Sleep is an essential biological process. It repairs the cells, tissues, and muscles in the body, replenishes energy levels, and improves brain performance by allowing it to recover overnight. Given this, sleep deprivation and low sleep quality can lead to conditions like obesity and stroke.
Unfortunately, many people are at risk of these diseases due to sleep problems—including smokers. A Sleep Epidemiology journal study found that adult tobacco users experience disrupted sleep quality because of the changes tobacco brings to neurotransmitters in the body. For instance, smoking releases dopamine, which decreases melatonin production for sleep. Besides this, there are other ways that smoking causes sleep problems.
Here are some of them and how to quit smoking for better sleep:
Why does smoking cause sleep problems?
Apart from certain stimulants and chemicals disrupting sleep, smoking can also cause breathing problems. This can contribute to sleep apnea, a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The harmful chemicals and pollutants in cigarette smoke, such as formaldehyde and acrolein, can irritate the airways. These can inflame the nose and throat lining, making it hard to breathe and experiencing sleep apnea. As a result, smokers with sleep apnea tend to wake up frequently through the night.
Another sleep problem associated with smoking is anxiety attacks at night. Smoking can cause cardiac fibrosis, also known as heart muscle scarring. This happens when smoke harms the heart’s tissue cells and blood vessels, causing a fast or irregular heartbeat that triggers an anxiety attack. Our post on how to calm an anxiety attack at night notes how substances like nicotine in cigarettes contribute to anxiety attacks at night; while such attacks aren’t deadly, frequent occurrences prevent sufficient sleep.
Luckily, there are a few ways to quit smoking for improved sleep:
How to quit smoking for better sleep
Use tobacco cessation aids
Tobacco cessation aids are smokeless products that help a person quit tobacco use. These are tobacco-free and often contain doses of nicotine that can be consumed in lower doses to help quit smoking gradually. Some examples are nicotine pouches and lozenges.
Nicotine pouches are oral products that deliver nicotine to the body. To use one, place it between your upper lip and gum and leave it for 5-30 minutes before disposing of it. The nicotine pouches you can buy online on Prilla contain a full range of nicotine strengths. That means you can choose those with a low dose of nicotine (2mg) that won’t stimulate you too much before bed, but will still help alleviate smoking withdrawal. Aside from nicotine, pouches also only contain food-grade fillers, nicotine salts, flavorings, and artificial sweeteners, so there are no harmful chemicals that disrupt sleep. Meanwhile, nicotine lozenges are another oral delivery method used in smoking cessation, except they melt and are not disposed of. The brand Lucy’s nicotine lozenges’ flavors, like cherry ice and mint, demonstrate the variety on offer, tending to the tastes of a wide range of people. Using nicotine lozenges is effortless because they only need to dissolve in the mouth while being moved around occasionally.
Take medication to stop smoking
Aside from cessation aids, medication can support people trying to quit cigarettes by changing how their body reacts to its consumption or preventing cravings. FDA-approved smoking medicines include Varenicline and Bupropion.
Varenicline works by blocking the pleasant effects of smoking on the brain, so a person isn’t encouraged to continue the habit. It comes in a tablet and is often taken once or twice daily, depending on the prescription. Bupropion reduces cravings for cigarettes and helps prevent smoking withdrawal symptoms. This way, someone who wants to quit smoking can focus better on the task and won’t be tempted to reach for a cigarette.
Smoking disrupts sleep quality and duration. Quit smoking today using cessation aids and medication for improved sleep.
