Smoking Cigarettes and Sleep

Smoking may cause sleep problems and insomnia

Just like caffeine, nicotine is a stimulant. It can keep you awake and interrupt your sleep.

Smokers have difficulties sleeping because nicotine raises blood pressure, speeds up heart rate and stimulates brain activity. Smokers also wake up more often in the middle of the night, because they experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms. So, if your habit is to light up a cigarette when you unable to sleep, you may have to get rid of it.

If you are a smoker, deciding to quit may not only help with your insomnia, but it can also help with other health problems, and you will live longer.

Taking mineral and vitamin supplements (in particular Calcium, Magnesium and vitamins B and C), as well as having a supply of chewing gum, carrots, pop corn and other snacks can ease the tension and help you through the first rough days. And stay away from smokers. Pledge to yourself to avoid smoking the first hour after waking up and after meals.

Quit smoking! It will help to cure your insomnia

You will need to stop smoking for a month to see whether smoking have effects on your insomnia. The first few days the nicotine withdrawal symptoms can make your sleep worse. Don't make your decision about the sleep effects of not smoking until you have done it for at least a month.

I was a smoker. Here is how I quit:
One day, I got quite sick, having some sort of flu that caused my throat to feel quite painful. As a smoker, I even suspected a throat cancer or some related serious complication. Because I felt so bad, I didn't really want to smoke that much at that time, so I didn't smoke for a day. Then, I thought, if I can go for entire day without smoking, I should be able to go through another day as well. So I managed the second day without smoking. After that, one more day... Almost a week later, my flu was going away, and I started to feel better. I realized that I had managed not to smoke for a whole week! So, what about one more day? To wrap up the story, it was hard for the first couple of weeks. Eventually, the nicotine withdrawal symptoms became weaker until I didn't feel them much after a month or so.