Strains for feeling sleepy
Drowsiness reported with many myrcene-dominant indica strains, especially in the evening.
Based on what consumers report, not clinical evidence. The same strain can feel different depending on dose, tolerance, setting and batch.
Strongly reported · 6
Sorted by popularity in the guide
indicaSleepy · strongNorthern Lights
Afghani × Thai (reported; the original cross is undocumented)
THC16–21%Myrcene · Beta-Caryophyllene · Limonene
- Sleepy
- Relaxed
- Hungry
hybridSleepy · strongGranddaddy Purple
Disputed: most often listed as Purple Urkle × Big Bud; Ken Estes has described it as Mendo Purps × Skunk × Afghani
THC17–23%Myrcene · Alpha-Pinene · Beta-Caryophyllene
- Sleepy
- Relaxed
- Hungry
indicaSleepy · strongAfghan Kush
Afghan landrace indica from the Hindu Kush range (selected seed lines rather than a single cross)
THC15–21%Myrcene · Beta-Caryophyllene · Alpha-Pinene
- Sleepy
- Hungry
- Relaxed
indicaSleepy · strongHindu Kush
Pure indica landrace from the Hindu Kush mountains, maintained as an inbred seed line
THC18–20%Limonene · Beta-Caryophyllene · Alpha-Pinene
- Sleepy
- Relaxed
- Hungry
- hybridSleepy · strong
Blueberry
(Purple Thai / Highland Thai) × Afghani, per DJ Short's account; Dutch Passion describes Afghani indica with Thai and a small share of Oaxacan sativa
THC16–24%Myrcene · Beta-Caryophyllene · Alpha-Pinene
- Sleepy
- Relaxed
- Happy
hybridSleepy · strongBubba Kush
OG Kush × an unknown indica known as "Bubba" (reportedly a Northern Lights–type plant), per the account attributed to Matt "Bubba" Berger
THC15–22%Beta-Caryophyllene · Limonene · Myrcene
- Sleepy
- Relaxed
- Hungry
About “sleepy”
When 25 healthy volunteers received THC intravenously in a 2024 trial (Kleine-Brueggeney et al., BMC Psychiatry), sleepiness outlasted every other rated effect: most faded within about two hours, sleepiness lingered for up to six. Intravenous dosing is not how anyone buys cannabis, but it shows sedation can come from THC itself before terpenes enter the argument.
Myrcene, the usual suspect
The "couch-lock" line traces to Ethan Russo's 2011 hypothesis that myrcene could add to THC's sedation. Verdex profiles rate 16 strains as strongly sleepy, among them Northern Lights and Granddaddy Purple. Myrcene dominates eight of them, caryophyllene four, limonene two and pinene two, so a myrcene rule would explain about half.
Sleepy is not the same as sleep
The STEM Project, run by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Oregon Health & Science University, called the evidence for cannabis as a sleep aid very preliminary in a February 2023 brief:
- People report falling asleep more easily, yet objective monitoring suggests time to fall asleep and night waking generally increase with use.
- After stopping regular use, sleep disturbance starts within a day, peaks on day two and lasts about two weeks.
- Clear evidence on which product types help is lacking.
Combining cannabis with alcohol brings risks of its own, laid out in the mixing guide.