4 ways in which smoking can ruin your sleep

Gone is the time when smoking a cigarette smoking was seen as a cool thing. Now, there is much noise about the effects of smoking on our health.
Smoking: the second leading cause of death
According to 2015 study done in 195 countries it was revealed that smoking is the reason behind every 1 death among 10 death in the world. India being a leading cause of death in India, it has 11.2 % of the world’s living smokers. Death attributed by smoking is caused by  heart disease, stroke, cancers etc.
There may be many reasons to quit smoking, but very few people know that quitting smoking may also improve our sleep. 

Lets discuss how every cigarette smoked has negative impact on sleep:

1. Smoking alters your body clock rhythm
According to a 2013 study done at the University of Rochester Medical Center it was found that smoke can change the expression of some genes in brain & lungs which have a tendency to impact sleep. This may also include the risk for anxiety, depression and mood disorders.

2. Smokers have higher risk for sleep apnoea
Smokers have 2.5 times higher risk for sleep apnoea as revealed by 2011 study2. Smoking actually irritates the tissues in throat, which causes swelling that restricts the airflow. Also there is collapse of throat muscles during sleep leading to episodes of pauses in breathing.

3. Smoking leads to fragmented sleep
Research done by on 40 smokers & 40 non smokers at Johns Hopkins University in 2008 revealed that 22% smokers experienced restless sleep because of nicotine which is a stimulant. However, only 5 % nonsmokers had poor sleep3. Also smokers experienced light sleep in EEG study as compared to non smokers who had more deep quality sleep.

4. Smoking interferes with sleep onset & also makes you wake up unrefreshed
According to 2013 study4 done at Florida an average smoker loses 1.2 minutes of sleep for every smoked cigarette. This is because nicotine in cigarettes is a stimulant that increases the heart rate, blood pressure & also stimulate the brain activity causing poor sleep, delayed onset, fragmented sleep & waking up tired.
However, the good news is that just after quitting smoking the risk of various disease starts decreasing gradually.

You may try these to quit smoking & lead a health life:

Make a commitment to yourself

Substitute your smoke time break like listening to favourite songs , connecting with pals, or even practicing a hobby

Flush off you smoke reminders like cigarettes packs, lighters , ashtrays & matchboxes. You may also get rid of smoke reminders like odor in your home & car by using air fresheners

Adopt a healthy lifestyle by taking regular exercise, eating health food including whole grains food vegetables fruits and having more water to detox the toxins