Quit Tobacco Resources For Professionals and Healthcare Providers About the Helpline



How much does smoking cost you?

How many cigarettes are you really smoking?

Insomnia

What to Expect

You may wake up a lot during the night.

You may have trouble falling asleep.

You may dream about smoking.

While sleep may be disturbed, you may actually spend more time sleeping.

Withdrawal from nicotine may further disrupt an already disrupted sleep pattern but, in the long run, being smoke-free will help you sleep better.

Frequency

Sleep disturbances may occur during the first 48 hours of quitting, but your sleep will improve after the first week.

If sleep disturbance occurs, it will usually begin within the first 24 hours, remain strong for the first 1-2 weeks, and disappear within a month.

Self-Management

Don’t drink coffee, tea, soda with caffeine after 6 pm.

Do drink herbal tea, decaffeinated coffee, fruit juices, and water.

Read up on relaxation/meditation techniques and try one.

Do not change your sleeping routine: always get up at the same time every morning.

Prepare for sleep—before bed, allow for 15-30 minutes of “quiet time.”

If you can’t sleep, it may help to get up! Make productive use of your time instead of tossing and turning—you will probably sleep better the next night!

Nicotine and Your Body and Mind

Nicotine is a stimulant and may delay sleep onset as well as decrease total sleep time.

Nicotine has also been found to both increase and decrease the amount of time you spend dreaming—and thus negatively affect your waking performance.