Cigarette Smoking Causes Sleep Disturbances

Smoking and sleep problems are largely connected. The primary markers of smoking affecting sleep are – more time on light sleep, less time on deep sleep, excessive sleeping during the day and sleep-ordered breathing. Experts claim that smokers are more prone to sleeping during the day accounting for 60% as compared to non-smokers.

The difficulty in getting sleep at night is actually the result of the stimulating effects of nicotine say health experts from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Nicotine is the addictive and psychoactive chemical in tobacco that is responsible for creating incoherent sleep patterns. Researchers claim that nicotine stimulates the release of chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, all of which have been linked to wakefulness. The nicotine levels in the blood of smokers are highest during the night.

Smokers also experience severe snoring syndromes. This is contributed by frequent smoking which makes the throat swell and produce more mucus. The gurgling mucus creates the noisy snoring effect.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine revealed that smokers are four times more likely to be tired than non-smokers after a night’s sleep. Another interesting revelation from the University is that the withdrawal symptoms of smokers towards nicotine increases as night approaches.

Leave a Reply