Switching from smoking to vaping is one of the most sensible things you can do for your health. Smoking causes well-documented health issues and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is a leading cause of premature death. This is just one of the many reasons that have led many smokers to throw away their tobacco in favour of flavoursome e liquids. It takes time to get your head around the vaping lingo and so on, and there are bound to be questions that you need answering. One we hear a lot is whether vaping and sleep issues are related. We look at this in further detail.
Yes, Nicotine-filled E Liquids Can Affect Sleep
This title doesn’t provide a cut and dried answer. There is more to consider. For example, did you have troubles with sleep before vaping? If the answer is yes, then vaping or vaping alone is unlikely to be the answer. We need to think about nicotine for a minute. Nicotine is a stimulant and as we know stimulants can affect sleep. Other examples of stimulants include caffeine and it has long-since been recognised that caffeine before bedtime can affect sleep. There has been some scientific evidence that suggests that nicotine can have an effect of Rapid Eye Movement which is the sleep that we consider to be “deep sleep” and where we get the most rest. This doesn’t affect everyone but it could be a contributing factor if you are vaping and sleep issues are keeping you awake.
If Nicotine is the Issue, What Can You Do?
If you believe that the nicotine in your e liquids are cause you to struggle to nod off at a decent time, you can fix that. Unlike traditional tobacco cigarettes that have a fixed amount of nicotine, e liquids offer more flexibility. In order to customise your vape to suit your needs e juices come in various strengths all the way down to zero nicotine. If you are concerned that the nicotine in your e cigarette is causing sleep issues, step down to a lower strength from the afternoon onwards, or drop to nicotine-free before bed. If this does the job, it was likely nicotine that was causing you to count sheep without any luck. You could also simply vape less before bed. This might be a no-go for some but for others, vaping less before bed might not be a big thing.
Do bear in mind that if you are a new vaper, having recently given up smoking, your body and mind might still be adjusting. There was a lot about smoking that was addictive, not least the wealth of chemicals contained within tobacco cigarettes. These chemicals are classified as toxic by WHO. Give your body a chance to “detox” and get used to your new routines before worrying too much about sleep issues and whether vaping is causing them. It could just as easily be walking away from smoking that is the culprit.
Nicotine, therefore vaping nicotine-containing eliquids could, in theory, affect your sleep. There are a number of other reasons you might be struggling and plenty of things you can do to alleviate the problem.
Supporting Great Sleep: Identify Your Problems
If you are struggling with poor sleep or find relaxing enough to actually fall to sleep, you need to eliminate other causes. A good night of sleep is important for our physical health and mental wellbeing. That is why it is so frustrating when sleep can be so easily affected and by so many things. The first step in combating sleep issues is to identify the problems using a sleep diary. This doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Simply record when you went to bed, approximately when you fell asleep, whether you woke in the night, what time you got up and rate your sleep out of ten. These are the basics. After this add details such as what you ate and drank in the evenings before bed, what activities you took part in and so on. This information could help you identify issues which have nothing to do with vaping and sleep issues or using an e cigarette.
Top Tips For Boosting Sleep
We all have bad habits and some of them will affect our sleep. Consider these tips to encourage a decent sleep routine.
- Don’t use your phone or screen before bedtime. Blue light from screens inhibits the production of melatonin, the natural substance which helps you to sleep.
- Sleep in a dark and cool room. Again, melatonin loves the dark and a cooler temperature is good for sleep.
- Do brain dump into a notebook or journal before bed. This is a great way to de-stress and clear your mind.
- Don’t drink caffeine-laden drinks including many sodas before bed. Caffeine is a well-known stimulant.
- Build a bedtime routine that you can stick to every night. Routines teach the body and often the mind what to do next. A regular bedtime routine will help you settle down and drift off.
- Ensure that you are well-hydrated. Water is the fluid we’re thinking of, not an alcoholic nightcap.
- Try to get some form of exercise in every day. This has been shown to help promote good sleep and is great for your health.
- Fresh air can be a great for relaxing you. It helps lower stress levels and many people find that a walk before bed can help them to nod off.
Vaping and Sleep Issues: In Conclusion
If you are struggling with sleep issues and suspect that vaping may be causing on contributing to them, you don’t need to give up your ecig. Simply lower the amount of nicotine you use before bedtime. Choose lower strengths or even go nicotine free to see if this does have an effect. If it does, you’ve cracked it. The chances are that if you are struggling to sleep and that it has been going on for some time that there is likely to be other causes. Run through the list above, keep a sleep diary and this should help to identify issues that have nothing to do with e liquids and e cigarettes.
If you find that your sleep issues are causing your mental stress, have been ongoing for some time and you need help and support please see your healthcare provider/speak to your GP.
