection of these patients stop using CPAP machines altogether. This leaves them caught in a cycle of exhaustion, poor sleep, and rising stress. With this huge drop in your natural energy reserves, anxiety and depression issues can arise or resurface, and physical health can quickly decline.

For the first Decoding Cannabis blog of July, we focus on a five-year study from Minnesota’s medical cannabis programme that takes a closer look at this group. The study is an important one to dig into, not just due to the subject matter, but because it brings together real-world data from over 3,100 participants. 

What did the Minnesota medical cannabis for sleep apnoea study show?

Over five years, researchers in Minnesota followed more than 3,100 people with obstructive sleep apnoea who were enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis programme. This wasn’t a double blind, placebo-based clinical study, but that doesn't mean the results aren’t worthy of clinical attention. Instead, it observed how patients reported changes in their symptoms over a significant period.

Nearly 40% of those with moderate to severe sleep disruption saw a meaningful improvement in their sleep within four months of starting cannabis treatment, and these improvements weren’t short-lived. Most people who responded well were able to maintain those changes for at least another four months.

Fatigue was another area where patients reported progress. Around one-third of those with significant daytime tiredness reported sustained reductions in their fatigue scores. Rates of improvement in depression and anxiety were also notable, although pain symptoms appeared less responsive in this group.

It’s worth noting that these outcomes were based on self-evaluation forms patients completed before each cannabis purchase. As we mentioned, this didn't involve lab tests, but they reflect how the participants actually felt, and how those positive (or negative) therapeutic effects changed over time.

Which symptoms improved the most with cannabis use?

Somewhat unsurprisingly, since this study focused on a major sleep disorder, sleep disturbances were the most commonly reported symptom at the start of the study. Daytime fatigue was second. 

These two showed the clearest response to cannabis treatment. Among those with more severe symptoms, nearly four in ten were able to both improve and sustain better sleep. About one in three saw the same effect with fatigue.

Rates of improvement were slightly higher for those who were enrolled solely for medical cannabis treatment for sleep apnoea, without other qualifying conditions. Depression, anxiety, and loss of appetite also improved in a subset of patients, though to a lesser extent.

Let's be crystal clear here though: these findings don’t suggest cannabis is a cure for sleep apnoea. But they do indicate it may help manage some of the symptoms that make the condition harder to live with, especially when used alongside conventional approaches. 

How did sleep apnoea patients in the study take their medical cannabis?

Most patients in the Minnesota study inhaled their medical cannabis. This included dried cannabis flower and vaporised oils. Inhalation accounted for 64.2% of all products purchased. Inhaled cannabis flower and oil (both smoked and vaporised) take effect quickly, which goes some way in explaining their popularity among people trying to fall asleep more easily and quickly.

Edible products (gummies and capsules) made up 29.2% of purchases. These take longer to act, but also offer longer-lasting effects. A much smaller number of patients used oromucosal sprays, tinctures, or topical products.

In this study, the vast majority of products used were high in THC and very few patients used CBD-dominant options. Flower options, which don’t have fixed THC:CBD ratios listed in milligrams, were also mostly high-THC by dry-weight.

Overall, the group favoured medical cannabis options and THC potencies associated with fast, sedating effects. 

What can UK patients expect from medical cannabis treatment?

Before we dive in here, let’s quickly discuss the difference between medical cannabis in Minnesota and the UK. In the Minnesota study, most patients used high-THC flower products purchased directly from licensed dispensaries. These didn’t require individual prescriptions - patients could simply walk in, choose what suited them, and walk out. 

It’s a model that prioritises access but often lacks clinical structure.

Things work a little differently here in the UK. In the UK, medical cannabis is prescribed under one of the most tightly regulated frameworks in the world. 

At Releaf, every treatment plan is created and overseen by a GMC-registered specialist, reviewed by a multidisciplinary team, and supported through regular follow-ups and adjustments. You still get access to the same kinds of medical cannabis products that the study participants took (dried flower for vaporisation, full-spectrum oils, and THC vapes), but you also get a specialist doctor guiding you through what’s clinically appropriate, how to use it, and when to change course. 

So while the approach may differ, the potential benefits are comparable. And in many ways, they may even more promising here in the UK, thanks to the structure and support that prescription-based care makes possible. 

Real Releaf patients, real results with sleep

At Releaf, we routinely monitor patient outcomes. Not just for safety or clinical effectiveness, but to better understand where cannabis-based treatments are offering measurable value. Sleep is one of the most closely tracked areas.

Sleep disorders rarely exist in isolation. 

For many of our patients, sleep issues are a secondary symptom, but one that consistently chips away at their quality of life. It’s a domino effect: pain, anxiety, trauma-related hyperarousal, hormonal disruption, or neurological changes interrupt their healthy sleep schedule, which just makes their first-line symptoms worse. 

