One of the most common complaints regular smokers have about their sleep is that they never feel like they get great rest. Unfortunately, this can only make sense, considering that many studies have detailed how nicotine dependence worsens sleep. If you are a smoker and looking to improve your sleep, there are many benefits that you can enjoy once you quit smoking, both in the short and the long term.
In this article, we’ll explore how quitting smoking for better sleep can encourage better rest. First, we’ll dive into why smoking impacts sleep; then, we’ll look at the immediate effects you’ll feel once you quit smoking. We’ll also explore what to expect in the long term and some of the strategies you can use to quit smoking. Let’s uncover how smoking impacts sleep and why this is such a big deal for people to consider for their health.
How Smoking Effects Your Sleep
Nicotine is a stimulant, and like all stimulants, you can become addicted to the substance. That’s why it is hard to quit, but also why it can affect your sleep so significantly. Researchers have shown that nicotine can continue to disrupt one’s sleep, even their circadian rhythm, which can lead to poor sleep and daytime sleepiness (Source: BMC Public Health). The stimulant nature of nicotine can make you feel more alert, even if you’re ready to head to bed and you’ve had a long day.
Additionally, the number of cigarettes you smoke per day can actually have an impact on your sleep. The more you smoke, the more likely you are to encounter sleep disturbances and disorders. In fact, smoking has been associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), reduced sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and even prolonged total sleep and REM latency (Source: Journal of Clinical Medicine). Smokers are also more likely to have increased symptoms of insomnia, leading to less quality sleep and lack of sleep altogether.
So, as you can see, smoking at all—even just a few cigarettes a week—has the potential to hurt your sleep. If you quit, you might experience some major benefits, even in the short term.
The Immediate Benefits of Quitting Smoking: Withdrawals and Better Sleep
This all depends on how long you have smoked, but generally, you can start to feel immediate impacts from your smoking cessation. Unfortunately, you will undergo nicotine withdrawal, which has its own set of symptoms. The most common of these symptoms include concerns like cravings for nicotine, loss of concentration, irritability, mood changes, increased appetite, and sleep disturbances. So, in the short term, you will encounter more sleep difficulties.
But in the days that follow, as you begin to process the remaining nicotine in your system, you’ll start to feel better. You may sleep better at night, as people get better sleep as their symptoms of withdrawal become less and less over time (Source: Addictive Behaviors). You can expect to have better quality sleep and likely fewer sleep disturbances as you come out of your nicotine withdrawal, but the timing of this will differ for everyone.
If you have smoked for years, do not expect an immediate alleviation or overcoming of your withdrawal. However, in the long term, you could be preparing for some fantastic benefits that could impact your health, sleep, and other areas of your well-being.
How Quitting Smoking Can Benefit You in the Long-Term
After several weeks, months, or even up to a year after you quit smoking, you’ll begin to notice some significant changes in your sleep. Unlike before, when you were potentially addicted to the stimulant-like nature of nicotine, you’ll now experience even more improved sleep. If you suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, you can expect that this will alleviate over time as your lung health begins to improve.
You’ll also be less likely to suffer from issues like sleep fragmentation and psychological challenges, as both are common among those who are regular smokers (Source: Preventative Medicine). As one of the most common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, you’ll also likely feel more energized as you overcome every last symptom of withdrawal you experience. But there are so many other health benefits you’ll likely experience, too, including improvements to your brain health, cardiovascular health, and more.
When you quit smoking, you’ll not only sleep better and improve your health, but you’ll improve your hearing and vision, skin health, decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower your cancer risk, and help support your hormone levels, which is a vital part of your overall well-being. In the long term, you can expect your health, sleep quality, and overall quality of life to completely shift, giving you a chance to feel and look your very best!
Best Strategies to Quit Smoking for Better Sleep
If you’re ready to take the leap, you can pursue smoking cessation in a few different ways. Some people have chosen to just quit cold turkey, throwing away the box and saying goodbye forever. But for others, it’s not that simple. Here are some options that have been proven to support smoking cessation:
- CBT and Mindfulness Therapy: Therapy is an excellent option for those who want to cope with stress, the urge to smoke, and more.
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): Whether you use gum, lozenges, or nasal spray, you can use NRT as a way to stop smoking gradually to ease withdrawal symptoms.
- Lifestyle Changes: Routine changes like exercising more have been shown to help with smoking cessation when used with NRT, alleviating symptoms and encouraging better rest (Source: APA PsycNet)
How Will You Support Better Rest While Quitting Smoking?
We hope that this article helped you discover more about how smoking cessation might impact your sleep. Although the short-term potential for withdrawal symptoms can be unpleasant, you can overcome these challenges to enjoy the long-lasting health benefits of a smoke-free life, including improved cardiovascular health, better overall health, and more.
