30 Days to Better Sleep: Stop Smoking and Start Sleeping

<div><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/sleepdisorders/1/9/z/1/-/-/Smoking_Bed.jpg" alt="Getty Images" /></div> <p>You know you should stop smoking. Perhaps it has even been a recent New Year's resolution. There are plenty of reasons to quit smoking, but could improving your sleep be one of them? How does smoking cigarettes affect sleep?</p> <p>In the consideration of sleep, any products that contain nicotine can be lumped together: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah, and so forth. Nicotine is the key ingredient. Nicotine is what, potentially, can disrupt your sleep. Just like <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/glossary/g/Caffeine.htm">caffeine</a>, nicotine acts as a stimulant. Stimulants make it easy to stay awake and, conversely, hard to fall asleep. Unlike caffeine, the withdrawal effects of nicotine can also be problematic.</p> <p>Studies have demonstrated the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/causesofsleepdisorder1/f/Cigarette_Smoking_and_Sleep.htm">adverse effects</a> of nicotine on sleep. People who smoke change the structure of their sleep. Sleep normally follow regular patterns. When comparing the sleep of smoker and non-smokers, clear differences become apparent. It takes longer for smokers to fall asleep. This is an increased <a href="http://clk.about.com/?...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news