Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNicotine and SleepNicotine WithdrawalNicotine and TirednessNicotine ReplacementSleep Tips

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Nicotine and Sleep

Nicotine Withdrawal

Nicotine and Tiredness

Nicotine Replacement

Sleep Tips

Nicotine can keep you awake. This is because nicotine is a stimulant, a substance that creates a state of alertness in your body. Nicotine can also disrupt neurotransmitters that are part of the sleep process, cause cravings, and contribute to problems like snoring andsleep apnea.

This article discusses how nicotine can impact your sleep and some of the ways you may be able to sleep better.

Alyssa Langella / EyeEm / Getty Images

Young Man Smoking While Standing Against Wall On Sunny Day

How Does Nicotine Affect Your Sleep?

If you smoke, it can take between five and 25 minutes longer for you to fall asleep compared to people who don’t smoke. Nicotine can also affect the total number of minutes you spend asleep and how often you wake during the night.

Sleep problems can contribute to other long-term health concerns such as:

Nicotine is found in products like cigarettes, vapes, and chewing tobacco.

Stimulant Effects

Because nicotine is a stimulant, it also can contribute to problems falling asleep if used too close to bedtime.Stimulants make you feel alert and energetic. The effect can last for several hours.For this reason, you should avoid smoking for at least two hours before you go to bed.

Sleep Architecture Disruptions

Smoking is associated with a disruption of the circadian rhythm and the basic structure of sleep calledsleep architecture. Sleep architecture is the pattern ofsleep stagesthat occur during the night. According to a review of the literature on smoking, smoking cessation, and sleep, research shows that current smokers:

For some people whoquit smoking, these differences in sleep architecture appear to become more typical over time. It should be noted, however, that those who have never smoked seem to have better sleep quality overall.

Nicotine Cravings

When you are asleep, you may experience nicotine cravings strong enough to wake you up.Even if you don’t wake up, these cravings can increase restlessness, which can prevent you from getting restful sleep.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Research provides evidence that smoking increases the likelihood and severity of bothsnoringand sleep apnea. This is likely due to the effects of harmful chemicals and pollutants present in cigarette smoke—irritants that may contribute to swelling of the airway, especially the soft tissues lining the nose and throat. Damage to the lungs may lead to other problems and decrease oxygen levels at night.

As the tissues swell, airflow changes and the resulting vibration in sleep will cause snoring. In addition, the collapse of the airway that occurs in sleep apnea may be more likely. Even secondhand smoke may be a risk for these complications, especially in children who are exposed.

How Long Does It Take Nicotine to Leave Your Body?

Can Nicotine Make You Tired?

Some people feel tired after smoking. This can happen because smoking can reduce the amount of blood oxygen in your body and raise carbon monoxide levels, forcing your heart to work harder and contributing to fatigue.

You may also experience tiredness as a side effect of nicotine withdrawal.This happens as the nicotine levels in your body drop after you quit smoking or go for longer than usual periods of time without nicotine.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Sleep

Nicotine replacement products such as the nicotine patch or nicotine gum can be helpful when you are trying to quit. However, some people do experience side effects from these products that can include trouble sleeping, especially in the first few days of using the products and with higher doses.

Some people also report having unusual dreams when using nicotine replacement products.

How Smokers Can Sleep Better

If you smoke, vape, or use other nicotine products, the best thing you can do to improve your sleep is quit. In the meantime, you can also adopt other strategies for improving sleep:

Summary

Nicotine can prevent you from sleeping well in a few different ways. The stimulant effect can keep you awake, and it can also disrupt your sleep architecture, causing trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Nicotine may also contribute to sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnea. Nicotine replacement products may also have this effect when you first start using them.

The best way to avoid nicotine-related sleep problems is to quit smoking. In the meantime, you can take other steps to improve your sleep like avoiding nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine before bed, getting plenty of exercise during the day, and keeping your bedroom dark and quiet.

11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(2):139–148. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Nicotine.Spadola CE, Guo N, Johnson DA, et al.Evening intake of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine: night-to-night associations with sleep duration and continuity among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study.Sleep. 2019;42(11):zsz136. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz136Singh N, Wanjari A, Sinha AH.Effects of nicotine on the central nervous system and sleep quality in relation to other stimulants: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(11):e49162. doi:10.7759/cureus.49162Trenchea M, Deleanu O, Suţa M, Arghir OC.Smoking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.Pneumologia. 2013;62(1):52–55.Krishnan V, Dixon-Williams S, Thornton JD.Where there is smoke…there is sleep apnea: exploring the relationship between smoking and sleep apnea.Chest. 2014;146(6):1673–1680. doi:10.1378/chest.14-0772Jara SM, Benke JR, Lin SY, Ishman SL.The association between secondhand smoke and sleep-disordered breathing in children: a systematic review.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(1):241–247. doi:10.1002/lary.24833Benowitz NL, St Helen G, Liakoni E.Clinical pharmacology of electronic nicotine delivery systems (Ends): Implications for benefits and risks in the promotion of the combusted tobacco endgame.J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 ;61 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S18-S36. doi:10.1002/jcph.1915Heckman BW, Cummings KM, Stoltman JJK, et al.Longer duration of smoking abstinence is associated with waning cessation fatigue.Behav Res Ther. 2019;115:12-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2018.11.011National Library of Medicine.Nicotine replacement therapy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.