We’re lucky to have a growing number of amazing patients who’ve chosen to share their experiences with sleep, treatment, and everything in between. Some came to Releaf after years of disrupted nights and exhausting mornings. Others were looking for an alternative after finding that conventional options didn’t quite work, or weren’t tolerable long term. 

One of these patients is Matt.

After a catastrophic plane crash shattered his shoulder, Matt’s entire life changed…

“I became a pilot years ago, and my family had a plane which I would fly quite regularly without any problems. In October 2023, I was flying with my wife and my eldest son from Norfolk to Nottingham, having just finished lunch with my wife's parents. The plane malfunctioned, and we crash-landed in the trees. Thankfully, we all survived, but the crash left us all with injuries. I shattered my left shoulder, and had a lot of metal implants surgically inserted to try to piece it all back together, but I haven’t had the use of my left arm for 14 months now.

Unfortunately, after the crash, I just couldn't sleep. I was prescribed sleep medicines by my doctors, which just didn't work very well and left me feeling very groggy the next day. One of them had a side effect of making me feel sick.

Since I’ve started my treatment, I'm really pleased to say that there aren’t any side effects, which was a big concern for me at first. I don't feel high from taking medical cannabis. I never wanted to feel high from taking it, but it clearly works to relax me enough to get me through a night's sleep. In 14 months, I've had six full night's sleep without waking up at all, and four of them have been since I’ve been with Releaf.

Medical cannabis oil is nothing like being drunk on alcohol, there is absolutely no comparison. I’m completely in control. I’m not ill. There is no hangover. Most importantly, there is no sleepiness in the morning or feeling like you're two steps behind everyone else. 

I also wonder if the cannabis oil has a psychological effect. I used to worry that when I went to bed, all I was going to do was just lie there. My insomnia was kind of self-perpetuating. Now, after taking the oil, I feel relaxed and in a great state of mind. A big part of recovery is rest and relaxation, so I can build my health up, and that just wasn't happening for me.”

Kim also shared their struggles with sleep. Kim has been living with a painful spinal condition for nearly 40 years, but recently started Releaf treatments. Kim told us:

“I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis [an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause bones in the spine to fuse] when I was 19, and I’m almost 68 now, so almost forty years ago.

When I was first diagnosed, my doctors at the NHS put me on a codeine-based painkiller, which I took for a few years; it was the only treatment I’ve tried that has brought even a small amount of relief from the pain. Over time, I started to worry that I was becoming addicted, and then I read an alarming article that talked about what that drug does to your body. I learned that it can attach itself to the liver and cause damage, and obviously, I didn't want to continue taking anything like that. I asked my doctors for an alternative, and they switched me to an anti-inflammatory drug, which I have been taking for the last 10 years, even though it gives me almost no pain relief at all.

The first time I tried medical cannabis from Releaf, I couldn't believe the difference. After my first three or four puffs from the vape pen, I thought it wasn't working, but I sat in my chair for about 10 minutes and it hit me. I thought, “Oh, this is fantastic,” and I realised I wasn't feeling any pain. And, it wasn't just the lack of pain: it was a total feeling of relaxation - I just melted into my chair, and the feeling was euphoric. It was really, exceptionally good.

My sleep has also improved. My condition used to affect all the parts of my body, but over time it settled in my back and shoulders, so sleeping has always been an issue. I trained myself to not sleep on my side and to always sleep on my back so I wasn't putting any pressure on my hip, sides, and shoulders. After I vape the medical cannabis flower, I don't feel any pain when I lay on my side.

The other thing that really surprised me, was the lack of grogginess in the morning. I was expecting a hangover, and was really pleased to find out that there was none at all. I felt great in the morning. Just great. In fact, I haven’t experienced any negative side effects at all from my treatment. None.”

Is medical cannabis a natural remedy for sleep apnoea?

Medical cannabis is not a replacement for CPAP. But for patients struggling to tolerate conventional therapy, or for those still experiencing broken sleep, a medical cannabis prescription from Releaf can offer a structured way to improve rest and recovery.

It isn’t going to keep your airway open in the same way a CPAP machine will, but real-world evidence suggests it may help with related symptoms, especially trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking feeling unrested. THC, in particular, has been linked to quicker sleep onset and longer time spent in deeper sleep phases, which may help ease the overall burden of the condition.

At Releaf, this is tracked, personalised, and adjusted as needed. If your current options aren’t working, or you’re interested in alternative/complementary treatment options to help with your sleep and energy levels, head to our fast and free medical cannabis eligibility checker - it takes just 20 seconds to complete.

And if you’re eligible for an initial consultation, but treatment turns out not to be right for you, don’t worry - we have a money-back guarantee. No pressure, no hassle, just safe, regulated care that starts with clarity.