Counting Sheep to Cannabis: What to Do When You Can’t Sleep

What should you do when you can’t sleep? Start with the habits NHLBI recommends: a cool, dark, quiet bedroom, the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends, and a relaxing routine before bed. Several of the steps below have some research behind them. Cannabis is less certain: NIH says its effect on sleep in people without other illnesses is uncertain.

Not getting enough sleep can cause many long- and short-term health problems. It can even affect your ability to drive safely, and CDC notes that getting enough sleep lowers the risk of car crashes. However, many adults fall short: in 2022 the share sleeping less than 7 hours ranged from 30% in Vermont to 46% in Hawaii, according to CDC. Our post on whether insomnia can qualify for a Florida medical card explains how the state’s law treats sleep problems.

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a set of practices and habits that support good sleep. NHLBI’s list includes being physically active, avoiding caffeine and nicotine (caffeine’s effects can last up to 8 hours), avoiding bright light from TV and computer screens in the hour before bed, and limiting naps if you have trouble falling asleep at night. If you’re practicing good sleep hygiene habits and still can’t get to sleep, you’re not alone.

With insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting good quality sleep, even when you have the time and the right setting to sleep well. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder, according to NHLBI. It becomes chronic when it happens 3 or more nights a week for more than 3 months.

Below are some tricks you can use to try to get yourself to sleep.

Get Naked

If you’re comfortable sleeping naked, then strip off those PJs and climb under the covers in your birthday suit. NHLBI advises keeping your bedroom quiet, cool and dark, so a warm room or heavy pajamas could be part of what keeps you awake.

Put on Socks

Okay, so maybe you shouldn’t get completely naked. The ideal balance is to keep your core cool and your extremities warm. A small 2018 study of six young men in a cool room found that bed socks warmed their feet and helped them fall asleep about 7.5 minutes sooner.

Use the 4-7-8 Method

Many wellness bloggers praise the “4-7-8” breathing technique, a relaxation method; NHLBI lists relaxation techniques before bed among healthy sleep habits, though the claim that it works in under a minute is unproven. Follow these steps:

1. Put the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there.
2. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
4. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
5. Exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound for a count of eight.
6. Repeat the cycle three times for a total of four.

Hide Your Clock (Or Phone)

You’re lying awake and no matter what, you can’t get to sleep. Every time you look at your clock, you mentally tell yourself “I can get x hours if I fall asleep now.” If this scenario sounds familiar, then hide your clock or your phone. In a 2007 study, people told to watch a clock while trying to fall asleep reported more pre-sleep worry and took longer to fall asleep, so put your clock out of view.

Try Mental Imagery

Is there a better option than counting sheep? A 2002 controlled study in Behaviour Research and Therapy split 41 insomniacs into three groups: one was taught to imagine an engaging scene, one was given general distraction instructions and one got no instructions. The imagery group fell asleep sooner than the no-instruction group; the study did not test counting sheep.

Reverse Psychology

Try to stay awake. This may sound counterproductive, but this technique, called paradoxical intention, led to large improvements in key insomnia symptoms against no-treatment comparisons in a 2022 review of 10 trials, though its authors say stronger studies are needed. Ever tried giving up anything? Sugar? Soda? Notice how the craving immediately kicks in when you tell yourself you can’t have something? The same happens when you try and tell yourself to stay awake.

What Research Says About Cannabis and Sleep

Many studies of cannabinoids in people with conditions such as MS, PTSD or chronic pain report better sleep, according to NIH. However, NIH says it is unclear whether cannabis improves sleep directly, and its effect on sleep in otherwise healthy people is uncertain. For some, high-THC cannabis might aggravate anxiety and keep them awake. If you are considering a cannabis strain to help you sleep, ask a physician first; strain names do not reliably predict what is in the product.

Vaporizing or smoking cannabis may lead to feeling its effects more quickly. Edibles typically take longer to show effects, and their effects can last longer than expected. Edibles can take 30 minutes to 2 hours to take effect, according to CDC.

Strains People Report Using for Sleep

• Afghan Kush: Sellers describe it as relaxing and sedating; these are user reports, and labels do not always match the product.
• Northern Lights: A long-standing strain name sold for evening use; its effect on sleep is anecdotal.
• 9lb Hammer: Marketed for pain and sleep, but if pain keeps you awake, a clinician should look at the cause; pain trials of cannabis show small effects.
• Lavender: Also sold as Lavender Kush; claims that it relieves insomnia, pain or stress come from sellers, not studies.
• Bubblegum Kush: Sold as a high-THC strain; NIDA notes that higher THC concentrations have been associated with a greater likelihood of cannabis use disorder. Its sleep effects are anecdotal.
• Romulan: Named for the Star Trek race and sold as a heavy evening strain; any sedating product means no driving until it wears off.

There are many time-honored ways of getting yourself off to dreamland when you can’t sleep. Try a few of these and keep the ones that work for you. Before incorporating cannabis into your routine, speak with a medical professional.

Last updated October 17, 2026 by the Dr. Green Relief Editorial Team.

Sources

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Healthy Sleep Habits
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Insomnia
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Sleep
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FastStats: Sleep in Adults
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cannabis and Poisoning
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know
• National Institute on Drug Abuse, Cannabis (Marijuana)
• Ko Y et al. Feet warming using bed socks and sleep quality. J Physiol Anthropol. 2018 (PubMed)
• Harvey AG et al. Distraction with imagery in insomnia. Behav Res Ther. 2002 (PubMed)
• Tang NK et al. Clock monitoring in the maintenance of insomnia. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2007 (PubMed)
• Jansson-Fröjmark M et al. Paradoxical intention for insomnia. J Sleep Res. 2022 (PubMed)
• Smith CJ et al. Phytochemical diversity of commercial Cannabis. PLoS One. 2022 (PubMed)