11 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(2):139–148. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Nicotine.Spadola CE, Guo N, Johnson DA, et al.Evening intake of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine: night-to-night associations with sleep duration and continuity among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study.Sleep. 2019;42(11):zsz136. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz136Singh N, Wanjari A, Sinha AH.Effects of nicotine on the central nervous system and sleep quality in relation to other stimulants: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(11):e49162. doi:10.7759/cureus.49162Trenchea M, Deleanu O, Suţa M, Arghir OC.Smoking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.Pneumologia. 2013;62(1):52–55.Krishnan V, Dixon-Williams S, Thornton JD.Where there is smoke…there is sleep apnea: exploring the relationship between smoking and sleep apnea.Chest. 2014;146(6):1673–1680. doi:10.1378/chest.14-0772Jara SM, Benke JR, Lin SY, Ishman SL.The association between secondhand smoke and sleep-disordered breathing in children: a systematic review.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(1):241–247. doi:10.1002/lary.24833Benowitz NL, St Helen G, Liakoni E.Clinical pharmacology of electronic nicotine delivery systems (Ends): Implications for benefits and risks in the promotion of the combusted tobacco endgame.J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 ;61 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S18-S36. doi:10.1002/jcph.1915Heckman BW, Cummings KM, Stoltman JJK, et al.Longer duration of smoking abstinence is associated with waning cessation fatigue.Behav Res Ther. 2019;115:12-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2018.11.011National Library of Medicine.Nicotine replacement therapy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(2):139–148. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Nicotine.Spadola CE, Guo N, Johnson DA, et al.Evening intake of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine: night-to-night associations with sleep duration and continuity among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study.Sleep. 2019;42(11):zsz136. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz136Singh N, Wanjari A, Sinha AH.Effects of nicotine on the central nervous system and sleep quality in relation to other stimulants: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(11):e49162. doi:10.7759/cureus.49162Trenchea M, Deleanu O, Suţa M, Arghir OC.Smoking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.Pneumologia. 2013;62(1):52–55.Krishnan V, Dixon-Williams S, Thornton JD.Where there is smoke…there is sleep apnea: exploring the relationship between smoking and sleep apnea.Chest. 2014;146(6):1673–1680. doi:10.1378/chest.14-0772Jara SM, Benke JR, Lin SY, Ishman SL.The association between secondhand smoke and sleep-disordered breathing in children: a systematic review.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(1):241–247. doi:10.1002/lary.24833Benowitz NL, St Helen G, Liakoni E.Clinical pharmacology of electronic nicotine delivery systems (Ends): Implications for benefits and risks in the promotion of the combusted tobacco endgame.J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 ;61 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S18-S36. doi:10.1002/jcph.1915Heckman BW, Cummings KM, Stoltman JJK, et al.Longer duration of smoking abstinence is associated with waning cessation fatigue.Behav Res Ther. 2019;115:12-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2018.11.011National Library of Medicine.Nicotine replacement therapy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.

Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(2):139–148. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236

National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Nicotine.

Spadola CE, Guo N, Johnson DA, et al.Evening intake of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine: night-to-night associations with sleep duration and continuity among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study.Sleep. 2019;42(11):zsz136. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz136

Singh N, Wanjari A, Sinha AH.Effects of nicotine on the central nervous system and sleep quality in relation to other stimulants: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(11):e49162. doi:10.7759/cureus.49162

Trenchea M, Deleanu O, Suţa M, Arghir OC.Smoking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.Pneumologia. 2013;62(1):52–55.

Krishnan V, Dixon-Williams S, Thornton JD.Where there is smoke…there is sleep apnea: exploring the relationship between smoking and sleep apnea.Chest. 2014;146(6):1673–1680. doi:10.1378/chest.14-0772

Jara SM, Benke JR, Lin SY, Ishman SL.The association between secondhand smoke and sleep-disordered breathing in children: a systematic review.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(1):241–247. doi:10.1002/lary.24833

Benowitz NL, St Helen G, Liakoni E.Clinical pharmacology of electronic nicotine delivery systems (Ends): Implications for benefits and risks in the promotion of the combusted tobacco endgame.J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 ;61 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S18-S36. doi:10.1002/jcph.1915

Heckman BW, Cummings KM, Stoltman JJK, et al.Longer duration of smoking abstinence is associated with waning cessation fatigue.Behav Res Ther. 2019;115:12-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2018.11.011

National Library of Medicine.Nicotine replacement therapy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.

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