Research highlighted by The Washington Post points to a less visible effect of cannabis use: changes in the brain during sleep. Scientists are focusing on REM sleep, the stage most associated with dreaming, after studies suggested cannabis may suppress it.
That idea helps explain why some regular users say their dreams seem to fade or vanish over time. In the article, one longtime cannabis user said he barely noticed the absence of dreams until he stopped using it, drawing attention to how the drug may shape sleep in ways people do not immediately recognize.
The findings raise broader questions than dreaming alone. Because REM sleep has been linked to memory, emotional processing and other important brain functions, researchers are examining whether reduced REM could have effects that continue beyond the night.
At the same time, the science touches on a larger mystery: the purpose of dreams themselves. If cannabis changes how often people enter or remain in REM sleep, it could offer clues about what dreams do for the brain and why their absence matters.
