How quitting smoking can improve your sleep wellness

There are many disadvantages and health risks to smoking, yet because it is so addictive many people struggle to quit. This is why it’s important to take a positive approach to quitting as opposed to berating ourselves for the habit. If you’re ready to fully quit yet, we can offer some advice on how smoking can affect your health.

Did you know that quitting smoking can improve your sleep wellness too? At Sunrise by Emma, we’re exploring how and why cigarettes affect your sleep. This is so you can make informed decisions when you decide to quit for good. During March in the UK, it’s the annual No Smoking Day which was set up to raise awareness for smokers to consider stopping their habit and begin their journey to quitting. No Smoking Day is a really great opportunity to consider the habit and how it affects your health too.

When is No Smoking Day?

No Smoking Day falls on the second Wednesday in March as an annual health awareness day. This year, No Smoking Day falls on Wednesday the 8th of March and you can keep up with the campaign on the No Smoking Day website.

The effects of smoking on sleep

Cigarettes do in fact affect your sleeping wellness. When considering the direct effects on your day to day routine, smoking can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Nicotine is a stimulant that raises your blood pressure and can cause spikes in energy. During these energy spikes we may find it harder to fall asleep. 

Recently, we conducted a study about different factors that may affect your sleep quality. For this study we interviewed 1000 (500 male, 500 female) respondents about their sleeping habits and their sleep wellness. From this we found that those who have never smoked are 20% more likely to have a good quality sleep. Furthermore, a negative effect on sleep quality was observed both in participants who declared themselves regular smokers and in those who declared themselves occasional smokers. This means that there is a significant relationship between cigarette use and sleep.

Smoking has always been known to pose other health risks. You can find out more information about the risks of smoking on the NHS website. As several of these health risks pose a risk to your overall wellness, this can also affect your sleep quality indirectly over time which is why it’s important to consider giving up the habit. Why not give it a try for No Smoking Day so you can wake up feeling your best?

Does smoking before bed keep you awake?

Smoking before bed may not be the best idea if you’re looking for a restful night of sleep. As mentioned before, one of the biggest substances in cigarettes is nicotine which, in the short term, acts as a stimulant and raises your energy levels, making it more difficult to fall asleep. This is especially true if you are commonly smoking before bedtime. 

Improvements after you quit smoking

On the bright side, when you take up the opportunity of quitting smoking on No Smoking Day in 2023, you are likely to see great improvements in your sleep quality. For the first couple of weeks, when quitting, your energy levels may be slightly disrupted and you may feel more tired in the day. However, this is likely because of the stimulants in tobacco. 

After the initial withdrawal symptoms have worn off, you may begin to feel that you can fall asleep more easily. You may also find that you can sleep for longer periods of time without waking up. 

Over time, this will feel great to wake up to, as you feel well rested and can shine on your mornings. Whatsmore, knowing that you’ve made a great decision for your overall health, means you can fall asleep soundly knowing you are at lower risk of complications and diseases in the future.

For further advice on how to quit smoking this No Smoking Day, the NHS Stop Smoking service can help you in your local area.

Sleep well with Sunrise by Emma

If you’re looking for other ways to improve your life alongside quitting smoking, head to our website for some of the best sleep wellness tips you can find.

When you begin your quitting journey, it’s a great idea to consider trying out a new sleep product to make your withdrawal easier. Browse the Emma Shop to grab yourself a sleep product to help you rest well when you quit.
It’s not just smoking that can affect your rise and shine, at Sunrise by Emma we can also offer advice for other things you can do that will improve your sleep health. It’s really important to care for your body so that when you rest at night time, it is a truly restful night of sleep.